My Valdivia Travelogue V

By Georgia Wyche

December has been a busy month in Valdivia and at Universidad Austral de Chile, especially with the holidays, classes and other duties at the university. Furthermore, this is the first time I’ve ever experienced Christmas in the southern hemisphere. I think Christmas in summer has its qualities but I still prefer celebrating Christmas in winter. Nothing beats a white Christmas.

During this month, I’ve continued teaching classes at the UACh Virginia Tech center and on campus. I’ve also been advising students and assisting other English professors in their classes at the university. In addition, I continue to build and strengthen the relationship between UACh and Virginia Tech. I’m excited because there are more exciting projects in the works at UACh in the coming months. I look forward to blogging about my upcoming work experiences.

The English conversation classes I was teaching at the Virginia Tech center to honors students and university professors finished at the end of December. Once those classes ended, I began teaching similar conversation classes to journalists from different departments on campus. These classes have been going very well and I look forward to working more with the UACh journalists. They are an entertaining group of professionals.

Georgia's English Pedagogy students

Moreover, in January Dr. Juan Claudio Gutierrez (professor of anatomy at the UACh Vet School) and I are going to be teaching and leading an intensive workshop on scientific writing and presentation skills to university researchers. The workshop will lead into a class that I will be teaching in March. The scientific writing classes have been arranged for UACh researchers at the department of graduate research, under the supervision of Dr. Ernesto Zumelzu.

I’m also continuing to teach applied linguistics to English pedagogy students. I’ve been very happy with the class and my students. I feel my students and I have learned a lot of valuable information in the field of applied linguistics. Moreover, my students recently took the mid-term exam and I’m thrilled to say that they all did very well. The highest score you can earn in Chile is 7 and many of them earned 6.5 and above.

My English pedagogy students have also finished their teaching practices. Summer vacation and school is out for non-university students from December to March in Chile. To finish out the school year for my students and their mentor teachers, a nice ceremony/banquet was held in their honor. I really enjoyed attending this ceremony because I was able to meet my student’s mentor teachers and some of their students.

In conjunction with teaching applied linguistics to the English pedagogy students, I hold weekly informal conversation classes for those students who want to practice their spoken English. I’m also a thesis advisor to a group of English pedagogy students.

In February, I will also be teaching English classes for the department of extension and outreach at UACh. Dr. Arturo Escobar is the director of this department and would like me to teach a class to craftsmen and artisans in Paillaco, Chile. I will be teaching them Basic English vocabulary dealing with their field of work and some basic conversational English so they are able to communicate more easily with tourists. Paillaco is a town located about 45 minutes from Valdivia. I’m looking forward to this teaching experience and being involved with the department of extension and outreach at UACh.

Virginia Tech Welcomes Thirty-two VTLCI Admissions

VTLCI congratulates thirty-two VTLCI Intensive English students offered admission to undergraduate studies at Virginia Tech for this coming spring and fall semesters. Let's go HOKIES!

Yu Bai Naiqi Cao Yu Chu Yifan Gu Ziyun Guo Xueyan Han Bangxin Lan Jingyi Liu

Yuanyanyan Liu Kai Lu Weihan Luo Yueran Meng Jiaheng Song Ruizhe Song Yongyan Sun Wei Tang

Muzi Ti Sahowei Wan Chuo Wu Dexuan Xu Rui Xu Zhechong Xu Wentao Yang Jialun Yu

Fanmin Zhai Baosheng Zhang Shaoshan Zhang Xiao "Sean" Zhang Yu Zhang Mingrui Zhao Yuan Zhou Zhanni Zhou

Former VTLCI Humphrey Fellow Wins UNESCO Award

PANAMA CITY, Panama – On November 23, Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship alumnus Arturo Cerezo, who serves as resources specialist at the Division of Natural Environment of the Panamá Canal Authority, was honored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), for having the best written work during HELP Basin Symposium 2011, held in Panama November 21- 24, 2011.

The scientific paper was described by UNESCO as a model for the region and the world, combining science and community experiences to manage integrated natural resources. Cerezo’s paper was selected from 200 submissions by scientists from 64 countries, in which he analyzes the process of reforestation with native species in Panama Canal Basin and proposes an innovative framework for the preservation of Biodiversity, erosion reduction and control of native species.

Cerezo was honored during the closing ceremony by Dr Shahbaz Khan, who is coordinator of Global Ecohydrology Program and head of the Section of Water and Sustainable Development of UNESCO, based in Paris, France.

My Valdivia Travelogue IV

By Georgia Wyche

So far, the second semester at UACh has been going well even though things are busier than a normal semester.  Things are busier and the classes are more intensive because professors have to cover all of the required course material in a shorter period of time. For this reason, many classes are meeting on more days during the week and on Saturdays. The students are also more overwhelmed with work than during a typical second semester.

Bird's eye view of UACH campus

Normally, the second semester at Chilean universities begins in July and ends in December. As you know, this semester is very different due to the months of striking. The classes began at the beginning of November and will end in March.  Also, many of the classes will have to be taught online in January because many of the students will not be in Valdivia during the months of January and February. The months of December, January and February are summer months and considered the tourist season in Valdivia. During these months, the cabin/apartment rentals and the cost of living increase.  As a result of these changes, many of the students have to leave Valdivia because their leases are finished and they aren’t able to afford the rentals in the summer.

I continue to stay active and busy at UACh.  I’ve been teaching my applied linguistics classes two days a week, holding regular office hours and advising a group of English pedagogy students on their theses. Along with my applied linguistics classes and duties, I’m continuing to teach English conversation classes to honors students and professors at the Virginia Tech Center. The English conversation classes will stop at the end of December and I’ll begin another project for the UACh/Virginia Tech Center.  The new project will consist of creating and teaching a class on scientific/academic presentations to researchers and professors.  I’m looking forward to this new project.

In addition to teaching classes, I’m continuing to strengthen the relationship between UACh and Virginia Tech. For instance, I often encourage my students to consider going abroad and perhaps doing a graduate degree at an American university, such as Virginia Tech.

At the beginning of November, I also had the pleasure of meeting Mr. John H. Rossmeisl, an associate professor in neurology and neurosurgery at the Virginia Tech Veterinary School.  Mr. Rossmeisl was a visiting scholar who traveled to Valdivia to teach a continuing education class on surgery at the UACh Veterinary Hospital.  His classes were very beneficial to the surgeons and the clinicians.  The UACh Veterinary School looks forward to inviting other scholars, like Mr. Rossmeisl, to teach and demonstrate innovative methods for the professional development of their faculty members.

VTLCI Names New Business Manager

Director Donald Back is pleased to announce the appointment of Bryan Ducote to the newly created position of Business Manager for the Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute (VTLCI).

Ducote joins the Institute with extensive experience in managing the business and fiscal affairs of both public and non-profit organizations.  He formerly served as Vice President of Business Affairs for a statewide organization in California that provided alternative educational, training, and employment related services to seniors and people with disabilities.  There, Ducote was responsible for the financial, budgetary, business, human resources, and administrative affairs of this multi-million dollar organization.  Prior to this, Ducote served in similar business manager positions for the Cities of Chula Vista and Paramount, Calif., and as a business officer for the State of California.

A native of Indianapolis, Indiana, Ducote holds a Master of Public administration (MPA) degree from the University of Southern California as well as a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Claremont McKenna College.

Stadium Woods: Natural heritage in the heart of Virginia Tech's campus

by LCI alumnus and Humphrey Fellow Andreza Silva de Andrade

Stadium Woods is home to over 50 ancient oaks.

BLACKSBURG, Va., Nov. 9, 2011 – For well over 200 years, regal oaks have stood on a knoll that now borders Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium. The 57 ancient oaks, each measuring more than 3 feet in diameter, form part of a unique, old growth forest in the heart of campus.


Latin American students visiting the university’s Cranwell International Center adjacent to the 20-acre Stadium Woods find the same migratory songbirds they hear back home. Besides hooded warblers, vireos, and some 62 other species of birds identified on the site, a pair of nesting Cooper’s hawks has been spotted there.

The small forest serves as a sort of rest stop and cafeteria for migrating birds. Local birdwatchers consider the woods an excellent spot for adding species to their lifetime lists.

“When the birds come here in the spring and fall, they’re hungry and underweight from their long journey,” said Sarah Karpanty, associate professor of wildlife in the College of Natural Resources and Environment. “They may stay at Stadium Woods for a day or for weeks.”

John Seiler, Alumni Distinguished Professor in the college, who has been conducting forestry labs in Stadium Woods for years, has permanent plots set up and tagged for regular tree measurement and identification exercises. If Stadium Woods did not exist, he would have a difficult time teaching some of his courses because transporting students to a public forest outside of town would consume the entire 50-minute class period.

“Stadium Woods is a true forest right on campus,” Seiler said. “Although we have trees and even groves around campus, Stadium Woods has the whole ecosystem, with a forest understory populated with plants, insects, and other creatures.”
In a spot surrounded by pavement and concrete buildings, Stadium Woods absorbs rainwater and cools the vicinity in summer. The 2009 Virginia Tech Master Plan Amendment identifies the site as an environmental and cultural greenway, defined as “a significant reservation of lands, waterways, tree stands, and cultural landmarks for future generations.”

Although Stadium Woods has remained relatively untouched during Virginia Tech’s 139-year history, married students were housed in trailers between the trees in one section during the enrollment explosion following World War II. Remnants of concrete sidewalks and porch foundations of “Cassell Heights” can be found in the woods just east of Cassell Coliseum.

Stadium Woods remains one of Virginia Tech’s best kept secrets. Jeff Kirwan, professor emeritus and forestry Extension specialist who co-authored the book “Remarkable Trees of Virginia,” has been exploring the woods for about 10 years. Impressed by what he saw, he persuaded the Virginia Master Naturalists to inventory the on site species. In addition to native species such as mayapple and black haw viburnum, they found invasive, nonnative species such as Asiatic bittersweet, English ivy, and multiflora rose, which need to be controlled. Kirwan enlisted the Virginia Tech Society of American Foresters Student Chapter, with help from the Virginia Tech Forestry Club and the honor society Xi Sigma Pi, to work on removing nonnative species at the site.

“The Virginia Tech Society of American Foresters Student Chapter was very excited to facilitate removal of invasive plant species this fall,” said Kyle Dingus of Warrenton, Va., a senior majoring in forest resource management in the College of Natural Resources and Environment and the chair of the student chapter. “We feel that restoring Stadium Woods to a natural state is a way to benefit the community and to help maintain a well-known ecological landmark. The chapter plans on continuing these efforts every year so that we can continue to support our community.”

The New River Valley Chapter of the Virginia Master Naturalists, the New River Valley Native Plant Society, and the New River Valley Bird Club have contributed a total of $1,500 for five signs to be posted in Stadium Woods indicating the ecological significance of the site.

“Stadium Woods is a natural heritage in the heart of Virginia Tech, a home to ancestral trees, and a refuge from the urban environment for birds and humans,” said Kirwan. “If people don’t realize how special it is, it will be used for other purposes. People need to think of it as the most historic thing we have in our community, more historic than any building or piece of paper. It is not only historic, it is alive.”

The College of Natural Resources and Environment at Virginia Tech consistently ranks among the top three programs of its kind in the nation. Faculty members stress both the technical and human elements of natural resources and the environment, and instill in students a sense of stewardship, land-use ethics, and large-scale systems problem solving. Areas of study include environmental resource management, fisheries and wildlife sciences, forestry, geospatial and environmental analysis, natural resource recreation, urban forestry, wood science and forest products, geography, and international development. Virginia Tech, the most comprehensive university in Virginia, is dedicated to quality, innovation, and results to the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.

Written by Andreza Silva de Andrade, an environmental reporter from Brazil who interned with the College of Natural Resources and Environment while on a Humphrey Fellowship.

My Valdivia Travelogue III

By Georgia Wyche

I’m happy and relieved to say that things have somewhat changed at UACh since my arrival and my last journal entry. Faculty members, staff and administrators are fed up with the student’s refusal to attend classes, so the president of UACh has put his foot down and has decided that the second semester will begin on November 2nd. I teach my first Applied Linguistics class on November 2nd, so I’m very curious to see what will happen.

The Chilean students seem stubborn and probably won’t give up their fight until they feel their voices are heard. Along with the second semester beginning on November 2nd, there is also a campus wide student vote on whether classes should begin or not. Regardless of the results of the student vote, the president still wants to continue with the second semester. If the students vote “no” and we continue with second semester, this just means that some students will attend classes and others will not. This whole situation is very confusing!

In the meantime, I’m still teaching English classes to professors and honors students in the morning in the Virginia Tech/UACh center. Then, I spend the afternoon working with professors in the English pedagogy department. I’ve been working with Ms. Yasna Yilorm, an English pedagogy professor and supervisor to student teachers. During the strike, I’ve been going with Ms. Yilorn to different schools in Valdivia to observe UACh student teachers teaching English. It’s been an interesting experience because I’ve been able to observe both private and public schools. From my observations, I can tell that there is a huge division between socioeconomic classes in private and public schools. I’ve also noticed that there is a big problem with classroom management and that the class sizes are outrageous in both private and public. For example, the average class size of a public school English class in Chile is approximately 45 students. The student teacher’s biggest complaint is learning how to better manage their classroom and their students. Ms. Yilorn and I are working with the student teachers and specifically giving them guidance on classroom management.

Lately, we have had several faculty meetings in the English pedagogy department in preparation for the second semester. The end is near! I’m ready to finally teach Applied Linguistics. I’ll be teaching to students in their last year to become English teachers on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Since my arrival to Valdivia, I’ve been preparing for the Applied Linguistic classes. Unfortunately, none of the students attended classes on November 2nd because of the campus wide vote.

Update: Well, the results of the student vote are in and I’m glad to say that the students voted “yes”. This means that the students want to begin the second semester. I feel more relieved and look forward to teaching and meeting all of my applied linguistics students next Tuesday.