Presentation of WOA’s resources for students

Today "Window on America" center (Dnipropetrovsk / Ukraine) had a presentation of free resources for those wishing to improve their English skills. The presentation was arranged for the first-year students group from the Dnipropetrovsk National Mining University of Ukraine (NMUU).
They listened to the presentation of the useful library resources for languages’ study and free resources for improving the English skills. Students examined the WOA’s technical equipment, the DOUNB Library’s collection of documents in foreign languages at the respective department, the WOA’s  book & image display  “If you want to study in the USA” and “America 24/7”.
Students learned about the numerous activities:
-    free access to the digital “eLibrary USA” to prepare scientific papers,
-    possibility to watch US movies with authentic soundtrack  ( in a group or individually),
-    possibility to meet  native speakers at the “Gabfest” English-speaking  club  sessions.
 

The students reviewed the promotional trailer about the library resources and received promotional materials. They were invited to follow the WOA’s announcements via the website, social networks (Facebook), to view reference materials and on-line links to the blog (http://woadnepr.blogspot.com/).
Number of participants – 15 persons.
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Veterans Day

Today’s session of the Gabfest Club (Window on America center, Dnipropetrovsk / Ukraine) had a topic “Veterans Day in the USA”. We were very grateful to our American volunteer Mr. Jason for attending this session as he is a US veteran himself and could tell the first hand stories about the life of the US veterans.
The session started with the introduction of the official web site of the veterans’ affairs department and demonstration of the History channel videos about the history of the Veterans Day celebration. Veterans Day is an official United States public holiday, observed annually on November 11, that honors military veterans, that is, persons who served in the United States Armed Forces. It coincides with other holidays, including Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, celebrated in other countries that mark the anniversary of the end of World War I. Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, when the Armistice with Germany went into effect. The United States previously observed Armistice Day, the holiday was renamed Veterans Day in 1954. Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day.
 
The highlight of the session was the Q&A with the young veteran about his years in the US Army. Mr. Jason demonstrated to the group his army uniform and some other artifacts, introduced new vocabulary and gave an insight into the life of American military personnel.
The group gave Mr. Jason a round of applause when the Gabfest moderator thanked him for one year of volunteering at the WOA’s English-speaking Club and handed him a Gratitude Letter. At the end of the session Mr. Jason’s fans took photos with him in the US military uniform.
Number of participants – 31 persons.
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November schedule

HALLOWEEN at Gabfest

This Saturday the Gabfest club ("Window on America" (Dnipropetrovsk / Ukraine) was visited by a private English-speaking Club from Novomoskovsk (a town 40 km away from Dnipropetrovsk). The visit of the teenage group was a pleasant surprise as the girls arrived dressed in Halloween costumes, with appropriated make-up and with carved pumpkin “jack-o-lanterns”.
Both clubs were lucky to have our two American volunteers – Mr. Jason and Mr. Kelly. Their presence motivated the club members to demonstrate the best of their English skills. The Novomoskovsk teenagers introduced themselves to the Gabfest club and demonstrated their costumes. The task for the Gabfest club members was to guess what was the name of each girl’s costume. The teenagers also recited rhymes and poems about Halloween and sang a Halloween song.
The second part of the session was dedicated to the introduction of the Halloween vocabulary to the older generation and watching of a Discovery Channel video about the history of the Halloween celebrations. It introduced some popular games (apple bobbing) and pranks (gate stealing, etc).
 

Wrapping up the session we allowed the club members from Novomoskovsk to put questions to our volunteers and to present the major attractions of their own town to them.
After the session the Gabfest Club activists had a Halloween tea party with assortment of local treats: chocolates, cookies and a pumpkin pie home-made by the Club member Valentina. All the participants liked the warm atmosphere of the tea party.
The session had many funny moments and was quite challenging for the Club members as it required knowledge of cultural trivia.
Number of participants – 38 persons.
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English and Spring

The "Window on America" center hosted American Teen Club for teenagers, who are willing to improve their English language, get to know about the United States and have a good time!
The meeting was lead by the FLEX alumni Hanna  Akastelova’13.
Today’s session of the American Teen Club started with grammar exercises. The group tried their luck with on-line grammar tests.
The next activity offered by the moderators was an action game that allowed to activate the vocabulary and helped to improve communication in the group.
The successfully completed tests and exercises as a rule triggered joyful bursts of laughter. Besides the new knowledge the teenagers received a boost of positive emotions.

The educational effect of the session was complemented with a visit of our American guests – Mr. Brian and Mr. Jason. The group had a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate their conversational skills to the native-speakers.

According to the Ukrainian traditions of International Women’s Day observance the girls and the WOA staff received spring flowers from the TeenClub’s gentlemen.
Number of participants – 9 persons.
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Crocodile @ American Teen Club

The American Teen Club meeting was dedicated to the topic «Crocodile @ American Teen Club» (Dnipropetrovsk / Ukraine) for teenagers, who are willing to improve their English language, get to know about the United States and have a good time!
The meeting was lead by the FLEX alumni Hanna Akastjolova.
Participants took a few grammatical questions online, testing their knowledge. Everyone was happy to see positive results!
 
The youngest clubber Andrey was actively engaged to iPad developing while teenagers played vocabulary games, training their vocabulary skills and critical thinking.
Everyone was engaged and practiced their speaking skills!
Number of participants – 8 persons.

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Studying English is fun!

on February, 11-12 – 
The Window on America center in Dnipropetrovsk staff visited the local high school #22 which majors in the English language study. WOA’s longtime partner, the English teacher Ms. Valentyna Shvydka, invited the WOA staff to take part in the school’s event – The Week of Foreign Languages. Today the language teachers could have a break, because the DOUNB librarians took over and presented lessons about the USA culture to the school children.
The WOA’s Head Svitlana Usenko presented eight lessons for different age groups. She introduced the students and teachers to the DOUNB Library and its resources. All the participants of the event were informed about the WOA Center and its resources. WOA Center is a facility that may be of great help for all who study English, plan to study abroad and to travel the world.

The WOA center continues its project “U.S. Art residence in Dnipropetrovsk”. The 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th year students were offered educational and music video clips, several slide shows, animated cartoons, vocabulary games, kids’ songs and dances. From now on they are aware of such genres of music as jazz, twist, pop and enjoy them a lot.
All the activities offered to the students activated their vocabulary to the topic “Celebration of the Valentine’s Day in the USA”. The kids learned the history of the holiday, the American custom to celebrate it, the traditional gifts, etc. The offered language activities enriched the students’ vocabulary, urged them to communicate in English; funny songs and dances motivated the kids to study and made the lessons more effective.
The 8th year students were offered a lesson about the life and work of the American writer Jack London. The students learned some fun facts from his biography, translated several famous quotes by J. London, and watched the book-trailers to his short story “Love of Life” and the novel “Sea Wolf”. The highlight of the video illustrations was the unique short documentary with Jack London. The students learned several new idioms and were extra motivated to read the originals of London’s fiction.

The WOA staff member Tamara Gavryliuk offered the senior students (the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th year students) a slide show that introduced to the them two controversial American artists – Rockwell Kent and Andy Warhol. The slide show’s title was “Paradoxes in the U.S. Art”. These artists were chosen for the presentation due to peculiar facts of their life: R. Kent’s paintings were very popular in the USSR and hardly known in the USA; Andy Warhol is the iconic US pop artist with Ukrainian roots, but his art is known only to a narrow circle in Ukraine. The slide show introduced Rockwell Kent as an illustrator, printmaker and painter. Andy Warhol was presented as a leader of pop art, a pioneer of the computer graphics and one of the most expensive artists of the 20th century. Warhol’s art creations are exhibited in his museum in Pittsburg.
Number of participants – 405 persons (teachers – 15 persons, students – 390 persons).

Presentations:
Valentine’s Day: History, traditions and customs;
Celebration of the Valentine’s Day in the USA;
Valentine’s cartoons;
Valentine’s Day songs;
Walt Disney’s cartoons “Two Chips and Miss” and other;
“Jack London – the first writer-millionaire in the world”;
“Paradoxes in the US Art: Rockwell Kent and Andy Warhol”;
Action kids’ songs.

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Celebrating with friends

Today the staff of Window on America center Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, was invited to a formal meeting at the Dnipropetrovsk National Mining University. The Foreign Languages Chair of the University is a long time WOA’s partner. The NMU’s FL Chair actively participates in Fulbright academic exchange programs and introduces all the Fulbright professors to the WOA Centre. The professors become loyal friends of the WOA and it Clubs. This year’s Fulbright lecturer – Mr. Brian Chung – was introduced to the WOA staff during the formal meeting at the Mining University. We have made plans for the future cooperation with Mr. Chung who is the youngest of all the Fulbright lecturers so far.
For the 80th anniversary of the FL Chair the WOA’s Head Svitlana Usenko wrote an article which was published in the University newspaper (edition of 500 copies). The formal meeting today demonstrated to the WOA staff the importance of the English language for the NMU academics and students. We have congratulated the colleagues, wished them many good things and enjoyed a lovely concert performed by the students and lecturers of the University.

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Images “Picture US”

July is a good time to boast a recent arrival to the WOA’s collection – a set of images “Picture US”.
We have decided to use them for an image display at the session dedicated to the Independence Day in the USA.
The pictures from the set may be a very useful tool for language teaching and learning. They bring authentic American life to lessons and motivate learners to produce language.
The strong side of the pictures is the sizeable format - it makes them suitable for use in large classes.
The sturdy material will allow this wonderful teaching aid to survive hands-on activities.

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