The Texas Intensive English Program provides English language training and cultural information to individuals whose native language is not English.
Some TIEP goals include:
1. Improving the English language and study skills of international students in preparation for study at an American University, or for the use of English in social and profesional situations;
2. Familiarizing international students with the people, c u l t u r e, and customs of the United Sates to facilitate the transition from their countries and adjustment during their stay in the Unites States.
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Tuesday, April 1, 2008
ASI Seminar on Applied teaching techniques and materials
Instructor
Mimi Parris
Objectives
Mimi Parris
Objectives
- To share and enhance teaching expertise
- To improve English Proficiency
- To collect teaching-related realia
- To compare and contrast U.S. teaching practices and approaches with Latin American countries
- Language Teaching Philosophies
- Classroom activities: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing
- vocabulary
- AISD School visit
- TIEP Class observations
ASI Seminar of American Culture and Teaching
Instructor
Charles Seltzer
Objectives
Charles Seltzer
Objectives
- To serve As a conceptual framework for culture study
- To offer Participants an opportunity for examination of cultural foundations and perspectives
- To provide the context for advanced-level communication through content-based material
- To foster cross-cultural communication
- To complement participants´ cultural experience
- This course will incorporate all language skills through various activities, including audio and video programming, discssions, short lectures, and participant presentations. it will also complement program activities and field trips, as well as individual participant exploration of the local cultural enviroment
Class observations
On friday february, 1st we were to observe classes at TIEP and well... this was a very interesting experience.
The TIEP classroom is where the real language is taught.
Things that called my attention:
- Teachers based their lessons on a cultural approach. I mean, they spend a very significant part of the class sharing opinions about Austin´s most important cultural aspects .
- Teachers always smile.
- They never run.
- They use lots of realia.
- English only signs everywhere.
- Teachers turn off the lights to call students' attention.
- They use everything they can for their lessons. (blackboards and chalk, radio cassette players, the vcr, and of course laptops and other modern stuff). here we sometimes complain about not having new resources and more technology. now... that`s funny!
- They are very patient.
Teacher: meagan
Date: feb, 1st
Level: 148.1 reading and writing
Nº of students: 10
Textbook: mosaic
Teacher: Emily spurgeon
Date: feb, 1st
Level: 160.1 reading and writing
Nº of students: 4
Textbook: looking ahead, academic writing
Filed trip to San Antonio
The experience in San Antonio was more than amazing. Second day in the US, everything was new, lots of information and then going to San Antonio, Texas! Wow! Ok, we got on the charter bus that took us to San Antonio at 8:30 and there we were, twelve teachers of English from Argentina and Chile going to places I had never imagined I could ever be: The Alamo and Mission San Jose.
McDonald’s was the first thing we did in the morning, and a big surprise!! Lots of people having big hamburgers for breakfast. After breakfast we headed off mission san Jose, which is a historical place not far from the San Antonio downtown area that shows life in the early 1800s. Here you can see everything from religion, education, iron work, architecture, clothing, etc.
The place is huge, there are beautiful old buildings and a big church that is still being used (there was a wedding going on there).
After mission san Jose, we went to the museum of Texan cultures and here one can see Texas itself, everything was there, all cultural backgrounds such as the French, the Swedes, the Danish and many more as well as the black Afro-American culture and the native American Indians.
After the experience at the museum we had some time to walk around the downtown area and have lunch at River Walk.
Everything was very Texas here; there were cowboys all around.
McDonald’s was the first thing we did in the morning, and a big surprise!! Lots of people having big hamburgers for breakfast. After breakfast we headed off mission san Jose, which is a historical place not far from the San Antonio downtown area that shows life in the early 1800s. Here you can see everything from religion, education, iron work, architecture, clothing, etc.
The place is huge, there are beautiful old buildings and a big church that is still being used (there was a wedding going on there).
After mission san Jose, we went to the museum of Texan cultures and here one can see Texas itself, everything was there, all cultural backgrounds such as the French, the Swedes, the Danish and many more as well as the black Afro-American culture and the native American Indians.
After the experience at the museum we had some time to walk around the downtown area and have lunch at River Walk.
Everything was very Texas here; there were cowboys all around.
Visit to public school LBJ
We were taken to a public school in Austin as part of the activities people at TIEP had planned for us.
LBJ, which is the school we visited, is what they call a magnet school. This school attracts students from all Austin by offering them those subjects and programs they may be interested in as opposed to regular high schools that accept students from the district these schools are located in.
What’s important about LBJ is that the building has the two schools, LBJ high school on the ground floor and LBJ magnet school on the second floor.
We had the chance of visiting the classrooms and observed how teachers and students did their jobs.
My group was invited to English 1, English 4, Electronic Magazine, Japanese and French.
LBJ, which is the school we visited, is what they call a magnet school. This school attracts students from all Austin by offering them those subjects and programs they may be interested in as opposed to regular high schools that accept students from the district these schools are located in.
What’s important about LBJ is that the building has the two schools, LBJ high school on the ground floor and LBJ magnet school on the second floor.
We had the chance of visiting the classrooms and observed how teachers and students did their jobs.
My group was invited to English 1, English 4, Electronic Magazine, Japanese and French.
Cultural Immersion
Austin is probably one of the most interesting cities a music fan can be. there are lots of bars and live music venues and an amazing amount of bands and singers from all genres. there is also a weekly publication called the Austin Chronicles which is an independant newspaper that covers all the cultural activities in The Live Music Capital of the World (in one of the previous posts I said teachers would use whatever meterial in class. well the chronicles is just a taste).
We had the chance of seeing some of those bands performig live and yes! that was very good , too.
most of us got to enjoy Mardi gras and sixth street a lot. nightlife is really exciting and there´s a lot going on in Austin.
we also visited the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and the Blanton Museum of Art which has a great moderrn collection and a true Impressionist painting from Armand Guillaumin.
Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies is a great place. we found the original manuscript for Julio cortazar´s Rayuela. that was magic!
We had the chance of seeing some of those bands performig live and yes! that was very good , too.
most of us got to enjoy Mardi gras and sixth street a lot. nightlife is really exciting and there´s a lot going on in Austin.
we also visited the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum and the Blanton Museum of Art which has a great moderrn collection and a true Impressionist painting from Armand Guillaumin.
Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies is a great place. we found the original manuscript for Julio cortazar´s Rayuela. that was magic!
Homestay
Our homestay was one of among all the activities the staff at TIEP had planned for us.
first weekend in Austin and we were picked up by the families we were staying with.
Nice experience. I got to meet beautiful people in Austin and some of them were the ones from the family I stayed with.
first weekend in Austin and we were picked up by the families we were staying with.
Nice experience. I got to meet beautiful people in Austin and some of them were the ones from the family I stayed with.
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