Video: Picnic gives LCI students a taste of American culture

International students at the Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute enjoy food, companionship, and some unique learning opportunities at the summer picnic in Blacksburg.

LCI students tour Virginia Tech's 'home of the future'

Students in the LCI's 300 level and instructors Shelly Stoddard and Liz Bowles had an opportunity recently to tour Virginia Tech's FutureHAUS.

FutureHAUS won first place overall in the Solar Decathlon Middle East in November. Now, it's back from Dubai and on display on the Drillfield. The award-winning "home of the future" is open for public viewing and demonstrations daily, from noon to 6 p.m., through April 28.

After touring FutureHAUS, the LCI students wrote paragraphs describing what they learned and their overall impressions

Today, we visited the Future Haus, I had to say that it is amazing. Although I saw that house on television in our country, I still was amazed by the house when I saw it by my eyes today.
The house is really eco-friendly. The materials that was used for the house are not similar to the normal buildings. It used wood as foundation cement, and it has the battery to store electricity from solar energy and water recycling system, which can save a big number of resources.
I was surprised by the movable space. For example, we can alter the wall that is between living room and bedroom to control the size to space as we want. The most memorable part is the separated single unity. Each unit can be easily connected to the main brain of the house, and then the brain can concurrently control every unit. This is apparently thoughtful. If a person who is not married and living by himself wants to buy a house, he does not need too much space, so he can buy one bedroom, one bathroom and one living room. In that case, he does not have to spend extra money to get a big house, and it only takes a few weeks to build the house instead of years.
However, I am concerned about impending fire emergency because the material that the house was made of is not fire-proof. Maybe the designers are still improving the house. When this house is really implemented by humans. they can decorate it to make it more aesthetic.

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Today, after I visited the FutureHAUS project launched by VT, I was full of expectations for the future house. The modular design of the house has fundamentally changed my mind about the house. This modular mechanism makes the construction and movement of the house very fast. At the same time, the administrative body of the house is managed by a separate module. If the house has water or electricity problems, it can be quickly solved by repairing this module, and daily maintenance is also more convenient. The interior design of the house is also full of surprises. The walls of the working area, the living room area, and the bedroom area can be adjusted. As an example, if I want to have a party at home, I can use the wall to compress the studio and bedroom space to get the most space in the living room. Many devices in the toilet and kitchen can adjust the height according to your height to ensure the user experience. It is worth mentioning that the bathing equipment has a water saving efficiency of up to 90%, which is an excellent invention for environmental protection. Finally, I am looking forward to seeing the effect of this house in the evening, because the excellent lighting design of this house will make the home more beautiful at night.

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Joe Wheeler, architecture professor and lead faculty of FutureHAUS, explains the house's inner workings.

When I first saw the FUTUREHAUS, the circumstance is a little simple and crude, not as advanced as I am image before. To be honest, I was a little disappointed about that. I do not like its aesthetic. However, while the worker was taking us to visit the inside of the FUTUREHUAS, I changed my mind. There are plenty of furnitures which can automatically change. For example, in the restroom, toilet and sink can automatically change their heights depend on people’s heights. Thus, even children can do it by themselves without adults’ help. Moreover, in the bathroom, there is a movie screen on the glass. Therefore, people can watch movie when they are taking shower. That’s a really excited thing which I hope I can have it in my house one day. Additionally, in this FUTUREHUAS, the hot water can recycle when people are taking the shower. Undoubtedly, this function can save so much energy and protect the environment. Actually, this design can fundamentally solve the energy problem that people are facing. Of course it needs to be developed. Furthermore, the thing that most allures me is the light on the ceiling. It can automatically change its color depends on the different time in one day. That’s will help people to sleep better. And when the time is to wake up, the light may change to yellow or orange, so people can wake up naturally. It is really benefits for people’s health. To sum up, this FUTUREHUAS has already trumped most of the other normal houses. By visiting the FUTUREHUAS, I believe that people definitely can have a better life in the future.

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The significant feature of the FutureHAUS is integrated technologies on the house, which can meet the various purpose of people. The integrated concept has altered conventional architecture because consumers can design houses by themselves using various functions of modules to assemble a complete structure. Furthermore, there are plenty of dashboards throughout the house. Additionally, they can recognize the user through voice and even height, and people can easily control applications autonomously by giving instructions to the system. The other essential function is that most furniture including toilet, shelf, sink, and mirror are adjustable height. With this strategic concept for a future house, it is convenient for tall and short persons. In addition, the water circulatory system in the bathroom can recycle clean wastewater and at a rate of 95%, which greatly reduces water consumption. Water shortage is going to be an impending problem in the future, so reusing clean wastewater becomes a popular topic. Moreover, the wall in FutureHAUS is removable, which uses automatic shifting devices. For this reason, people can adjust the size of the room. This type of design makes a home accommodate the needs of the homeowner and utilizes the most practical technologies to make living better and safer in the future.   

FutureHAUS is on display on the Drillfield.

LCI welcomes Thailand's Srinakharinwirot University

The Language and Culture Institute today welcomed the president and other representatives from Thailand's Srinakharinwirot University to Virginia Tech.

Among the subjects discussed were possible faculty development training.

Argentine Fulbright students get a taste of life as Hokies

Friends of Fulbright Argentina students meet with Jorge Chediek, director of the U.N. Office for South-South Cooperation.

For Mercedes Saenz, one of 10 undergraduate students from Argentina spending seven weeks studying at Virginia Tech, the experience is more than an academic exchange.

The biotechnology student from the National University of Rosario in Santa Fe province said much of her learning has come not from the classroom but from the residence hall. “My roommate is Pakistani-American,” Saenz said. “We’ve gotten along great since we met each other. We spend hours talking about our home countries, showing pictures, and comparing our traditions and cultures.”

In its third year at Virginia Tech, the Friends of Fulbright Argentina Undergraduate Exchange Program is organized and implemented by the Language and Culture Institute. The program enables high-achieving Argentine students to live and learn at a U.S. university. Its goals are to provide a meaningful study abroad experience for participants and to bring diverse perspectives into Virginia Tech’s classrooms.

Read more at VT News.

LCI staff honored at Outreach and International Affairs banquet

Vice President Guru Ghosh (third from right) salutes LCI Director Donald Back (right) and other LCI staff members at the annual OIA Celebrate Success event.

Faculty and staff from the Language and Culture Institute were recognized last month at the annual Outreach and International Affairs Celebrate Success event.

The LCI's AdvantageVT and Hokies in the Middle East teams were recognized with the Hokie Stone team award, and Diana Martens, program coordinator in Northern Virginia, was honored with the Ut Prosim Award.

The Hokie Stone award is given to:

• Members of a team who have come together to make an exceptional effort and impact on their own organization or across units.
• Team‐members exhibit superior communication, supporting collaborative relationships, or innovative approaches to conducting our work.

Andrea Todd (left) and Rita Rowand (right) present the Ut Prosim Award to Diana Martens.

The Ut Prosim Award is given to someone who:

• Exhibits superior stakeholder service ‐ internal and/or external. 
• Achieves cost savings and efficiently uses scarce resources in a challenging environment with no reduction to service levels. 
• Demonstrates care and support of colleagues and community. 

Diana's nominator wrote:

Diana Martens began the year as the Program Coordinator for a special program run by the LCI in Fairfax. At the same time, she competently contributed to the smooth function of the Intensive English Program. After our other Program Coordinator left in the summer, Diana became responsible for all the duties related to both programs in addition to fulfilling the role of full-time cheerful face at the front desk.

Diana is always ready and willing to assist with any extra requests from administration, faculty, and students. She is warm and friendly and exceedingly patient!

Diana Martens is a true Hokie team player dedicated to the program and everyone connected to it. She has definitely gone above and beyond this year.

Congratulations to all!

Presentations point to the power of persuasion

Students in professor Mary Freday's class presented posters recently in which they "pitched" a product — either one they invented or an existing one — and explained the choices they made when designing their advertisement.

Students had to use persuasive language in their poster. But beyond that, creativity was encouraged!

In three-minute presentations based on the posters, students had to cover the following points:

• Why did they choose this product?
• What is great about the product?
• Explain why they designed the ad they way they did.

See more photos in our Facebook album.

Hokies women's soccer coach visits LCI

Follow us on Facebook to see more photos from Coach Adair's visit.

Thanks to Chugger Adair, head coach of the Virginia Tech Women's Soccer team, for speaking this morning at the Language...

Posted by Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute on Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Business Office moving to 820 building

The Language and Culture Institute’s Business Office is moving to the Special Programs Building, at 820 University City Blvd.

That means students who have questions about tuition payments, I-20 extensions, and transcript requests should now go to the 820 building.

Admissions manager Elizabeth Loar will move to the office on the left immediately inside the building entrance. Jan McGinty, senior accounts receivable specialist, will move to Room 107. Program assistant Michelle Hash will be in the reception area inside Suite 2. All three will retain their current phone numbers.

To accommodate these moves, some staff members currently in the 820 building will also be shifting offices. Wafa Al-Daily, coordinator of international activities, will move to Room 118. Patricia Parera, associate director for partnerships and new enterprises, will move to Room 125.

The main LCI office remains on the first floor of the 840 building.

Are you ready to watch Monday's eclipse?

About 2:39 on Monday, Aug. 21, the shadow of the moon will cover the sun, and there will be an eclipse. In Blacksburg, the skies will darken (though it won't be pitch black) as about 90 percent of the sun is covered.

If you want to look at the eclipse, you MUST wear special glasses with special-purpose solar filters. Sunglasses are NOT good. If you look at the sun without special glasses, you can hurt your eyes forever. Special eclipse glasses may still be available at local retailers.

You can also get glasses provided by Virginia Tech Alumni Association, which is having a watch party from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Monday on the Holtzman Alumni Center Lawn. The party is free and open to the public, and pizza will be served. People are also encouraged to bring lunch.

Eclipse glasses will be given out by the Alumni Association.

Meet Jon Wiley, the LCI's new graduate assistant

The LCI is proud to welcome Jon Wiley as our new graduate assistant.

Jon is originally from Southwest Virginia and loved attending Hokies football games growing up. He studied sociology and cultural studies at Bridgewater College, earning his B.S. degree. He went on to earn a Master of Science in counseling and human development with specializations in clinical mental health and school counseling from Radford University.

Jon has worked in a wide range of settings, including residential treatment, secondary education, and community mental health agencies. Most recently, he spent several years as a family counselor and supervisor at New River Valley Community Services.

He is currently a Ph.D. student in the counselor education program at Virginia Tech.

Jon's interests include leadership, mindfulness, interprofessional collaboration, and poststructural/postmodern philosophy. In his spare time, he enjoys running and exploring the great outdoors with his partner.

When you're in the Annex, be sure to say hi to Jon.

Baseball game in Salem is a hit with students

“The announcement came out of left field.” “Your answer is way off base.” “You need to step up to the plate.” “Three strikes, you’re out!”

These and other baseball-related idioms moved from figurative language to literal for students attending the Salem Red Sox baseball game Friday night. Not only did LCI students have a chance to learn some of the language of baseball that carries over to American speech, but they were also able to check their understanding of language through conversations going on around them.

Even though it was the first baseball game the students had attended, they soon got into the swing of the game. One student who had seen several baseball movies had a good understanding of the basic rules. By the end of the ninth inning, the other students had a good idea of the basics as well.

In addition to the rules part of the game, students experienced the cultural aspects like standing to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” for the seventh-inning stretch, trying some Cracker Jack, and joining in the eighth-inning singing of “Sweet Caroline.”

Although our cheers and support couldn’t lift the Salem Red Sox to a win over the Wilmington Blue Rocks, we did have a treat following the game. The ballpark lights were turned off and there was an extended fireworks display. One of the students said it reminded of his home in Oman where they marked the end of Ramadan with a fireworks display.

— By Bonnie Sumner

Cheers to Susan Piercy!

On Wednesday, the LCI celebrated Susan Piercy's 17 years as a teacher, mentor, cherished colleague, and friend. We wish her the happiest of retirements!

Click below to see more photos from our Facebook gallery.

Students get a feel for Floyd

LCI students pose for a picture in front of the famed Floyd Country Store.

While things may be relatively quiet in downtown Blacksburg during the summer, several LCI students learned on Friday, June 9, that downtown Floyd is the place to be.

Merchants were out in the market area with various handicrafts. Several were eager to ask the students where they were from and describe the items for sale (handmade whisk brooms, postcards, iron racks, tie-dyed clothing, and woolen knit hats to name a few).

As we made our way down the crowded sidewalk, we paused to listen to several bands playing along the street. Our ultimate destination was the Floyd Country Store, where we enjoyed listening to the old-time bluegrass music, watching people dance, and even trying a turn on the floor ourselves.

While no one in our group won a prize for having traveled the farthest — that prize went to a visitor from China — we all left with a renewed sense of hope that community and goodwill for all does exist and that music and traditions bind us all in this little corner of the world.

— Professor Bonnie Sumner

Student's volleyball team takes 2nd place at national tournament

LCI student Abdulrahman Alghamdi and his teammates on the Virginia Tech Men's Volleyball Club B team returned recently from Kansas City, Missouri, where they placed second in their division at the National Collegiate Volleyball Federation's National Championship Tournament.

Alghamdi, who's known as Bosha, says more than 400 teams competed in the tournament. He wrote a bit about his time in Kansas City — and about his gratitude for Virginia Tech.

Together we inspire, together we achieve

Bosha

My name is Abdulrahman Alghamdi, and my nickname is Bosha. I am a student at the Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute. I have been in the U.S. for six months. I am proud to represent my country, the kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

I joined the Virginia Tech Men's Volleyball Club team. We played several tournaments away from Virginia Tech. The last tournament was the National Collegiate Club Volleyball Championships in Kansas City. There were more than 400 teams that participated in this tournament. We played many matches, and we got the second place after we lost the final game.

I want to say thank you so much to many people who supported me always, the LCI management, and my professors. They always help and encourage me.

Thank you to the club and all the guys I have practiced with. We did a great season. They have supported me from the start. I really appreciate it, and it has been the most beautiful time with them.

Thank you, Virginia Tech, for providing everything we need, and I hope to make more achievements for the name of Virginia Tech. Finally, I feel pride and gratitude for VT.

Meet two new Humphrey Fellowship staffers

The LCI is pleased to welcome two new employees who will help run this year's Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship program.

Jon Dworin, a former instructor at the LCI, is returning as program coordinator. Sarah V. Liu will be a program aide.

For Dworin, it's deja vu all over again, he says. "It's great to be back at LCI, and I'm really excited to be serving in my new role with the Humphrey Fellows this year."

Dworin, his fiancee, Cathie, and their dog, Ama, moved to Blacksburg about five years ago. Before that, Dworin, who studied international relations and education and had been a middle school teacher in Maryland, served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras and as a member of the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps on the West Coast.

"I've been working on various entrepreneurial endeavors recently," Dworin says, "and I've developed a passion for community-building in low-impact development neighborhoods,"

In his spare time, he enjoys "all the natural beauty and adventure that the New River Valley has to offer." He also coaches a boys soccer team — "just for kicks."

Liu is a master's candidate in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech, from which she also received her bachelor's degree.

She also volunteers 12 hours per week as an EMT with the Christiansburg Rescue Squad.

Liu, a second-generation immigrant, says her interest in working with the international community stems from living in the Residential Leadership Community during her freshman year as well as working in the former Office for Inclusion and Diversity, which exposed her to issues of social justice and diversity.

Outside of school, Liu's interests include weightlifting, roller-skating, cooking ethnic cuisines, traveling, and reading.

The Humphrey Fellowship program brings accomplished young and midcareer professionals from developing nations and emerging democracies to the U.S. for a year of professional ­development and related academic study.

The LCI provides the long-term English training program component of the Fellows' experience,

Students, staff saddle up and hit the trail

“When I bestride him, I soar, I am a hawk: he trots the air; the earth sings when he touches it; the basest horn of his hoof is more musical than the pipe of Hermes.”
― William Shakespeare, Henry V

Lamya Almuhiza gets some advice. 

When students from the LCI visited Winterfrost Farm in Radford this month, they could certainly appreciate these words from Shakespeare regarding the horse by the time they had completed an hour trail ride.

It was the first time that Faisal Alhamdan, Abdulwahab Alzahrani, Ibrahim Hamdan, Junyuan Pang, and Dekai Yu had ridden a horse, but judging by the smiles on their faces, it will not be the last. Lamya Almuhiza is an experienced rider who went with the group.

Riding for the first time as an adult can be intimidating. A friend of Dekai Yu’s had warned him that people often fall from horses. Ibrahim Hamdan said he had no idea what to expect. Those thoughts may have been on the minds of other students as Sheila Palmer Miles, owner and operator of this horse rescue, greeted everyone with enthusiasm. She gave a brief lesson on mounting, guiding, and other tips to make the ride enjoyable and safe for both horse and rider. After students mounted up, they took a trial ride around the indoor arena before heading out on the trail.

Junyuan Pang on the trail.

The trail began in an open field with views of the surrounding mountains. Before heading into the woods, students faced an unusual obstacle in having to pass through a narrow gate with an overhead bar. The coolness of the woods rewarded all with its freshness. After meandering up and down hills, students were able to look out over the New River and see the Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech on the other side. Faisal Alhamdan exclaimed, “Breathtaking!” when he recalled seeing the view.

As herd animals, horses like to stay together, so if a few fell behind, they moved into a quick trot to catch up. All of the LCI students, including first-time riders, were straight in the saddle as if they had been riding since childhood. As the group approached the barn on the final leg of the trail, everyone felt that the experience had ended too quickly. Students lingered a bit after dismounting to reward their horses with carrots. After bidding a reluctant farewell to horses and stable hands, the group headed back to Blacksburg.

Sondra Schreiber gets some tips.

With a few days to reflect on the experience of the trail ride, Ibrahim Hamdan stated that the ride was one of the best experiences he has had since he came to the LCI, and he looks forward to returning to Winterfrost Farm in the not too distant future. Abdulwahab Alzahrani was still smiling and enthusiastic about the opportunity for a trail ride. By the way, since Ibrahim, Abdulwahab and Faisal were in a group with the trail leaders, they have been affectionately named “The Three Amigos!”

A note about Winterfrost Farm: It is a horse rescue caring for abused horses that have been confiscated by Animal Control as well as horses whose owners can no longer afford to care for them or who no longer want them. Trail ride fees help provide feed, vaccinations, farrier work, and other needs of the horses. There are numerous volunteers who assist with the horses’ care and accompany riders on the trail. For more information, or to schedule a ride, check out their website.

The LCI group hits the trail.

Dekai Yu sits in the saddle as a volunteer checks the tightness of the girth.

Sheila Palmer Miles of Winterfrost Farm gives a demonstration. 

Ibrahim Hamdan

Abdulwahab Alzahrani

Faisal Alhamdan

Class welcomes special guests; student talks his way to the top

Guests included: (back row, from left) Jerry Sauter, Steve Bull, Bob Miller, Susan Miller, Pat Turner, (front row, from left) Ariel Hylton, Norma Bull, Erin Bull, and Bonnie Sumner.

The LCI's Advanced Studies Elective class in Blacksburg recently welcomed nine guests who were charged with evaluating students speaking to a prompt. Each student responded to five prompts with five different judges. All of the guests were former colleagues of instructors Bonnie Sumner and Pat Turner.

Says Bonnie: "The students seemed to enjoy the activity, and our guests were complimentary of the students they worked with."

A toast to the Toastmasters

In other news, students from LCI recently attended a Toastmasters meeting that convened in the annex.

Ibrahim Hamdan

Ibrahim Hamdan received first place for the Best Table Topic, an impromptu speech. Ibrahim's topic was to imagine he was a published author on a tour promoting a new book titled "The Body in the Kitchen."

Ibrahim adeptly took the topic from a murder mystery and segued to a commentary about how we seldom take time to notice all of the details around us in our daily lives.

In addition to winning first place in his category, he was the only person who did not have any "ah, um, you know, etc." in his speech. He was also the only LCI student to speak.

Congratulations, Ibrahim!

Students see the sights of Richmond during weekend tour

“Virginia is for Lovers,” and the weekend of April 30-May 1, LCI students Tianyi Li, Jia Liu, Turki Alzahrani, Ibrahim Hamdan, Han Liu, Shirong Kou, Anye Wang, and Shiwei Yu experienced a glimpse of the history and art of Virginia to love.

Accompanied by Pat Turner, Sondra Schreiber, and Bonnie Sumner, the group began its tour on the west end of Monument Avenue in Richmond. From the statue of Arthur Ashe, the first African-American to win the U.S. Open and Wimbledon and the first African-American to be ranked No. 1 in the world, to the statues of Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Jeb Stuart, the students learned that while Virginia was the capital of the Confederacy, the people of the commonwealth have embraced all who impacted not only the history of Virginia, but also of the United States.

Continuing on the street that becomes Franklin Street, the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University added splashes of artwork and color to the residences.

The first stop was the Virginia State Capitol building, designed by Thomas Jefferson.
The capitol is home to the General Assembly, the oldest legislature continuously operating in the Western Hemisphere. The rotunda houses a life-size statue of George Washington sculpted by French artist Jean-Antoine Houdon. A statue of Robert E. Lee is placed in the old hall of the House of Representatives at the exact spot where Lee, who had resigned his commission with the United States Army, accepted command of Virginia’s military and naval forces. The Governors’ Gallery just outside of the Governor’s Office includes portraits of L. Douglas Wilder, the first African-American elected governor in the United States, and Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, former governors who are now U.S. senators.

After spending time at the capitol, the group headed to Church Hill, the oldest neighborhood in Richmond and the location of historic St. John’s Episcopal Church. Ray, an interpreter in colonial attire, described the building as it would have looked in March 1775, when Patrick Henry gave his famous “Give me liberty, or give me death” speech, which gave birth to the American Revolution. The group learned that three key figures in attendance that day have special epithets for their roles in the Revolution: George Washington, the sword; Patrick Henry, the words; and Thomas Jefferson, the pen. Ray offered a special thank you to the LCI group and graciously answered questions after his presentation.

It had been a busy day, and there was just enough time to check in to the hotel in the historic Shockoe Slip area of Richmond before heading to a canal tour. Cotton, an enthusiastic captain, regaled the group with descriptions of how the canal had been designed by George Washington in order to provide passage for ships west of the fall line in the James River at Richmond. Dressed in period clothing, Cotton had a surprise as he gave each student an opportunity to pilot the boat.

Following the canal trip, Bottoms Up, perhaps the most famous pizza restaurant in the city, was the site for dinner.

Sunday morning, everyone had a plentiful breakfast at Joe’s Inn in Richmond’s historic Fan district. Most everyone ordered the “big breakfast,” which consisted of two eggs, three pieces of French toast, home-cooked potatoes, choice of meat, and biscuits.

After breakfast, the group went to the Virginia Historical Society. One of the special exhibits is "The Story of Virginia," which is a travel through 16,000 years of time. The historical society has the only portrait of the Powhatan Indian Pocahontas. Pocahontas sat for the portrait in England after traveling there with her husband, John Rolfe.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts was the final location in Richmond. Here, all had an opportunity to peruse collections on their own.

On the return trip, the group made a brief stop at Appomattox Court House, location of the surrender of Robert E. Lee to Ulysses S. Grant, ending the U.S. Civil War on April 9, 1865.

The trip provided a glimpse of Virginia that most of the students had not visited before. While the students enjoyed what Richmond had to offer historically and culturally, they also had an opportunity to spend time with other students with whom they made new connections.

See photos from Wednesday's reception with University Honors and the Corps of Cadets

The Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute welcomed members of the Corps of Cadets and University Honors for a community connections reception that included snacks and ice-breaker games.
Posted by Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute on Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Blacksburg, Radford classes canceled for Monday, Feb. 15

Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus, including the Language and Culture Institute, will be closed Monday, Feb. 15, 2016. All classes are canceled.

Classes are also canceled at the Language and Culture Institute at Radford University.

For the latest information, visit the Virginia Tech homepage (www.vt.edu) or Virginia Tech News (www.vtnews.vt.edu), or call the campus weather hotline at 231-6668.

 Visit www.btransit.org for the latest Blacksburg Transit information.