UMaine Intensive English Institute Preps for Japanese Students
Contact: George Manlove at (207) 581-3756
ORONO — The UMaine Intensive English Institute is planning for the February-March visit by more than two dozen Japanese college students, and again is seeking host families in the area.
Institute Director Chris Mares will need even more families than volunteered to host the visiting students last February and March. The number of visitors has grown by a third, from 17 students last semester to 25 in 2005.
The program’s success has increased similarly, says Mares, who is in Japan, having been invited to Hirosaki University and nearby public schools in Japan Oct. 13-24 to present seminars on new English-teaching methods.
Mares, whose expenses will be paid by Hirosaki University, a sister school to UMaine in Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan, will give demonstration English language classes in elementary, middle and high schools in the area, in addition to leading workshops for practicing teachers at Hirosaki University.
New teaching methods include a focus on English language and American cultural immersion, Mares says. The three-week course for visiting Japanese students focuses on U.S. culture, especially the lives of the people of Maine, both past and present.
Last year the students made Penobscot baskets, listened to story tellers, met lobstermen, foresters, watched maple syrup being made in the university woods and learned to square dance.
Attaching real activities and living with Maine families as a part of the exchange blends a cultural understanding with learning English, giving the latter more relevance, says Mares.
“Following the natural approach to language acquisition, the principle underlying the program is that if students are motivated and if the material is interesting and presented transparently at a level students can understand through clues other than simply language, then language acquisition will occur,” he says.
Last year the program was particularly successful, as Mares arranged for the Japanese students to stay with host families in the area and introduced them to “conversation partners,” to meet informally and chat about everyday issues.
UMaine faculty, staff and members of the surrounding communities participated in the program.
“They get a lot more in terms of language on one hand and they get a lot in terms of cultural influence, a real massive experience,” Mares says. “Because they are coming to Maine, we give them information about Maine and this area.”
The visitors will learn about basket-making from the Penobscot Nation, New England story-telling and even about native birds and owls.
“We’re trying to give them a true and rich experience,” Mares says. Sponsors also took the students to visit Quebec City last March.
The program is separate from the university’s International Student Exchange program, but the English language immersion course fuels the exchange program, Mares says. It also assists in achieving the university’s goal of promoting increased cultural diversity and understanding on campus and in the community.
The students study at UMaine for three weeks under the auspices of a language and culture program, but receive credit from Hirosaki.
As part of the program, UMaine students may choose to study in Japan, and, in fact, two UMaine students have already studied Japanese language and culture at Hirosaki University. The Japanese university is looking actively for more UMaine students to continue that tradition, according to Mares. The program includes provisions for tuition waivers and a limited number of scholarships.
UMaine students receive transferable foreign language credit from Hirosaki University by taking a three week course at the IEI.
Since the University of Maine has relationships and exchanges with universities all over the world, Mares says administrators are exploring opening the door for similar English immersion visits to and from other countries and cultures.
The Japanese students will need housing convenient to the Orono campus for the last week in February and the first two weeks of March.
Mares can be reached at (207) 581-3895 for more information.