VTLCI Welcomes Fulbright Scholars This Summer

The VTLCI is hosting an intensive academic preparation program for 35 Fulbright scholars in July and August. In partnership with the Institute of International Education and the U.S. State Department, the VTLCI welcomes 35 Fulbright Scholars from all over the world in a program to help prepare them for graduate studies in the United States. Scholars will spend 3 weeks, beginning in July, on the Virginia Tech campus focusing on technology in the classroom, research skills and service learning. They will visit Smithfield and participate in lectures by Virginia Tech faculty.

If you have questions about programs at the VTLCI, contact Amanda Johnson, Assistant Director for Special Program at 1-9348 or majtwin@vt.edu.

NCR LCI Students at the National Portrait Gallery

Two students, Omamah Ashmeel and Abdualah Alreheli, from the Northern Virginia campus of the LCI describe their expriences at the portrait gallery in Washington, DC.

Field Trip to the National Portrait Gallery
By Omamah Ashmeel

I was very excited about the trip; I'm always excited when routine changes. I love art and museums and what was exciting the most is that we would have a tour guide because wandering in an art gallery without knowing the significant of each portrait is useless and with my knowledge and background, I would not even recognize the presidents. What I loved the most was the sculpture of Rosa Parks. This was a moving story of a brave woman who changed the future of the nation by refusing the inequality of that time. The sculpture itself is quite interesting it is made of wood showing her vulnerability yet her determination compared to the cops arresting her. They appear to be a bit flat in dimension while her portrait is more three dimensional. Her head is big while their heads are small and that might be an indication of will power and a bigger mind in her favor. An additional interesting aspect in the sculpture is the colors of her clothes. She is dressed in red, blue and white as if the artist wanted to emphasize that she's a patriotic and deserved her rights like any other American. Another artwork that I found very interesting was the JF Kennedy portrait. Unlike  other presidents' paintings, this one is abstract with vibrant colors and visible brush strokes. In the portrait kennedy's posture is unusual, he appears to be leaning forward as if he's about to stand; also he's dressed casually without his jacket on. Lastly, the Contemporary American Art section was fascinating with all different materials used from neon lights to wood.

National Portrait Gallery
By Abdualah Alreheli

Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute coordinated a trip to the National Portrait Gallery, allowing its students to acquire a new cultural experience which the school anticipated to be highly beneficial to them.  The management of the Institute was eager to find a qualified person to clarify to students the importance of the art. When the students arrived, they realized that the museum was dedicated to American history and were astonished with the culture they saw through each portrait. This novel experience for the students was partly due to the fact that typical museums are not always specific to a particular country. During the visit, the students were able to see a display showing a myriad of images of past United States presidents, along with many other pictures, which illustrated significant events that have occurred since the discovery of the States. A particularly impactful image was that of a black woman who was arrested because she refused to get off of a bus. Ultimately, the students were very pleased to have this unique and exciting opportunity, and they were also grateful to Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute’s management for always striving to assimilate foreign students into this great country.

Humphrey Fellows at VTLCI

Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows at the Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute

The Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute is currently hosting fifteen international Fulbright scholars who are participating in the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Long Term English Training Program. Fourteen countries are represented, including Brazil, Burma (Myanmar), Cote d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Haiti, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Panama, the Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Africa, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela. At the Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute, the Fellows are working diligently to refine their academic language skills. Their curriculum includes content-based instruction on intercultural development, conflict resolution and leadership skills. In addition to their formal coursework at the Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute, the Fellows have participated in volunteer activities in the Blacksburg community and in classes on the Virginia Tech campus.

In the community, the Fellows recently volunteered at Micah’s Backpack, preparing meals for students and families who qualify for the free and reduced lunch program. The Fellows joined other volunteers who gather every Thursday evening at St. Michael Lutheran Church to help package meals for students.  Not only did the Fellows enjoy packing meals, but they also benefited from engaging in conversation with local volunteers dedicated to running Micah’s Backpack. 

 Humphrey Fellows volunteer at Micah’s Backpack

On campus, the Fellows participated in Professor Eric Kaufman’s course on Leadership in a Global Society. The Fellows interacted with students in a discussion on the personal and professional competencies required for effective leadership in a global, diverse and, multicultural society. The Fellows also participated in Professor Elizabeth Fine’s course on Multicultural Communication. Professor Fine’s students engaged with the Fellows on topics related to communication, including the process of exchanging meaningful information across cultural boundaries in a way that preserves mutual respect. 

At the end of the training program, the Fellows will move on to host universities, including American University, Arizona State University, Cornell University, Emory University, Johns Hopkins University, Michigan State University, Syracuse University, Tulane University, and the University of Minnesota.  At these locations, they will further their own research projects in diverse areas, including agriculture and rural development, environmental policy, HIV/AIDS policy and prevention, human rights, and journalism.  The Fellows will engage in professional networking activities and non-degree graduate level study in order to obtain expertise that will be applied and adapted in their respective countries.

The Fellows will be on the Virginia Tech main campus through August 2012. Invitations to visit classes, departments, businesses and government offices are welcome and should be directed to program director Robert (Bert) Wilson at rwwilson@vt.edu or 540-231-5730.

VTLCI Students Place Second and Third in VATESOL Writing Contest

By Kama Weatherholt

The Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute is proud to congratulate two of our students, Abeer Almaimouni and Hamdan Alohosani, for their success in the VATESOL Writing Contest!
This year’s contest prompted the students to write about the topics of advocacy and inclusion.  Abeer and Hamdan wrote thoughtful and insightful essays that related these issues to the experiences of ESL students.  Abeer, a student at the Blacksburg LCI, tied for second place with her essay titled “ESL Students, Campus, and Community.”  Hamdan, who studied at the LCI in Falls Church, received third place for the essay “ESL Community and Inclusion.” 

Abeer Almaimouni, an electrical engineer from Kuwait, is studying in the United States on a full scholarship from Kuwait University (KU).  After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she briefly worked as a part-time teaching assistant at KU before becoming a trainee engineer at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor.  She then worked as an electrical maintenance engineer at Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC), an experience that proved difficult. 

Abeer accepts award from Don Back

Abeer explains, “The fact that I was the first female engineer in the Electrical Maintenance Division represented a major challenge to me. I had to work in a very male-dominant working environment, and I needed to work in hazardous areas and very harsh physical conditions. After working for two and a half years in the maintenance field, I had earned a great deal of respect from my colleagues and my superiors for my hardworking nature and dedication.”   

After her work at KNPC, Abeer decided that it was time to return to the world of academia.  She graduated from the LCI program this May, and will now be moving on to the University of Washington in Seattle to begin her graduate studies in electric power engineering.  After obtaining her PhD, she will return to her home country to join the faculty of the Electrical Engineering Department at Kuwait University. 

Hamdan Alohosani

Hamdan Alohosani came to the Falls Church VTLCI from the United Arab Emirates.  Upon completing high school, Hamdan received a prestigious Distinguished Student Scholarship, a prize that is awarded to only twelve high school graduates throughout the UAE each year. 

Hamdan recently completed the advanced level at the VTLCI with an outstanding academic record.  He held perfect attendance and a 4.0 GPA over four terms of study.  He will continue his hard work in the mechanical engineering program at Virginia Tech this fall. 

In addition to his study of English, Hamdan has always enjoyed and excelled in science, and he won several global competitions while in high school.  He also explains that he likes the state of Virginia because of the beautiful scenery and the friendly people.   

UAE Scholarship Students Accepted to VT

Abdulrahman Aljaberi and Hamdan Alhosani, both from the United Arab Emirates and recipients of the prestigious Distinguished Student Scholarship, have been accepted to Virginia Tech in the fall as undergraduates.

Abdulrahman will study Electrical Engineering, and Hamdan will study Mechanical Engineering. Both have been model students at the LCI with perfect attendance rates and a perfect 4.0 GPA since they began in Fall 2011. Congratulations to both excellent students who are well on the path to academic success!

VT Phi Beta Delta Awards Scholarships

Virginia Tech's Gamma Omega chapter of Phi Beta Delta is pleased to announce the winners of the Spring 2012 scholarships, which are made possible by the generous support of the Virginia Tech Language and Culture Institute.

Both graduate and undergraduate students are eligible to apply; selection criteria is based on good academic standing (3.2 GPA undergraduate, 3.6 GPA graduate), enrollment in credit-bearing programs with language and cultural engagement components, and trips to non-traditional destinations for extended stays. Tech-managed programs, bilateral and International Student Exchange Programs, Virginia Tech Direct, and non-Tech programs and independent programs with a clear academic goal, qualify for consideration. All applicants are required to submit an essay that describes how their experience will promote the values of the organization, and winners may be requested to present at a Phi Beta Delta event upon their return. Awards of up to $5,000 may be issued at the discretion of the selection committee. Scholarships are awarded in the fall and spring semesters.

The following students were awarded scholarships:

Brooke Reynolds is the recipient of a $4,000 scholarship to be applied to her Fall 2012 semester study program at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso in Valparaíso, Chile.
Jeremy Rommel has received a $4,000 award to fund his Fall 2012 semester in Argentina or Chile.
Gregory Kralik has been selected as the winner of a $1,000 scholarship to participate in the Summer 2012 'From Rainforest to Reef' program in Belize led by Professor Marcella Kelly.
Lyn Moore, a native of Leesburg, Virginia, is a doctoral candidate in the Human Development: Marriage and Family Therapy program who has been chosen as the recipient of a $1,000 award to attend the 'South Africa: Lifespan Community Services and Education' program in Mafikeng, South Africa during the Summer II semester.
Megan Murray has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship to participate in a Francophone Studies program in Rabat, Morocco during the Summer 2012 semester.

My Valdivia Travelogue VIII

By Georgia Wyche

The first semester has begun and things have picked up at UACh. Part of my teaching load includes teaching Psycholinguistics, Advanced English Grammar, and a class on phrasal verbs for the English department. I’m substituting two of the classes for a teacher who is on maternity leave. The teacher comes back to work in the middle of April.  So far it has been an enriching experience and I’m also happy to be working with the English pedagogy students once again.

In addition to teaching classes for the English department, I’m also teaching for the UACh Outreach Department. I’m teaching a Basic English class to local artisans in Valdivia. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to teach classes to people from the community not affiliated with the university.

I also recently began working at the Australian Corner, which is similar to the American Corner on the Isla Teja campus. The Australian Corner is located on the Mira Flores campus, which is about a ten minutes bus ride from the UACh Isla Teja campus. I’m teaching Basic English classes to students studying engineering and computer science.

 In the beginning of March, the scientific writing workshop that was held in January had a small ceremony. The students who attended regularly and completed all of the assignments received a certificate of completion.  

The scientific writing workshop will become a class for honors students in the middle of April. I will be co-teaching this class with UACh professor, Dr. Sandor Mulsow. The class will meet once a week until the middle of June. I’m looking forward to working with him.

Along with teaching the classes mentioned, I continue to teach English conversation classes to UACh journalists and I’m doing some private tutoring.  I enjoy working with the journalists because they are a lively group. I’m tutoring a few students who need to brush up on their English before heading to the United States in June.

My UACh teaching experience is drawing to a close in about two and a half months, so I will do my best to make the most out of the time I have left.