Word TravELS

ELS Newsletter, Issue 11
July - December 2017
Proyecta 10,000 cohort from Mexico
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English Language School
Executive Director’s Message
February 2018
Dear readers:
Like many of you, I view each New Year as a
“fresh start,” a time for new energy to focus on
the opportunities and challenges that the New
Year promises.
This first issue of Word TravELS in 2018 provides a
flashback of the many exciting and inspiring
times at ELS, thanks to the work of so many
talented and brilliant students, partners, and
faculty members. You will discover stories,
photos, and adventures from the latter part of
2017 in this issue, which I sincerely hope you will
enjoy.
Looking forward to another productive year
ahead. All the best for a peaceful and joyful 2018,
everyone!
CONTENTS
3 Iron Man Amongst Us - A student’s story
4 “Yes! We can.” - How ELS drove the food
drive home
6 My Canada Storytelling Project - ELS students
share their Canadian stories
8 Two APPEMI Cohorts - Professors participate
in advanced professional training at ELS
10 ELS at ATELS - EAP instructors share their
research and enthusiasm with peers
12 A Mosaic of ELS Students, Staff &
Friends
18 Teaching...Volunteering… - An instructor’s
story about volunteering
21 4 Days in Niigata - ELS staff members visit
partner institute in Japan
24 Sketches of Canada from a Gifu Per-
spective - ELCS students share impressions
of Canada
Mimi Hui
Executive Director
English Language School
26 A Mosaic of ELS Short Term Programs
32 A Note from the Editor
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ELS Student’s Story
Iron Man Amongst Us
I
am Iron Man.”
If you have
seen the 2008
movie “Iron
Man,” you may
remember that
that was Tony
Stark’s (aka Iron
Man’s) line at the end of the movie.
As things turn out, we also have an Iron Man
amongst us in ELS. He does not wear an exoskeleton
and will not be flying about on campus or engaging
in aero-combat.
And he probably won’t introduce himself as Iron
Man. Instead, he’ll probably greet you with a smile,
a handshake, and introduce
himself as Tom.
Tom (Zhiwen) Gao started his
studies in the Faculty of Arts
at UAlberta in the Bridging
Program in September 2016.
As of August 2017, he has
participated in marathons,
triathlons, and of course,
Ironmans. Prior to his life as a
UAlberta student, Tom has
already established a rather
impressive athletic track record
in his home country, China.
“It started 4 years ago,” Tom
explains. “I was not in shape
and started to go to [a] gym.
I met a sporty guy there. He
invited me to join the Beijing
International Triathlon.”
A year after Tom’s encounter
with “sporty guy at the gym,” he took part in his
first Beijing International Triathlon, and came 2nd
in his age group (18 - 24).
“I got hooked,” offers Tom with a grin.
Another goal reached: Tom and Priscila
(EAP Instructor) at the finish line of the
Edmonton Marathon, August 2017
Upon starting his UAlberta academic career, Tom joined
the Triathlon Club on campus as the only Chinese student
in the club.
“It’s important to engage [myself] in this group (the Triathlon
Club). There are people with the same interest.
By communicating with people, I become better in
communication.
“In training, it is important to focus on balance. This
meant working on both strengths and weaknesses.”
Tom adds, “My weakness (in triathlon) is swimming. I
need to work on that…Balance is important. It’s life.”
Tom may not have been in Canada for long, but he has
already participated in a number of races. “My first race
was a half marathon in Jasper,” he recalls. That was followed
by a half marathon in Edmonton, a Half Ironman
in Calgary, an Ironman in
Whistler, and a full marathon
in Edmonton this August.
When asked if he has any future
plans, “My dream is to do
the [Canadian] Death Race,”
answers Tom, again with a
grin. (Note from writer: If you
have not heard of it, it is worth
looking up what the “Canadian
Death Race” is.)
As for his academic future at
UAlberta, Tom is considering
expanding his studies into
Physical Education as well.
For someone who started
training because he was “not in
shape” to become someone
who now calls triathlon a
“lifestyle,” Tom has literally
come a very long way. Compared
to the path ahead, however,
we are probably looking at just the first steps of
something exciting to come.
All the best, Tom!
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ELS Events
“Yes! We can.”
T
he 3rd Annual ELS Food Drive was a great success.
Over a 4-week period, students and staff
surpassed the goal of collecting 1,500 food and
household items. According to the volunteer at The
University of Alberta Campus Food Bank who
weighed all items, the total weight came to 1,160 lbs
(526 kg)!
The drive kicked off with an announcement to all classes
via a video from Barbara, the main organizer and
coordinator of the drive. This was followed up via our
weekly announcement “Simon Says” by the cutest
bear on campus, Simon. (OK. GUBA is the coolest. But
the cutest? That has to be Simon.)
During each week of the drive, students
and staff would bring in items according
to the “theme” of week: canned
food, dry goods, personal hygiene
items, etc. The themes were coordinated
with the Campus Food Bank according
to the items most needed.
Each class was also asked to compete
with the other classes in coming up
with the best team name. Jayne’s EAP
140 came up with the winning name,
“Helping Hearts.” Other teams names
included “Food for Free,” Empty &
Filled,” and “The Crazy Canuck Crew.”
Barbara’s class, Team “Eaters Without
Borders” came in top as the class that made the most
donations.
Then came delivery
day. How
do you deliver
over 1,500 items
from the downtown
campus to
North Campus?
We could have
asked our student
volunteers
and staff to
each take a box
and ride the LRT
across the
North Saskatchewan
River. As
interesting a
spectacle that
could have been… (Come on! A food convoy on an
LRT train? How cool is that!)
The UAlberta Vehicle Pool generously lent us a van to
deliver the items from our office in Enterprise Square
to the Campus Food Bank, located in the Students’
Union Building (SUB) on North Campus.
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Mark unloaded one box, the volunteer arrived
to greet him, happily thanked him for
the contribution and said, “that’s a lot of
food,” and was about to return to his office
when Mark showed him the contents of the
cargo space…
Surprise!
Thanks to all ELS students & staff for their
enthusiasm. (We are proud of you!) Thanks
again to the UAlberta Vehicle Pool for their
kind support. And a very special thanks to
Barbara for driving the spirit of the food drive
home!
In fact, we couldn’t have been
luckier that we had the van that
day: the items filled its entire
cargo space, only leaving room
for Barbara and Mark (ELS office
staff member and designated
driver of the hour) to make the
delivery.
What unfolded next was in itself
an interesting side story worth
sharing.
Upon arriving at SUB, Mark
parked the van by the loading
dock and texted the Food Bank Campus volunteer. As
Indeed, we can. And so we did.
Digital content: Visit the album 3rd Annual
ELS Food Drive on our Facebook page for
more photos of our food drive.
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ELS Projects
My Canada Storytelling Project
I
t was the right place; it was the right time, with the
right participants and the right audience.
The Canada 150 celebrations were in full swing.
“Storytelling” was both the catalyst and itself the activity
in a climate for all Canadians, new and old, to
share their “Canada Story.” The ELS “My Canada Storytelling
Project” was the perfect project for the students:
the background of each student—of varied origins,
culture, customs and languages—are themselves
rich and colourful stories, stories that would add to
the larger narrative of Canada 150.
Zuzana Buchanan, EAP instructor and Student Engagement
Centre coordinator (and student activity
extraordinaire) offers, “a variety of storytelling projects
have been launched, for example, by CBC
(What’s your Story) and EPL (Share your Story). Our
work thus aligns with wider interest in the use of multimedia
storytelling to give more people an opportunity
to relate their experiences of community and
culture in Canada.”
With guidance from Zuzana and other instructors,
students would use words, images, and music to create
their narratives. Amongst the various objectives of
the project, “My Canada” was meant to “motivate students
to create and share their work in English,” and
“develop practical skills and language confidence.”
“[This] aligns well with the aims of the [English
Laguage School],” Zuzana continues. “It enables students
to engage with new technologies, to learn practical
skills, to understand and share their experiences
of the [school] and of Canada, and to develop their
English language skills in a memorable and productive
manner.”
After weeks of learning and creating, the students
came up with 12 videos, 15 recordings, 4 presentations,
1 song, and many pictures. We featured a number
of these projects at the ELS Canada Day 150 Student
Showcase (held on July 19, 2017).
While each story was unique, there were common
themes in them: discovery, travel, adventure, challenges,
growth, hope, and new beginnings.
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Perhaps more so to adding to the larger narrative of
Canada 150, “My Canada” became the opportunity for
students to not affirm but reaffirm their being in Canada:
their decision on choosing to study here for
some, their reason for making Canada their new
home for others.

Because the majority of the projects were produced in
digital media, if you are reading a printed copy of this
newsletter, please view the projects here via a digital
copy of Word TravELS, available on the English Language
School web site (www.uab.ca/ELS) under
“About Us.”
To all students who participated in the “My Canada
Storytelling Project,” we thank you for sharing your
stories. And whether you are continuing your stories
within Canada or beyond, we wish you all the best
Questions as Guidelines
All students were given questions as guidelines to
help them organize their stories.
One of the questions was: “What is the most interesting
place you have visited in Canada?” Many students
responded, “Niagara Falls” and “Banff.” One responded
“Drumheller.” Another “Vancouver.” However, we
did a double take when we read “LRT station” in one
of the responses. The student explains,
…it was the most interesting place
which I have visited in Edmonton because
I have never seen before metro
or tube or subway! I am looking forward
to learning about it as much as
it possible. Because we can use such
as station to construct in my city…
We have the same climate and
ground.
We may not have a perfect transit system, but we have
one.
Here are the other questions and answers our students
provided.
Q: What is something that surprised you about Canada?
People greeting people they don’t know
Public transport
The atmosphere is very peaceful, and people
are very kind.
Since many…people [of different ethnicity] live
together, nobody thinks I am not a Canadian until
[I start] talking, and it is very comfortable for me.
This is [very] different…in my country.
I was surprised by the diverse educational system
and diverse values of Canada...I think Canada
has a better education system (than that of my
home country) that respects individual decisions
and allows individuals to make various efforts for
their own lives.
Q: How have you changed since you came to Canada.
I gained a lot of skills and experiences. I have
improved my English and spoke with better fluency.
Moreover, I have a lot of friends from all over
the world.
Since I came to Canada, I have been able to
enjoy… and design a more diverse and interesting
[life for myself].
I do not care [about my appearance as much]
compared to before.
I changed my driving mentality—
from racing to comity and cooperation.
I have lost 14 kilos of my weight since I arrived
in Edmonton…[I am] eating more vegetables and
less meat…I used to eat only meat.
Q: What advice would you give to other students who
have just arrived in Canada?
Get yourself involved in helping people.
Do not miss the chance to continue your education.
Be active and do not [be] afraid to speak English.
Learn...English by [connecting] with the community.
Set goals.
Ask questions.
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ELS Programs
Two APPEMI Cohorts
L
aughter is not at all a bad beginning for a friendship,
and it is far the best ending for one.”
When asked to reflect upon the APPEMI groups in the
latter half of 2017, Dr. Pamela Young responds with
the quote above by Oscar Wilde. “The CSC group
laughed together from their first meeting to their
graduation.”
The Advanced Professional Program in English-
Medium Instruction (APPEMI) is headed by Pam, the
Academic Team Lead for APPEMI. Pam is the face,
voice, mastermind, and trained dart-throwing ninja of
APPEMI. (More details on the ninja bit to follow.)
Between July and December of 2017, two cohorts with
vastly different backgrounds and characteristics participated
in APPEMI: the China Scholarship Council
(CSC) cohort from China and the Universidad Tecnológica
(UTEC) cohort from Uruguay.
The CSC cohort included professors
from a wide range of research areas—from
Thermal Engineering to
Comparative Literature; from Clinical
Acupuncture to Information Management
and Information Technology;
from Teaching of Chinese as a
Foreign Language to English Education;
from Aquatic Animal Nutrition
and Physiology to Accounting, just
to name a few.
So what do you get when you
put brilliant yet diverse minds
into the same room? As it
turns out: a lot of laughter.
At least that was the case for
the CSC cohort.
Pam recalls, “When they introduced
themselves to each
other…during their program
orientation, one of the young
men, whose name was Rui,
said that ‘Rui’ meant ‘wisdom’
in Mandarin. Later in the introductions,
a woman said
that her name was Rui Rui,
then added that this showed
she was twice as wise as
‘Single Ray.’ Everyone
laughed, and the nickname
‘Single Ray’ stuck, a gentle
poke at the young man’s ‘less
wise,’ as well as his unmarried,
status.”
“When I arrived to teach a
class with this group, I could
often hear them talking and
laughing from a long way
down the hall. During presentations
by their colleagues,
laughter was also common -
not in a mean way, but in the
spirit of enjoying each other’s company.”
“Another characteristic of this group was their cohesion
and support of each other,” Pam continues. “They
helped each other out with language challenges, and
gave helpful feedback to each other’s work.”
The APPEMI classes for the CSC cohort were all delivered
on campus at UAlberta. The participants had the
time and opportunity to explore both the university
and the city. In fact, one of the professors, a professor
of musicology and master qin player—a qin is a traditional
Chinese string instrument—had the opportunity
W o r d T r a v E L S | 8

to guest perform with the Edmonton Chinese
Philharmonic Orchestra at their concert and to
also perform in a well-received solo lunch-hour
concert at the Faculty of Extension.
In contrast, the APPEMI classes for the UTEC
cohort were delivered in a very different manner:
online and in person. The cohort consisted
of six “English language teachers in the same
department…They too had a cohesive spirit,”
Pam notes. The cohort may be from the same
department, but they were not all on the same
continent.
“I taught them an instructional design course
online,” explains Pam, “and they beamed into
my office from their homes throughout Uruguay,
as well as the U.K. and the U.S., where two
of them were involved in other professional development
activities.
the teaching practices in nine classes, talked to the
instructors of those classes about their experience
teaching in English, and to undergraduate and graduate
students about their experiences of learning content
in English.”
And yes, Wakayama is where Pam received ninja dartthrowing
and camouflage training.
In complete secrecy, of course.
The dynamism and agility in how APPEMI can be delivered
is unique amongst programs at the English
Language School. Who knows, perhaps “APPEMI for
Ninjas” might not be that far-fetched of an idea after
all.
“When I travelled to Montevideo to teach the lesson
planning course, four of them learned with me faceto-face,
while the other two participated via video. It
was great to get to know them after our virtual introduction
to each other, and they even took care of me
when I didn’t feel well during the teaching gig.”
APPEMI in Uruguay was not Pam’s first overseas “gig.”
She has previously delivered similar courses in China,
and was invited to a one-week observation visit at
Wakayama University, Japan. Pam adds, “I observed
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ELS Instructors
ELS at ATESL
W
hen you see our English Language School (ELS)
instructors in front of a room talking to a
group of people, it is usually because they are teaching
students whose aim is to learn English and hone
their Academic English skills.
Now picture this: instead of students, our instructors
are now standing in front of a room full of their
peers—instructors and researchers from other institutions—and
are about to deliver a presentation.
Pressure? Perhaps. But pressure can also be accompanied
by pleasure; pleasure gained from the satisfaction
of delivering great presentations.
Such was the case at the ATESL 2017 Conference —
Expanding Possibilities: Diversity and Innovation,
where a team of ELS instructors and researchers had
the opportunity to present their work and share their
views with their peers. “Team ELS” included:
Dr. Yvonne Breckinridge - EAP Instructor, Extension
Dr. Jennifer Foote - Assistant Professor, Extension
Dr. Martin Guardado - Associate Professor and Academic
Director, Extension
Justine Light - EAP Instructor, Extension, and Adjunct
Professor, TESL Program, Faculty of Education
Nayar Lopez - EAP Instructor, Extension
Anne Merritt - Curriculum Developer and Instructor,
Extension
“The ATESL conference is a great opportunity to share
the work that ELS is doing with colleagues from
around the province and beyond,” comments Justine.
“Our sessions ranged on topics from task-based language
teaching, teaching intercultural communicative
competence to pronunciation and graduate EAP. All
[ELS] presentations were very well attended. We are
doing really good work here and it is a positive thing
to let others
know about it.”
Justine, along
with Martin and
Nayar, presented
“Task-based
language
teaching: A
sampler of classroom ready task CLB 7-9” at the conference.
Commenting on
a different session,
Anne offers,
“Martin
and I gave a
presentation
titled ‘Poutine
or Pipelines?
Choosing Canadian Cultural Content for Visiting Students.’
Our goal was to explain the design process of
our Introduction to Canadian Culture Course, which
has been delivered to several groups of short-term
visiting students.”
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Each year, in addition to long-term degree-seeking
full-time students, ELS receives hundreds of students
who participate in the “English Language and Cultural
Seminar” (ELCS), a short-term full-time intensive language
training and cultural experience program.
Anne continues, “The goal for the course was to give
students the information and tools they need to optimize
their time in Canada, not simply to teach them
facts about Canada that they can learn in a guidebook.
To build this course, we looked at students’ situations
and itineraries in Canada and spoke to our
own teachers and programming and homestay coordinators
to identify relevant gaps of knowledge that
could impede engagement or cause confusion or misunderstanding
for our students.
“In the presentation, we presented one lesson from
the course, Canadian English, which addressed a common
student question (‘Do you use British or American
English?’) and discussed two significant features
of Canadian English, ‘sorry’ and ‘eh.’”
The fact that the presentations were received positively
underscores that Canadian cultural content is on
the minds of teachers who want to give their students
lessons contextualised to their experiences in Canada.
The weeks leading up to the conference was a very
busy period for all our presenters, who had to split
their days between
teaching/researching
and preparing for the
conference.
Was all the hard work
worth it? Justine’s
comments seem to
suggest so.
“I particularly enjoyed
presenting with my
teaching colleagues,
Nayar and Yvonne,
and the conference
gave us a chance to
reflect on our work and accomplishments. The nicest
feedback we got was when a university professor told
us we were so enthusiastic about our class it made
her wish she was teaching at ELS, too. Thanks to ELS
for supporting our travel and professional development.”
Unbeknownst to Justine at the time, upon spotting
our Tweets during the conference, one of Yvonne’s
former students promptly responded, “Taking this
prep course (EAP 550*) is much more relevant and
effective than asking candidates to take the GRE.”
Great efforts and well-received presentations. Good
job, Team ELS!
The ATESL 2017 Conference took place on October 20
and 21 in Calgary.
*EAP 550 is an intensive course designed to build the
language skills necessary for students to be effective,
independent participants in graduate studies at an English
language university. Course content focuses on developing
the advanced reading, writing and speaking
skills required in graduate school. Coursework assignments
reflect the demands of graduate level study.
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ELS Students, Staff & Friends - A Mosaic
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ELS Students, Staff & Friends - A Mosaic
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ELS Students, Staff & Friends - A Mosaic
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ELS - No Capes Necessary
Teaching...Volunteering...
A
t the risk of making one too many references to
movies in this issue (see “Iron Man Amongst
Us”)—spoilers alert if you haven’t seen “The Incredibles”
(circa 2004)—you may remember from an early
scene in the movie, where the narrator says, “...[the
superheroes] are living among us. Average citizens.
Average heroes. Quietly and anonymously continuing
to make the world a better place.” In the movie, this
happened after the “supers” were accused of stepping
out of line and actually causing more bad than good,
and were forced to stop hero work. (Watch the movie
for the full story. Word has it that the sequel is coming
out this summer!)
In the ELS world, we have supers who also quietly and
anonymously continue to make our world a better
place. They, however, are anything but average.
In this, our new column called “No Capes Required,”
we will feature our heroes as our way to acknowledge
the important contribution and the difference they
make in both the English Language School and our
students’ lives. (Yes. “No Capes” is another reference
from “The Incredibles.”) Our first capeless crusader
we’d like to feature is Barbara Lavallee.
Barbara is a long-time English for Academic Purposes
(EAP) instructor of the English Language School. While
most of us know her as an “instructor,” Barbara is also
an avid volunteer. Her energy and enthusiasm as a
volunteer in the local community easily matches her
W o r d T r a v E L S | 18

work at ELS. She also has creative ways to
weave the “learning” and “volunteering” processes
together within the setting of an EAP
class.
same. And the students really seem to genuinely appreciate
the experience.
One of the students commented about how much she
Barbara would, as part of the students’ studies
in EAP, assign them to visit, learn about, that others can see that not only is volunteering fun,
enjoyed volunteering at Hope Mission, and hoped
and become familiar with areas and events in but it can also help make changes.
Edmonton in order to “establish and sustain
opportunities to help them integrate into the “The students were very keen.” Barbara explains in a
local and university communities.” This, in report. “They were diligent, showed up, worked hard,
fact, is one of the priorities of the English Language
School Strategic Plan: Inclusive En-
interacted with staff and peers in a positive way and
were well received by the institutions involved.”
gagement.
With Barbara’s help, ELS students got to volunteer at
Outside the EAP classroom, not only does
different organizations in Edmonton during the November
- December term: making sandwiches at
Barbara make time to volunteer and engage
with the local community, she also helps facilitate
opportunities for her students to do
Hope Mission, preparing Christmas hampers at
the
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ELS - No Capes Necessary
Edmonton’s the veterans felt important. The activity was very well
Food Bank, received.”
and wrapping
Christ-
The most impactful project that Barbara took on this
term, however, was the 3rd Annual Food Drive. While
mas gifts for
this endeavour involved many students and staff,
the Christmas
Bureau
there is no argument that Barbara’s efforts at the
helm really drove the food drive home. You can find
Charity at
out more about the food drive in our article, “Yes! We
Bonnie Doon
can.”
Mall.
Hats off to Barbara for making our world a better
Barbara also
place.
helped bring
the community
to ELS.
We will be featuring more ELS heroes in “No Capes
Necessary.” So stay tuned! Of course, without knowing,
you might very well be sitting next to a super, or
For the weekly Conversation Club that preceded Remembrance
Day, she invited veterans from different
taking classes from one, or having lunch everyday
legions as special guests to talk to students. “The students
and veterans engaged in meaningful conversa-
Or maybe you are one.
with one.
tions about the significance of Remembrance Day,”
And if you are, and you’re wondering, here’s what
comments Barbara. “The students were fascinated and
we’d say: no capes.
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ELS Travels
新 潟 の4 日 間
4 Days in Niigata
by Greg Sowak
A
bout a two-hour train ride from Tokyo and situated on
the North coast of Honshu, the largest of the four
main islands in Japan, Niigata Prefecture is a picturesque
region nestled between sprawling tree-lined mountains to
the east and the raging Sea of Japan to the north and west.
Boasting a thriving rice industry and famous for Japan’s
best Sake, the prefecture is also home to Niigata University
of International and Information Studies (NUIS), a long time
UAlberta partner institution and close friend to the English
Language School (ELS). In fact, ELS has been receiving
NUIS students since 2000 to study English and experience
Canada in the English Language and Cultural Seminar
(ELCS).
While in Edmonton in August, NUIS representative and
chaperone Dr. Satoshi Abe, aka “Abe Sensei” (“sensei” in
Japanese means teacher), shared some exciting news with
ELS. For the second time, NUIS was kindly inviting an ELS
delegation to visit them in Niigata! The invitation was accepted,
the trip was planned, and a group of 5 ELS delegates
headed to Japan on November 19. The team included
Mark Bell, Special Program Coordinator; Rebecca Antonakis,
Miso Kim, and Jesslyn Rosanna , all UAlberta students
and ELS Seminar Assistants; and me, Greg Sowak, Associate
Director.
After nearly 20 hours in transit (2 flights + 2 train rides), we
were warmly greeted at the Niigata terminal late on the
evening of November 20 by the kind NUIS officer, Mr.
Ayumi Sekikawa, who delivered us safely to the splendid
Hotel Niko Niigata. After a good night’s sleep, we awoke to
a stunning view of Niigata Harbour and the Sea of Japan to
begin an activity-filled four-day itinerary along with delegates
from Russia, South Korea, and China.
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ELS Travels
November 21
The ELS team “hit the ground running,” joining Abe Sensei’s
English class to meet some NUIS students and help me deliver
a lively guest lesson on Canadian English! This was followed
by lunch with students and a tour of the lovely NUIS campus.
I had the privilege of attending and teaching another English
class later in the day! Our thanks to Cynthia Smith Sensei
for hosting and working with me.
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November 22
This day was also spent on the NUIS campus.
The team reunited with former ELS students,
spoke with and presented to prospective ELS
students, and capped off the day by attending
an “Exchange Meeting” with other delegates.
At the meeting, we were warmly greeted by NUIS
President Ikuo Hiroyama.
November 23
November 23 marked the highlight of our time
in Niigata! This busy day began at a Tsubame-
Sanjo area metalsmith, where we had the opportunity
to forge unique letter-openers. This
was followed by a delicious lunch and a tour
of the breathtaking Yahiko Shrine! The day
concluded at the Niko Niigata Hotel, where we
attended a splendid reception hosted by NUIS
and met with local government officials and
ambassadors.
November 24
After a “free” morning shopping in Niigata’s
bustling Bandai district, we headed back to
NUIS campus for lunch and a final workshop.
At the workshop, each delegation reflected
on their time in Niigata and at Yahiko
Shrine and prepared colourful presentations
to capture and share their impressions.
We bid a heartfelt “See You Later!” to our
kind NUIS friends that evening and boarded
an early train to Tokyo the next morning.
The four days in Niigata were fruitful, enlightening,
and inspiring! Having an opportunity to connect with
students at their own university and learn about their
home and culture proved an invaluable experience for
the ELS team. Reconnecting with old friends and colleagues
was highly rewarding and worked to further
fortify already strong relationships.
We look forward to continuing our work with NUIS
and providing rich learning experiences for their students!
ELS would like to sincerely thank Satoshi Abe, Ayumi
Sekikawa, NUIS President Ikuo Hirayama and the
many other students and friends who warmly hosted
us during our “4 days in Niigata.”
W o r d T r a v E L S | 23

ELS Student’s Voice
Sketches of Canada from a Gifu
Perspective
W
hat will your impressions of Canada possibly be if
you only get to spend 3 weeks in Edmonton? Essays
by two students from Gifu University (Japan) might just
give us a few ideas.
We welcomed our first cohort of 29 students from Gifu University
in August 2017. Two of the students wrote about
their impressions of Canada after participating in their 3-
week English Language and Cultural Seminar (ELCS).
While the brevity of their stay in Edmonton might not have
allowed the students a deeper look into Canada, their views
are fresh and direct, which interestingly give us a glimpse
of the students’ own country.
We would like to thank both students, Ms. Erika Tachikawa
and Ms. Ayane Hattori, for sharing their views with us.
Here are their essays, unedited.
“Our Society a Decade Later”
by Erika Tachikawa, 1st year Nursing major
T
his summer, I participated in the English as Second
Language program at the University of Alberta
(Edmonton, Canada) to improve my English
skills. When I look back, I realized that I was blessed
with plenty of opportunities to learn things besides
taking English lessons there.
Trudeau: “Diversity is our strength.” I was first introduced
to this statement while participating in an ESL
pre-departure class conducted at Gifu University. After
arriving in Canada, the Prime Minister’s message
truly drove home to my mind.
What about Japan? Unfortunately, my experiences in
Canada, my teacher’s accounts about Canada and free
newspapers I got in Canada, all pointed out that Japanese
society is indeed more than 10 years behind
Upon arrival, what surprised me most was the country’s
unique social systems and infrastructure that give free of barriers, and promotion of multicultural coex-
Canada in terms of creating an all-inclusive society
utmost considerations that showcase Canada’s ethnic istence. However, after I witnessed that the society I
diversities. For instance, a rich variety of colors of in envision is already in place in Canada, i.e. the society
women’s cosmetic foundation available at cosmetic that does not categorize people into certain groups
stores, an image of woman wearing Hijab used for an based on prejudice, I made a fresh resolution to bring
advertisement, dustbins for disposable syringes installed
at public washrooms, assistive service for hear-
my departure, I had little expectations about under-
real changes to Japan for our better future. Prior to
ing impaired installed at science museums, ATM accessibility
for wheelchair users, even wedding cards simply to improve my English skills, but I would like to
standing life in Canada because my initial goal was
for same-sex couples!! At first, I was shocked by all of continue to keep my study-abroad experiences alive
these, but on afterthought I was inspired by the fact by sharing what I have learned with as many people
that no one is discriminated and isolated from society as possible. My hope is that by sharing my experiences
with others, I can encourage many more like-
based on their skin of colors, religions, ailments, disabilities
and even sexual orientations.
minded people to take proactive changes in reforming
our society and the world in the foreseeable future.
I was reminded anew of the public statement made
by Prime Minister of Canada, Mr. Justin Pierre James
W o r d T r a v E L S | 24

“Showing Respect for Different
Cultures”
by Ayane Hattori, 1st year Education major
I
decided to study abroad setting my sights on
studying different cultures in the world. In this respect,
I believe studying in Canada served my interest
well because Canada, just like the United States, is a
country of immigrants where people of diverse ethnicities
are living in harmony with one another. As a
matter of fact, my host family was originally from Poland.
I also made many friends at school and through
In Canada, I learned that many people enjoy distinctive
dietary habits, traditional lifestyles, even
extraordinary ways of thinking handed down
by families for generations, and I was greatly
impressed when I saw Canadians accepting
these differences as they are. Canadians generally
show respect to others by considering
each other’s words and actions even though
they may be “out of the norm of society” as
part of each individual’s unique ethnicity. My
host family said to me: “Our family immigrated
to Canada because everyone is treated equally
here crossing the boundaries of race.” When I
heard that comment, I thought such way of
thinking may in fact help us rediscover a renewed
sense of appreciation of our own countries.
I also imagined what the world would
become everyone on Earth shared this wonderful
notion.
Another discovery I made is that a lot of people
I met in Canada speak English with strong accents.
Before going to Canada, I thought all Canadians’
mother tongue is English and that everyone in Canada
speaks perfect, standard English.
Personally, I am not so good at speaking English and
in many occasions, I found myself in difficult situations
where I could not follow the conversations.
However, I managed to communicate by means of
gestures or speaking slowly. I also enjoyed singing
and dancing with friends a lot. I once heard that music
knows no national boundaries, and that was indeed
true.
my mutual friends, whose families were immigrants I am very fortunate to have many unusual yet invaluable
experiences in Canada. By studying in Canada, my
from India, Vietnam and Turkey, etc. The strange thing
was that I happened to be asked for direction by a English has improved a lot, but more importantly, my
person from Bangladesh on the street.
staying in that country gave me a precious opportunity
to contemplate who I am, what I want to do in the
future, and how I want to live life.
W o r d T r a v E L S | 25

ELS Short Term Programs - A Mosaic
“So glad you came!”
n addition to our Intensive Day Program (IDP) and English
I for Academic Purposes (EAP) students, the English Language
School welcomed over 30 cohorts, totaling about 500
students to our short-term programs, including English Language
and Cultural Seminar (ELCS) and the Advanced Professional
Program in English-Medium Instruction (APPEMI). We
were excited to welcome new groups from Peru, Uruguay, and
Macau. The goals of each cohort varied from intensive language
training and cultural studies, to professional training
and research. We are glad they made us a part of their academic
journeys!
On the next 3 pages, we feature snapshots from these cohorts
(July - December) during their adventures on and off campus.
W o r d T r a v E L S | 26

W o r d T r a v E L S | 27

ELS Short Term Programs - A Mosaic
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ELS Short Term Programs - A Mosaic
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W o r d T r a v E L S | 31

Final Words
A Note from the Editor
S
tarting with the next issue, WordTravELS
will take upon a different format.
Instead of the heretofore 12-page format,
we will be publishing a monthly one-page
printed and online newsletter,
supplemented by online articles.
This change will allow us to both publish
stories more immediate to the present, as
well as to feature more digital-based
contents. The “My Canada Storytelling
Project” article is a good example on how a
the digital format can better accommodate
contents in different media.
Furthermore, the new format will afford us
the flexibility to incorporate and encourage
more collaborations. ELS students have
been showing their interest in contributing
to WordTravELS. We more than welcome
students who bring enthusiasm and
creativity to the fold.
We hope you will
continue to read
WordTravELS. That
will definitely help
our words travel
farther.
Yours sincerely,
Michael J. Viola
Writer & Editor
H
ave a photo or story to share? Want to subscribe
to our mailing list?
Please contact Karen: kblum@ualberta.ca. View all our
newsletters at https://www.ualberta.ca/faculties-and-
programs/english-language-school/about-us/word-
travels-newsletter.
Stay connected! Find us here:
facebook.com/UAlbertaELS/
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instagram.com/ualbertaELS/
Remember UAlbertaELS!
W o r d T r a v E L S | 32