Sixty students from two separate Japanese universities have enjoyed a trip of a lifetime. The students are visiting York’s Keele campus this August for intensive English-language instruction at the York University English Language Institute (YUELI).
The majority of the students are from Meiji University in Tokyo and arrived at York on Aug. 1. “The York-Meiji summer language program started 20 years ago and has been a resounding success each year, owing to the strong partnership between the two universities,” said Helen Huang, associate director, business & administration, York University English Language Institute. The rest of the Japanese students have been brought here for the first time this year by a new partner, the Tokyo Keizai University. They arrived on Aug. 7.
 |
| Above: Some of the Japanese students visiting York |
In addition to receiving specialized language instruction through YUELI, the students are also immersed in Canadian life and culture during their stay. “Students take morning English lessons, hold sessions with conversation partners and attend seminars in the afternoons,” said Huang. “They also go on organized excursions, including a visit to Niagara Falls, a Blue Jays baseball game, a weekend camping trip in Algonquin Park and a tour of downtown Toronto which highlights the city’s multicultural aspects. They finish it all off with a boat cruise around the Toronto Islands.”
The students from Meiji University are living in the Tatham Residence on the Keele campus, while those from the Tokyo Keizai University have been billeted with host families in the GTA. Both groups will return home on Aug. 27.
YUELI’s Summer Language Program (SLP) is an intensive course that targets students’ listening and speaking skills. The primary focus of the SLP is to increase each student’s ability to communicate in spoken English. The course is intensive and students are obliged to use English in and out of the classroom. Opportunities are created to practise speaking English and the extracurricular activities are designed to help students to apply the classroom content outside of the class.
Since 1985, YUELI has provided non-credit English as a Second Language courses designed primarily to improve English language skills for university entrance or for professional advancement. The institute’s goal is to teach students the kinds of language, critical thinking and study skills required to be a successful undergraduate or graduate student in a university where English is the language of instruction. While studying at YUELI, students have access to the full range of campus services.
Visit the YUELI Web site for more information.