Date: Friday, June 14, 2019
Time: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Location: CSB 213, ELI Building
On Friday, June 14, the students in the summer session KORN 102 course had a wonderful time with Korean students from the UBC English Language Institute (ELI). To practice their Korean language skills and learn more about Korean culture, the class visited the English Language Institute and shared their experiences about learning a new language and culture with nine Korean students who voluntarily attended the event.
Divided into nine groups comprised of 3-4 UBC students and 1 ELI Korean student, they discussed topics such as their favorite Korean celebrities, TV programs, food, their hobbies, and travel experiences in Korea and Canada. For the first 40 minutes, they spoke only in Korean to each other and for the next 40 minutes, they used only English. It was great to see all the students actively engaging in the conversations by applying what they learned in the classroom to an actual context outside the classroom and using a variety of (verbal and non-verbal) communication strategies to convey their intended thoughts. Even after the event officially ended, many of the students remained in the room and continued to talk with the ELI Korean students and exchanged contact information. A student advised, “선생님, you need to have this event more than once!” Also, many of the students provided positive feedback and shared that they would love to attend this event again in the future.
Thank you very much to the head instructor of ELI, Manjit Pawa, for helping put this event together and to all of the Korean students from ELI who shared their time and experiences. We look forward to having these language exchanges again soon.
