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        Featured ELI Alumni

Advice from ELI Alumni

ELI Featured Alumnus: Yoori Kim
Background: Seoul, Korea

Favorite Activities: Playing PC games, watching cartoons

ELI history:
Fall '97 -- Low Advanced (first semester)
Spring '98 -- Advanced Core
Summer '98 -- High Advanced Core, Math 125
Fall '98 -- Transition, English 100, Psychology 100
Spring '99 -- Full-time GMU student

Yoori's Advice for Learning English:
1) Talk with lots of foreign friends who don’t speak your language.
2) Read novels, listen to the radio and watch TV.
3) Watching cartoons is helpful for beginners because they’re easy to understand.

Special Advice to ELI students:
1) Don’t hang out 24 hours a day with friends from your country.
2) Don’t miss classes. If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask the teachers.
3) For your first academic class, choose something you have confidence in.
For example, I chose math because I was already familiar with that.
4) When you take an academic class, start reading the textbook early because you
have a lot to prepare. Read the text twice, because if you read it only one time you
won’t remember specific details.
5) Review your notes after the lecture so you won’t forget. Don’t cram for the exam!

 

ELI Featured Alumnus: Juri Onuki
Background: Ibaraki, Japan

ELI History:
Summer 2001 -- Low Advanced Core
Fall 2002 -- Advanced Core
Spring 2002 -- Full-time GMU student

Juri is a working on a Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in dance. While a student in the dance department, she has been cast in the works of guest artists and faculty members, including Mark Morris, Lar Lubovitch, Doug Varone, Claire Porter, and Susan Shields. She was also selected as a member of the dance group traveling to China to participate in the Beijing International Tourist Festival. Juri will graduate in May 2005.

Juri's Advice for Learning English: Keep good connections with everyone. Listen before you speak, and do not hesitate to speak out!

 

ELI Featured Alumnus: Taizo Okayama
Background: Kumamoto City, Japan

Favorite Activities: GMU Kendo Club. Kendo is the ancient art of Japanese sword fighting.
Taizo has practiced kendo for 15 years.

ELI History:
Summer 1996 -- Intermediate Core
Fall 1996 -- Low Advanced Core
Spring 1997 -- Transition Level
Summer 1997 -- Full-time GMU student

Taizo's Advice for Learning English:
"At first, I didn't understand anything. I was very frustrated. Then I met other students in the same situation. I saw how they were studying hard and I followed their example. After a while, I was able to understand. Finally, I was able to speak."

1) Learn English by doing something that is interesting for you. For example, listening to the radio
and getting vocabulary from American songs.
2) Study little by little. You can't learn everything in one night.
3) Learn 5 new words every day.
4) Try to learn as much as you can about an academic class you want to take. Know what to expect,
especially what level of English your professor expects you to have.

 

ELI Featured Alumnus: Jae Chang
Background: Cheongju, Korea

ELI History:
January 2000 to May 2001 -- First Core Class was Advanced.

Current Course of Study and Career Goals: " I am in the Doctor of Arts in Community College Education
Program. Becoming an English teacher is my goal."

Advice: "I just want to tell the ELI students to enjoy each moment at the ELI, meeting new people as much as you can as well as studying hard."



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