Aug. 16, 2010
For Immediate Release
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Campbellsville University honored its English as a Second Language (ESL) Institute spring graduates. Pictured with President Dr. Michael V. Carter, front, right, are from left: Front row — Dr. Frank Cheatham, vice president for academic affairs; Dr. Sandra Kroh, director of ESL Institute and assistant professor; Ardeen Top, assistant director of ESL and instructor; and Carter. Second row — Jieyun Wang, left; and Evelyn Mendoza. Third row — Cristina Soares da Silva, Takenori Oue and Joel Komena. Fourth row — Carolina Rodriguez, Koya Iwasaki Bacari Abdou Elie. Back row — Haejin Kim, Thomas Lecoffre and Miguel Restrepo. Also in the program but not pictured are: Woo Young Choi, Seung-Hwa Han, Nan Lu, Yusuke Nakanami, Takashi Okuda, Jimmy Ruiz and Ishin Umezu. (Campbellsville University Photo by Linda Waggener)
By Linda Waggener, marketing and media relations coordinator
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. – Director of CU’s English as a Second Language (ESL) Institute, Dr. Sandra Kroh, is getting the word out about Campbellsville University’s opportunity for students who feel called to missions overseas and in the United States.
This program focuses both on preparing students to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) in the United States, and also English as a Foreign Language (EFL) in an international setting at elementary, secondary and university levels.
Kroh, director of the CU ESL and MA TESOL programs, said, “Graduates of this program have no trouble finding a job in their field as the world, literally, is their market.”
The Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) certificate is a 13-hour program that can be taken as part of a student’s electives, no matter their major at CU. Many missions students get this certificate which gives them credentials to work in missions overseas.
Kroh said the goal of the University’s Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA TESOL) is to provide career opportunities for candidates both at home in the United States, and internationally. Since Campbellsville University is a teaching institution, this program strengthens the current curriculum by providing a master of art’s degree in TESOL as one of only nine other institutions of higher learning in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, which offers, not necessarily an MA in TESOL, but some type of TESOL program.
A glimpse of the ESL graduates of 2010 included the following students who shared a few details about their international journeys:
Bacari Abdou (Elie) is from Marseille, France and has been studying English as a Second Language at CU for a semester. He has a high school diploma from Victor Hugo High School in France and also attended Universite de Provence for one year. He plans to study journalism and music as an undergraduate student and his hobbies are singing, dancing and playing soccer.
Haejin Kim is from Suwon, Korea and has been studying English for one year at CU. She has a high school diploma from Jang An High School and also attended Hansei University in Korea for one year. She plans to study the bassoon as an undergraduate student and her hobbies are playing her instrument and listening to music.
Jieyun Wang is from Shanghai, China and has been studying English for one year at CU. She has a bachelor degree from Shanghai Normal University and also worked in a kindergarten for two years. She plans to study in the MA TESOL program and her hobbies are swimming and photography.
Zhishuo Zhou comes from Beijing, China. He has been studying English for three semesters, and he wants to get a bachelor degree in accounting. He says he will do his best at CU and he enjoys his life here.
Jae Hyuk Cho is from Seoul, Korea and has been studying English for one year at CU. He has a bachelor degree from the Korean National University of Arts. He plans to go back to Korea after this semester to start a business.
Thomas Lecoffre came to CU from France. He has had two years of university study before arriving, but learning to speak English and getting a good education at Campbellsville makes his future brighter, he said. He plans to major in computer science and will be staying at CU for at least one year to study.
Miguel Angel Restrepo Cardona was born in Medellin, Colombia and is 18 years old. He has been studying English as a Second Language at CU for one year. Cardona graduated from high school in Medellin, Colombia in 2008, studying acting at Actuemos Academy the following year. Returning to Colombia, he will study economics at the National University of Colombia in fall 2010.
Joel Komena is 23 years old and from Saint-Denis, France. He earned an accounting degree from Paris 13 University. He plans to study business management as a graduate student after his ESL classes at CU. His hobbies are playing basketball and going to the cinema.
Evelyn Mendoza is from Manta, Ecuador and has been studying English as a Second Language at Campbellsville University for one year. She has a high school diploma from Liceo Naval Manta High School in science, math and physics. She plans to study biology as an undergraduate. Her hobbies are swimming and listening to music.
Koya Iwasaki, from Ninohe, Japan, has been studying English as a Second Language at CU for one year. He has a high school diploma from Fukuoka High School in Iwate. He plans to study economics as an undergraduate, and he plays basketball.
Nan Lu is from Beijing, China and has been studying English as a Second Language at CU for one year. He has a university degree from Harbin Institute of Physical Education. He plans to study in the master of business administration program as a graduate student and his hobbies are playing basketball and video games.
Jimmy Ruiz is from Lima, Peru and has been studying English as a Second Language at CU for one year. He has a high school diploma from Colegio Internacional SEK in Ecuador. He plans to study medicine as an undergraduate, and he plays soccer.
Cristina Soares da Silva is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and has been studying English as a Second Language at CU for one year. She has an undergraduate degree from the University of Rio de JHaneiro (UNIRIO) in music education. She plays flute and plans to pursue graduate studies.
Takenori Oue is from Hiroshima, Japan and has been studying English as a Second Language at CU for one semester. He has a high school diploma from Hiroshima Gakuin High School in Japan and also attended Kobe University for one and a half years. He plans to study theatre as an undergraduate student and his hobbies are playing the piano, listening to music and watching movies.
Carolina Rodriguez is from Barquisimeto, Venezuela and has been studying English as a Second Language at CU for one semester. She has a high school diploma from Las Colinas High School and also attended Fermin Toro University for three years. She plans to continue studying business administration, and her hobby is photography.
Woo Young Choi is from South Korea. His major is music and he plays the French horn. He has been studying English as a Second Language at CU for one and a half years. He wants to be a very good French horn player.
Ishin Umezu is from Tokyo, Japan and has been studying ESL for one year. She has also taken classes in undergraduate this semester, and she feels ESL was very important for her to improve her English before taking undergraduate classes. She plans to major in business and minor in international studies.
Seung Hwa Han is from Busan, South Korea and has been studying English as a Second Language at CU for one and a half years. She has a university degree from Kosin University in Busan, South Korea. She plans to study in the School of Music as a graduate student at Campbellsville University and her hobbies are swimming and listening to music.
Campbellsville University is a widely acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with over 3,000 students offering 45 undergraduate programs, 16 master’s degrees and five postgraduate areas. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.