2015 ACCP Newsletter

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UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS | UNT-INTERNATIONAL SUMMER INSTITUTE SUMMER 2015 PAGE 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS THANK YOUS Page 2 CLASSES & PROJECTS Page 3 STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS Page 6 A FEW GOOD PHOTOS Page 8 CULTURE STORIES Page 10 EXPERIENCE STORIES Page 13 THE HEAT STUDENT NEWSLETTER THANK YOU, UAEM & ECIT COORDINATORS! By Lisa Jeon This has been an exciting albeit busy three weeks of classes, evening activities, and cultural excursions for all of the ACCP participants and sta! During these three weeks, the UAEM and ECIT coordinators have impressed me with their ability to coordinate their university groups and to serve as liaisons between the program staand the students. I would like give my heartfelt thanks to Luisa, Alberto, Jahaziel & Xiong for their hard work, dedication, and friendship. This program could not have been a success without you. I will miss this dream team! ABOUT THE PROGRAM The American Culture & Communication Program (ACCP) is a multi-level ESL program that provides summer learning opportunities through language and culture immersion. This program design promotes English fluency through engagement with the community of UNT, Denton, and DFW. Our goal is to give students a unique opportunity to practice and improve English skills through cultural immersion, social interaction, and experiential learning. 2015 UAEM & ECIT Coordinators

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2015 American Culture & Communication Program newsletter featuring academic English articles written by the Advanced class students.

Transcript of 2015 ACCP Newsletter

  • UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS | UNT-INTERNATIONAL SUMMER INSTITUTE " SUMMER 2015

    " PAGE 1

    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    THANK YOUS

    Page 2

    CLASSES & PROJECTS

    Page 3

    STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS

    Page 6

    A FEW GOOD PHOTOS

    Page 8

    CULTURE STORIES

    Page 10

    EXPERIENCE STORIES

    Page 13

    THE HEATS T U D E N T N E W S L E T T E R

    THANK YOU, UAEM & ECIT COORDINATORS!By Lisa Jeon

    This has been an exciting albeit busy three weeks of classes, evening activities, and cultural excursions for all of the ACCP participants and sta ! During these three weeks, the UAEM and ECIT coordinators have impressed me with their ability to

    coordinate their university groups and to serve as liaisons between the program sta and the students. I would like give my heartfelt thanks to Luisa, Alberto, Jahaziel & Xiong for their hard work, dedication, and friendship. This program could not have been a success without you. I will miss this dream team!

    ABOUT THE PROGRAMThe American Culture & Communication Program (ACCP) is a multi-level

    ESL program that provides summer learning opportunities through language and culture immersion. This program design promotes English fluency through engagement with the community of UNT, Denton, and DFW. Our goal is to give students a unique opportunity to practice and improve English skills through cultural immersion, social interaction, and experiential learning.

    2015 UAEM & ECIT Coordinators

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    ProfessorsDr. Michael Barnett (Psychology), Dr. John David Beatty (Chemistry), Dr. Jerey Anthony Cole (English), Dr. Susan Layne Dadres (Economics), Dr. Richard B. McCaslin (History), Dr. Kathryn McCauley (Business Law), Dr. Haj Ross (Linguistics), Dr. Chetan Tiwari (Geography) & Dr. DC Wang (Psychology)

    Colleges & DepartmentsCollege of Business, Discovery Park, Eagle Images, Intensive English Language Institute (IELI), Pohl Recreation Center, UNT-International, UNT Bookstore, UNT Career Center, UNT Eagle Student Services Center, UNT Media Library, UNT Multicultural Center, UNT Sustainability, & Willis Library

    PeopleMeagan Adams (UNT Career Center), Evan Arnold (IELI Language Lab Supervisor), Lynne Barga (UNT-International Global Engagement Coordinator), Carolyn Blevins (UNT Housing & Dining Director), Marc Cobos (Paper Concepts), Fernando Fleurquin (IELI Director), Alissa Flores (UNT-International Accountant), Dickie Hargrave (UNT-International Assistant Director of International Recruitment), Andrew Klipsch

    (Bruce Cafeteria General Manager/Chef) Chris Lawrence (Associate Director of Facility Operations), Julie Morris (IELI Administrative Specialist), Dr. Richard Nader (UNT Vice Provost for International Aairs), Carol Ogden (IELI Assistant Director), Evan Oxenhandler (UNT Jazz Alumni Guest Artist), Summer Sadiyeh (Miss Texas 2015), Adam Silva (Student Accounting & Cashiering Services Supervisor), James Strawn (CAS IT Services Student Computing Manager), Pieter Vermeulen (UNT-International Recruitment & Engagement Director), Chris Wright (UNT Jazz Student Guest Artist), Pam Yarbrough (UNT-International Director of Finances) & Matt Young (UNT Jazz Student Guest Artist)

    VolunteersSola Akinola, Kathryn Booker, Natalie Caballero, Susan Carnell, Bret Ferguson, Madeline Fink, Myiah Danielle Jones, Jessalyn Mayer, Chigozie Osuh, & Raven Vincent

    UNT Liaisons & University CoordinatorsManuel Goel (UNT-UAEM Academic Liaison Director), Maria Luisa Becerril Lopez (UAEM Coordinator), Alberto Colin Ortega (UAEM Coordinator), Jahaziel Alberto Reyes Galicia (UAEM Coordinator) & Yichun Xiong (ECIT Coordinator)

    2015 ACCP StaProgram Director Lisa Jeon

    Program Assistants Kendall Fleming & Dina Madi

    Faculty English Class Instructors Lisa Jeon & Kendall Fleming

    Advanced Class InstructorElizabeth Wallett

    Intermediate Class InstructorPeter Schuelke

    Beginner Class InstructorChip Cullum

    US Culture & Oral Communication Workshop InstructorsChip Cullum, Brian (Alex) Elliott, Kendall Fleming, Peter Schuelke & Elizabeth Wallett

    English through Film Workshop InstructorChip Cullum

    Performing Arts Workshop InstructorPeter Schuelke

    Presentation Skills Workshop InstructorElizabeth Wallett

    Professional Development Workshop InstructorBrian (Alex) Elliott

    UNT Scholar Workshop InstructorKendall Fleming

    Teaching AssistantsMichael Kim, Tyler Macho, Shea Mighell, Yacine Ndiaye, Debriel Parrish, Marcus Rodriguez, Rafa Schuelke & Zak Shelton

    Activity CoordinatorsBrian (Alex) Elliott, Michael Kim, Mindy Le, Christopher Macaulay, Tyler Macho, Audryanna (Gabby) Reed & Elizabeth WallettPhotographer/VideographerDamian Atamenwan

    THANKS!2015 ACCP Sta

    Visit our website, (UNTISummerInstitute.com), like our Facebook page, or connect with us on Instagram (@untisummerinstitute) and on Twitter (@UNTISummerInst)!

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    MORNING CLASSES AND AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS

    As our students can attest, the UNT-International Summer Institute is a truly unique English language program! Unlike many traditional ESL programs with rote methods, this program is designed to teach language through cultural immersion, social interaction, and experiential learning.

    As part of the 2015 ACCP, participants engaged in four hours of English study daily. Morning class lessons focused on core English skills (including speaking and pronunciation, reading and listening, and writing and grammar) while also incorporating activities that promoted cultural, linguistic, and social immersion.

    A portion of the four hours of study also included hands-on, themed workshops. Students attended one required workshop (US Culture & Communication) and one elective workshop based on a specific skill (Presentation Skills, Performing Arts, English Through Film, Professional Development, & UNT Scholar).

    LANGUAGE, CULTURE IMMERSION

    2015 ACCP WORKSHOP CLASSES

    PRESENTATION SKILLSPractice and improve oral English by developing practical and academic English presentation skills.

    PERFORMING ARTSPractice speaking English and get confidence through short drama skits and improvisation.

    ENGLISH THROUGH FILMPractice English while improving listening, learning about culture, and discussing American TV shows and movies.

    PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Develop professional skills using English such as resume writing, interviewing, job searching, and creating e-portfolios.

    UNT SCHOLARLearn all about UNT while practicing oral communication skills in English during campus tours and field trips.

    US CULTURE & ORAL COMMUNICATIONLearn about topics in US and Texas culture and practice oral communication skills in English by doing on-campus interviews and recording experiences in the United States.

    Faculty English class

    Advanced class

    Intermediate class

    Beginner class

    Faculty English class participants practice small talk in a speaking line.

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    STUDENT-CREATED PROJECTS FROM CLASSES

    In the morning and afternoon workshop classes, students created individual and group projects on a variety of dierent topics.

    The Beginner class wrote and illustrated ACCP and Denton survival guide brochures. The Intermediate class created group presentations about American slang and idioms. The Advanced class wrote and peer-edited academic English articles about their impressions of US and Texas culture, their program experience, and how the ACCP has helped them learn more about their area of study. Additionally, the Faculty English class created and presented 10-minute English lessons and 1-page handouts on topics about English or topics related to their research areas.

    Final projects in the afternoon workshop classes also included student-created culture collages and murals, travel brochures about US regions, product commercials, movie reviews, and e-portfolios. You can check out all of these fantastic class projects via our program Facebook page!

    CLASS PROJECTS

    Denton survival guide

    US culture mixed media collage

    Movie review of Titanic

    Intermediate class students work on group projects about English slang and idioms.

    Ling Juice commercial created by Performing Arts Workshop students.

    Brochure about dierent regions in the US

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    FACULTY-CREATED ENGLISH LESSONS & HANDOUTS

    FACULTY ENGLISH PROJECTS

    Miriams handout on organizational culture

    Jessy & Griss handout on tips for having a healthy life

    Alejandros handout on dental implants

    Alice gives a presentation about passive voice in the Faculty English class.

    Karla & Lilis handout on English phrasal verbs

    2015 FACULTY ENGLISH PRESENTATION TOPICS

    ALEJANDRO DIB KANAN

    The advantages of a new technique called immediate loading for dental implants

    MIRIAM ELIZABETH RAMOS MUNOZ

    Tips for improving the organizational culture of your company.

    FLORENCIO GARCIA ZARAINDifferent types of viral herpes diseases, the symptoms, treatments, and complications

    PATRICIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ How to become a business entrepreneur

    JOSE DE JESUS LOPEZ ZAPIAINThe commitment of the university professional techniques for teachers for more effective teaching

    ANGELICA REGINA SANCHEZ MEJIA & JULIETA NAVARRETE FLORESThe definition and use of countable and non-countable nouns in English

    MARTHA ALICIA HERNANDEZ PENALOZA

    The colors in your life and what they mean

    ARCELIA RODRIGUEZ GARCIA

    Techniques to increase the habit of creativity

    MARIA ALICIA ZARATE MARTINEZ

    English passive voice what it means and how to use it

    JESSY HERNANDEZ ALCANTARA & GRISELDA HERNANDEZ PENAFLOR

    Tips for having a healthy life illustrated with English adverbs of frequency

    ENRIQUE PEREZ & CARLOS BADILLO MUNOZ

    The history, types, and process of getting of dental implants

    KARLA NATALIA NOGUEZ HERNANDEZ & LILIA ANGELICA CAMACHO GONZALEZ

    The definition and use of English phrasal verbs

    ANGEL GABRIEL MENDOZA MARTINEZ

    An overview of different English idioms and their meanings

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    What was your favorite class during the program?My best class is the Faculty English class with Lisa, Kendall, and Debriel. I love the class. It is very funny and very easy to learn.

    Advice for others who want to learn English as a second language?Practice speaking English face to face with someone instead of online.

    What is your favorite cultural excursion?The trip to Fort Worth and the rodeo was very interesting. The Ranch Day was also very exiting. I like all of the activities so much. My life is always stressful so this a great time.

    Has your English improved as a result of this program?Yes, this is a terrific opportunity for me to learn English. I never took an English class in my life but I like having a dierent form to express my ideas.

    STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS

    Florencio

    Dentistry

    BUAP

    What was your favorite cultural excursion during the program?The Dallas World Aquarium because I have never been in an aquarium before. They are not common in my country so I was really looking forward to seeing it.

    What was your favorite evening activity?Minute to Win It because it was an activity to break the ice between all the students. It was cool and funny to play and be able to know each other better. Also my team won!

    What was your favorite class and why?My favorite class is the US Culture with Dr. Elizabeth because my whole life I have been interested in US culture so its a very good chance for me to learn about the history and customs.

    What surprised you about American culture?I thought our customs were not that dierent but the ideology and values are. I think I can really get used to this lifestyle. Its amazing the way US people see things and overcome all kinds of diculties.

    Julio

    Engineering

    UAEM

    What was your favorite class during the program and why?Advanced class because in each class we learn a little bit about dierent vocabulary and aspects of culture like fashion, Hollywood, and our daily lives.

    Advice for others who want to learn English as a second language? Dont be afraid to use English because if you dont you wont know what mistakes you made. Also expose yourself to things youre interested in like movies and TV shows.

    Favorite thing about UNT? It has a lot of space. Hong Kong is such a small place that every campus is very small. The biggest would be half the size of UNT. I get a lot of exercise walking around this campus!

    What was your favorite cultural experience?My favorite would be to the Stockyards and the rodeo. I didnt imagine there would be such a dierent culture of cities within Texas. Dallas and Forth Worth are close but so dierent culturally.

    Candy (Yuk Ying)

    English

    HKPU

    What was your favorite cultural excursion?I love the Stockyards because its so dierent. It was so Texan. The rodeo was a once in a lifetime experience. But Dallas is my favorite because I love big cities and skyscrapers.

    Most important thing youve learned here?Its my second experience abroad and I think that the bonds between cultures are the most amazing thing in the world. The best thing about globalization is the bonds it makes between cultures.

    What was your favorite evening activity?Its a tie between Karaoke Night and Minute to Win It. The first day I saw karaoke on the schedule I was so looking forward to it. Minute to Win It was amazing. Competing and cheering made it fun.

    What was your favorite class during the program?The Advanced class with Elizabeth because I have the best teacher. Everyday we improve a little in vocabulary, cultural topics, and relations with classmates. Everyone participates and its very dynamic.

    Carmen

    Economics

    UAEM

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    What was your favorite cultural experience?The Stockyards because it was so fun and so dierent. The way that cowboys are here in Texas changed my opinion about them and I really enjoyed it!

    Advice for others who want to learn English as a second language?I encourage them to speak a lot. They dont have to have fear because everybody here is so friendly and they will try to understand you.

    Why did you decide to participate in this program?It is my fifth time to participate in this program and every time I come back I improve my English, have great experiences, and make new friends.

    What is your favorite class during the program?My favorite class was the Faculty English class because I learned too much! I have started to give classes in English so I learned many things about how to teach in English.

    Martha

    Management

    UAEM

    What is your favorite thing about UNT?The swimming pool at the Rec Center because we go there after class to talk and have fun. We have been going everyday and after we go to eat dinner. Its funny because we are always very hungry because we swim before dinner.

    What was your favorite evening activity?Minute to Win It because I participated. We were team Fantastic Four, the losers, but it was pretty funny because we were trying to win third place. I participated in the game where we shot ping poll balls in sticky bread.

    Do you have a favorite English slang or idiom?Time flies because I like it in both English and Spanish. When I arrived here, I thought it three weeks was going to be a long time. But now I cant believe its about to end!

    What was your favorite cultural experience?When we went to Fort Worth, it was a good experience to be at a rodeo. I sat down with Gabby and she was very friendly. We were talking about a lot and it was good because I usually speak with Mexican friends.

    Ezequiel

    Engineering

    UAEM

    What was your favorite cultural experience?I liked the visit to the Stockyards because it is the traditional side of Texas. I could understand the roots and pride that Texans have. Mexicans have a similar cultural history.

    What was your favorite evening activity?The Scavenger Hunt because it was fun to be playing as a team. We were so engaged in the activity and it was nice to see how we could all mix together.

    What was your favorite class during the program?The Faculty English class has been very interesting and useful because it helps me see myself from outside. It helps me refresh my ideas and techniques as a language teacher.

    Do you have a favorite English slang or idiom?Sticks and stones from the Movie Night film The Blind Side. It was new for me but I could understand it from the movie.

    Karla

    English Language

    UAEM

    Do you have a favorite English slang or idiom?Curiosity killed the cat! Another phrase I like is badonkadonk.

    What was your favorite cultural experience?The Dallas Museum of Art. It is a very big museum! In China, the museums are a little bit small and boring and about China only. I liked to see exhibits about the culture of other countries, you can take pictures, and the sta is nice too.

    What was your favorite evening activity?I liked to play Ultimate Frisbee because I never played it before. I never seen that massive of gym before too. I liked Movie Night because the movie inspired me. Also I liked Miss Texas. She is charming!

    What was your favorite class during the program?The Intermediate class because its two hours so I have more time with Peter to learn idioms and slang. We played games and learned how to pronounce confusing sounds. I learned a lot from this class!

    Monica (Shiyu)

    English

    ECIT

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    A FEW GOOD PHOTOS...

    Helen masters the climbing wall at the UNT Rec Center. Tour of the Denton Square.

    Evelin with UNT jazz concert guest artists. Baron shops for new shoes at North Park Center.

    Campus Scavenger Hunt prize winners: Mindys buddy group! Striking silly poses on ACCP photo day!

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    The winning team on Minute to Win It Night: Team Eagles! Meet and greet with Miss Texas 2015.

    Miguel showing his roping skills at the Fort Worth Stockyards. Ee and Sarah tour the AT&T Cowboys Stadium.

    Trip to downtown Dallas. Florencio cheers for the Texas Rangers at the baseball game!

    Visit our website, (UNTISummerInstitute.com), like our Facebook page, or connect with us on Instagram (@untisummerinstitute) and on Twitter (@UNTISummerInst)!

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    ONLINE SHOPPING IN HONG KONG AND THE USABy Candy (Yuk Ying) Cheung

    When you first think about shopping, what do you think about? Giant malls? Bargain sales? These might come to mind, but to American citizens, the definition of shopping has changed since the birth of the internet. To Hong Kong citizens, shopping in-store is still the primary way to buy merchandise. My e-commerce knowledge is from my class about retail; I did not realize the dominance of online shopping in the USA until I visited.

    In Hong Kong, the closest online shopping experience that we have to American online shopping is from Tao Bao, a Chinese online shopping site, or eBay. Also, as Hong Kongs major payment systems are cash and Octopus Card, a reusable contactless store valued smart card; people rely less on credit cards or debit cards, which are the most popular payment method in the USA (Federal Reserve System, 2014). Due to the inconvenience of their payment methods and expensive shipping charges, e-commerce in Hong Kong is still a long way from dominating the market.

    There is a vast dierence when comparing the online shopping experience between Hong Kong and the USA. In Hong Kong people usually go online to shop due to dissatisfaction with the price of a product they saw or could not find in a physical store. The items Hongkongers usually buy via online shopping are clothes and cheap alternatives to existing products. In the USA, people shop online not only for low prices, but for the convenience of shipping. For example, Amazon provides free shipping throughout the forty-eight contiguous United States with

    purchases over thirty-five dollars. If the user is a member of Amazon Prime, they not only enjoy free two-day shipping for any purchase they make, but they also have access to unlimited music, movies, and TV shows.

    Other reasons for the popularity of online shopping are the ease of price comparison between dierent merchants, and the large variety of brands and products available online. Most shops in Hong Kong are specialty stores, but due to the well-developed public transport system, you can reach any shop you want to visit within two hours. In the USA, due to its geographical size, disperse buildings, and limited access to public transportation, it is hard for people to have access to everything they need in a short period of time. So many prefer online shopping over shopping in a physical store because it saves both time and money.

    As e-commerce has become an important part of our lives because of the massive growth of the internet, the dominance of online shopping will keep expanding. If Hong Kong companies want to grasp the opportunity to extend their business online, they could take companies in the USA as an example and encourage citizens to shop online by oering exclusive deals, providing coupons, and oering free shipping. Bill Gates once said, The Internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow. If Hong Kong companies want to maintain their competitiveness in the retail industry, it is important for the companies to explore the possibility of maintaining online stores.

    CULTURE STORIES

    Lydia (Lihua) He Opening a door is one of the most common and easiest things to do in everyday life. What we physically need to do is to push or pull the door open and then let it go. However, these two simple maneuvers are done dierently in the U.S.A. In the U.S.A, we open the door to take care of others by holding the door for the next person. The first time I experienced this special door opening was in Bruce Hall. When I was entering the hall, the man standing in

    front of me in the line unexpectedly held the door for me even as he entered, smiling and waiting. At that moment, I was totally shocked and surprised. That has never happened in my country. No one will waste a few seconds holding a door for someone they dont know. Later that day, I found out that almost everyone will hold the door open for the next person. I asked some of my friends from China, Mexico, and America whether it is common for people to hold the door open for the next

    person. My Chinese friends told me it is not common in China in public. But my Mexican and American friends regard this special door opening habit as a usual and unconscious habit everyone does. For me, this is something special about America. Though Americans strongly value the belief that time is money in their fast-paced society, holding the door for the next person for few seconds shows warmth and care for others. In short, politeness costs nothing and gains everything.

    DOOR-OPENING HABITS

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    By Celina Gutierrez There are many dierences between Mexican and American cultures, but there are also similarities. I have just been in Texas and I can tell you that it is very dierent from the region I know in Mexico. The landscape here is similar to the landscape of some regions of Mexico but the way people live and interact with each other is very dierent than in Mexico. Mexicans and Americans are both very passionate about the things they enjoy, like sports. Mexicans love soccer as much as Americans love football. This is something that I think is never going to change. Another thing that both cultures

    consider important is religion. In Mexico, the religion that is the most important is Catholicism and in the USA Protestant Christianity is the most important religion. Despite those similarities I found many dierences between these two cultures. For example, almost all Mexican food is spicy and American food is barely spicy because most Americans are not used to eating hot spices. Another dierence is that the most popular sport here is football and in Mexico the most popular sport is soccer. Also, the ways that people interact are not the same in the USA and Mexico. In the USA people are colder than in Mexico and here people do not kiss each other when they say hello. A kiss as a greeting is

    very common in Mexico. Mexico and the USA are neighbor countries, but their cultures are very dierent, because of each's separate past and traditions. They may have similarities, but the two cultures will never be the same.

    MEXICAN AND AMERICAN CULTURES

    TO MEET AMERICAN CULTUREBy Carley (Shuqing) Tao

    What is your purpose coming here? the customs ocer in the airport asked me before I even stepped on American soil. This unknown mystery land not only made me feel nervous but also excited. After a two-week stay in Denton, I am impressed by American culture.

    First, even though time is money, many Americans are patient. In the

    road intersections, most of drivers will stop and wait until pedestrians cross the street. This kind of thing does not usually happen in many cities in China. Moreover, Americans are patient when they communicate with foreigners. For example, when I went to a shop to buy clothes, I spent a long time describing the style that I wanted, but the shop assistant did not feel annoyed even when I did not use the correct words to explain what I wanted. I discussed these two examples of patience with my Mexican friends and all of us agreed that Americans are patient.

    Secondly, Americans are enthusiastic, which influences others as well. I remember that all of the students were encouraged by the ACCP teachers at the Minute to Win It night. We danced, we sang songs, and we hit the desk screaming for the champion. The fire of victory was lit up, and so did my heart. During the Campus Scavenger

    Hunt night, I had a fantastic time working with my buddies, as we ran together to finish our tasks. We took videos, we jumped, and we made funny faces together.

    I searched for the definition of culture on the internet, and discovered that culture is a set of ideas, beliefs, and ways of behaving of a particular organization or group of people. I think culture is an iceberg. Although we can see some things above the sea, like behaviors and traditions, many other things are invisible, such as values and attitude. The best way to get closer to a culture is to experience it on our own. It was my great pleasure to experience American culture during these weeks of the ACCP program. Now I know exactly why I came to America. I wanted to experience American culture. I needed to see a new and fresh culture so that I could learn how it diers from my own countrys unique culture.

    Minute to Win It Night!

    American vs. Mexican cultural dierences.

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    THE INFLUENCE OF MEXICAN CULTURE IN THE USABy Charlie Sanchez

    The 2015 ACCP allowed me to learn how much Mexican culture has influenced American culture. During my time in Texas I have seen many similarities between Mexicans and Texans. For example, in Fort Worth there are many people who wear hats and ride horses just like people in northern Mexico.

    Logically as neighbor countries it is normal to share some things but Mexico and de U.S. have more than a few things in common. More than 26.7 million Mexican people living in the United States, and that makes the

    U.S.A. and Mexico more than neighbor countries. We share a huge part of our gastronomy, and especially in Texas you can find Mexican restaurants in every corner. Taco Bell is the most common example that you can find in the U.S.A. to see how heavily the Mexican culture has inspired the gastronomy of the U.S.A It is amazing how many restaurants have spicy food on their menu and it is also impressive how many Americans like Mexican cuisine inspired spicy sauce.

    But it is not only the food that makes America and Mexico so closer, America also share so much Mexican traditions, like the fifth of May battle, in which, cities like Los Angeles, Houston, New York and Denver celebrates as if where a national celebration. People used to eat nachos, tacos, and guacamole in which case American people consume over 81 million of avocados from Mexico. American people used to

    break piatas but not only on the fifth of May battle, it is common to see piatas in the birthdays parties for the kids.

    When I came to the U.S.A. I was expecting that everyone would have the same racist opinions about Mexican people as Donald Trump, but I found that this is not true. Every person which I have had the opportunity to speak about have a dierent opinion from Donald Trumps. American people really value Mexican people, their culture, their gastronomy, and their traditions that now it is part of most of the American normal life. To share our food, our traditions and mix it with the U.S.A culture to get as result a whole new kind of culture that is simply awesome. I hope I can keep sharing my culture and learn more about American culture in the future when I come back to Texas or any other place from all around U.S.A.

    Charlie on the AT&T Stadium field.

    By Ee (Tsz Ki) WongThis is the first time I have

    visited America. Before I arrived, I had no doubt that the culture here would be dierent from my home, Hong Kong. The food, the values and the lifestyle are all dierent. But, the cultural dierence that impressed me the most is Americas greeting culture.

    People here love to greet each other even if they are strangers. From the website about American etiquette I looked at and my daily experience here, I found that Americans will always start with Hi! How are you doing? And when they separate, they will end with Have a good one. or See you later. At first, I found it very awkward to answer and respond to these kinds of standardized greetings. This was because I felt like people do

    not say these greeting with the purpose of really getting to know how the other is doing. However after some days went by, I started to get used to this kind of greeting and felt better about it. The reason why I started to like this greeting style is because I compared the greeting with behavior in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong we seldom greet each other. A greeting is most likely just a hello and goodbye. If you smile at a stranger on the street in Hong Kong, others will find you really strange and not smile back. It makes me feel very alienated.

    After staying in America for a month, I have experienced a lot of dierent cultures here. Hong Kong is also a city of diverse cultures and I really hope the people in Hong Kong

    will embrace this greeting culture in the future, because it draws citizens closer. After participating in this program, I hope I will have the opportunity to visit other American states and to discover more and dierent cultures in America. Thank you UNT for giving me this wonderful experience!

    GREETINGS IN AMERICA AND HONG KONG

    Team jump at the Rec Center as part of the Campus Scavenger Hunt..

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    UNIVERSITY INFRASTRUCTUREBy Juan Carlos Terron Vega

    One of the most astonishing things as a student is the quality and quantity of facilities that UNT has compared to my home university, Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico (UAEM). The first amazing infrastructure I saw when I arrived from the airport was my dorm. The dorm was just across the street from the main campus buildings and it took only a 5-10 min. walk to be at the classroom building. Despite this, I have to say that I was not so cool because the weather was very hot and I was always sweating on the walk.

    When I go to class at my university, the facilities in my department, Mathematics, are at a dierent location than most of the other departments at UAEM. There are university facilities all over the city and as a math student if I need to improve my language skills I need to travel to another facility. At UNT traveling from the math to the

    language department only involves walking from one building (General Academic Building) to the next (Language Building).

    Another thing that surprised me is the importance and quality of the music program at UNT. Jazz is most important in this program but even Mariachi classes are held. The classrooms are built especially for music students to rehearse and the students can borrow instruments they need. At UAEM the students would need to bring their own.

    It was not the five story building, not even the huge amount of books it holds that impressed me, but the fact that even during the summer you could find the main Willis Library open twenty-four hours a day seven days a week! This is awesome! There is nothing like this at my university or any other in my city or country!

    There are historical plaques on the UNT buildings that make the

    students feel pride at belonging to a university that is more than 100 years old. Even though UAEM is a university with more than 150 years of history you cannot find as many historical plaques as you can find at UNTs buildings. Another very amazing place here at UNT is the $31 million dollar recreation center. I believe that even premium resorts at tourist places do not have this facilities in quantity and quality.

    UNT has facilities than amaze students from my country, Mexico, and students from many countries might have this same reaction if they have the opportunity to visit UNT. If a student decides to study at UNT, I believe he or she would be making the right decision because of everything that this amazing university oers.

    EXPERIENCE STORIES

    The Willis Library at UNT.

    By Mark Cruz RodriguezThe trip to Dallas was my favorite activity of the ACCP program. On this trip I went to a fabulous museum, I ate vegan food, and I used the train and the bus systems like a local.In the morning, we went to the Dallas Museum of Art. I love art museums and galleries, so the DMA was the perfect spot to start my trip. My two favorite works of art were Nunscape at Manzanillo by the surrealist painter Leonora Carrington, because she is one of my favorite artists, and I was glad one of her paintings was there to be admired by the American public. The other painting I loved was Thomas Sullys Cinderella in the

    Kitchen Fire. It reminded me of a book I read in my childhood with stories by Charles Perrault, because one of the illustrations for the story of Cinderella was this painting. After the museum, we were a bit hungry, so Zak Shelton, one of our UNT buddies, and his friend, Courtney, suggested going to a vegan restaurant called Spiral Diner. My friend Martha and I ordered the famous, huge Supreme Nachos and a burger. Both were absolutely delicious. I think the best part was that, thanks to Zak, we got to go to a place away from the touristy area, and we were able to eat dierent, non-stereotypical tourist food.

    Finally, we went back to downtown to go to the North Park mall. I liked shopping there, but what I liked the most was the fact that we took the train and the bus.Going to Dallas was a soul-nourishing experience. I was able to admire timeless, beautiful works of art, I ate dierent food at a place not on the tourist route, and I used the train and the bus like a local.

    A DAY IN DALLAS

    Lunch at Spiral Diner in Dallas.

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    YALL CAN BE FRIENDS

    By Carlos Pedraza HoThe ACCP is a really good

    opportunity to practice and improve my English skills. It is also a nice opportunity to learn about Texas culture and the dierences between it and the culture in Toluca, Mexico.

    This program has helped expand my horizons and maybe I will try to complete a masters degree in the USA. I would like to learn about other universities, but UNT is definitely an option.

    I think that UNT is a good option because I like the academic environment here, and I also like Denton because it is a peaceful town without much noise. It is a town where there are a lot of students and people of my age that might have many things in common with me. Also many students play dierent types of sports which I think is very interesting. This is in contrast to my

    country, Mexico, where sports are not important or emphasized in school.

    UNT has good academics, and there are many good teachers. This is very important so that students can receive a good education. Otherwise students might find a job because they have a degree from a well known school but they might not have much knowledge because of a poor quality teacher.

    I also conducted a survey to find out the opinions of other students who also participated in the program. The survey participants stated that in addition to learning English, the ACCP program helped them hang out with many dierent people, avoid being shy, and allowed them to get to know people of dierent cultures. All of the interviewees told me that they do not envision studying at UNT in the future, but they think they are going to study abroad. The thing that the interviewees liked the most about

    the school is that it has good and well-designed facilities, and that in summer there are not many students on campus.

    To conclude, I am really looking forward to studying at UNT in the future because it is a well-known school and has good teachers, I like Denton, and it is not that far from my home. At UNT I can learn English, get to know many people from other countries, and I can learn about many dierent kinds of cultures.

    THINKING ABOUT ATTENDING UNT

    Carlos with the UNT sign in front of Bruce Hall.

    By Carmen Perez Rougon EstevezThis article will describe what

    kind of attitude a person should have to make friends with an American, especially a Texan. This advice is based on me and my friends experiences in the ACCP program and from our other visits to Texas

    According to city-data.com, Texas has three cities (Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas) in the top ten biggest cities in the USA. This means that the state has many dierent types of people due to globalization in urban reas. Many people come from Latin America, because of its proximity to the USA, and Latin American culture has influenced American culture for many years.

    There are many stereotypes about Texans, and to be friends with them you should just go along with

    their customs. In a survey given to students, teachers, and workers at the University of North Texas, everyone interviewed agreed that Texans are very easy to get along wit if you do not oend an aspect of their culture.

    According to my survey, to be friends with a Texan you should definitely enjoy talking with people, not be in a hurry, and also have an open contact culture and always say hello and introduce yourself.

    Texans love to hear about their culture and what you like the most about their state and activities. Always respect their private space, so you have to be funny but polite. They really like sports, so enjoy the games and the conversations about their favorite teams and do not be overly enthusiastic about your own favorite team (if it is dierent).

    Another important thing is the food. If you like BBQ and beer, you can be the best of friends with a Texan. They respect dinner time with their families and family is an important aspect of their daily life.

    Texans are so easy to hang out with, and easier if you are Mexican. We have many similarities and common cultural customs. We respect almost the same points of view and our patriotism is recognized everywhere. That is why, in my personal experience, it was easy for me to have Texan friends, and once you have them they are loyal, funny, and you will never be bored with a Texan friend.

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    By Jose Luis Soto NajeraWhen I realized that we were

    visiting the AT&T stadium as part of the ACCP activities, I was shocked and emotional. I was really excited because football is my favorite sport and I am a big fan of the NFL and college football.

    As one of the most popular sports in the USA (at professional, college, and youth levels), this team sport uses strategy, intelligence, courage, and strength towards one purpose: feeling the fame of victory.

    Located in Arlington Texas, with an 85,000 seat capacity the AT&T stadium, formerly known as the Cowboys Stadium, is home to one of the most valuable and famous football teams in America. According to Forbes magazine, the Dallas Cowboys are also the third most valuable sports team in the world.

    This stadium replaced the partially covered Texas stadium, inaugurated in 1971, which was the home of the Cowboys until 2008.

    One of my favorite things about this new stadium is that it is where Super Bowl XVI took place in February 2011. In this game, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, and some of my favorite artists (The Black Eyed Peas, Usher, and Slash) performed during the half time show. The Cowboys hold the record for the most Super Bowl appearances at eight, and have won five Super Bowls. The Cowboys dominance in the 1990s is the reason they were deemed Americas Team.

    During our visit we were able to visit the players lockers and the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders lockers. We also were able to go on the field and we could admire how huge the stadium is.

    The AT&T stadium visit made me feel overwhelmed with excitement because I got to see a famous football stadium. I learned lots of facts about the stadium and the sport. I would love to visit it again.

    VISITING THE AT&T COWBOYS STADIUM

    Jose at the AT&T Cowboys Stadium.

    DISCOVERING DALLASBy Martha Villalobos

    For one of the activities in the American Culture and Communication Program we went to Dallas to visit some of its emblematic museums and attractions.

    First the entire group visited the Dallas Museum of Art. The group had around two hours to visit the dierent exhibits and then we had the opportunity to choose a second excursion. The excursion options were: the Dallas World Aquarium, the Sixth Floor Museum, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science, and the North Park Mall. I chose the Dallas World Aquarium. We went in groups to McKinney Avenue and had a great lunch eating at food trucks. Some of us ate in a delicious pizza truck called Yummy Pizza.

    At 2:40 pm we walked to the aquarium. At the aquarium I saw many species that I had never heard of and also saw amazing animals. According to the aquariums website they have over one hundred species. They had five exhibits: Mundo Maya, Orinoco, Aquarium, South Africa, and

    Borneo. My favorite exhibit was the Aquarium. In this exhibit I saw a beautiful manatee, and I also liked the Borneo exhibit where I saw an amazing bird, the Shoebill Stork. At 5:30 pm we walked to the West End train station and took the red line to Park Lane. When we arrived at Park Lane we walked to the North Park Mall. After some fast shopping, we gathered next to the Macys entrance to load the buses and start our journey back to UNTs campus.

    Dallas is a big city with hundreds of attractions and hopefully I will come back to visit Dallas other museums, tourist attractions, sporting events, and other places of interest!

    Selfie with a manatee at the Dallas World Aquarium.

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    By Lucy (Xiyao) Li This is my first time in America and taking part in the ACCP. I am attracted to everything here. Lisa, the teachers, and our UNT buddies prepared great and elaborate activities for us. I like my advanced class and my favorite workshop is Professional Development. In this workshop, I learned how to develop a good resume and how to prepare and do an interview. I think Alex and Tyler work very well together. As for excursions, I liked the Dallas Art Museum and World Aquarium very much. As the DMA

    website says,the Dallas Museum of Arts collection contains over 23,000 works of art from all cultures and time periods spanning 5,000 years of human creativity. The collection is dynamic; new acquisitions are being added all the time and the galleries are constantly changing. The Aquarium was amazing and I had a new type of experience. As the wikipedia says,The upper level of the aquarium is an artificial reproduction of the Orinoco Rainforest. It resembles the zoo in China but there was more variety of amazing animals, like seahorses, sloths, and so on.

    I also observed an English Writing course at UNT. I believe the classes here have a more carefree atmosphere than in China. The most important dierence is that students can take their tablet PC or laptop to classes and do some homework or search for useful information while in the classrooms. In general, I like the classes and activities here very much. I acquired a lot of knowledge and experience in the ACCP.Each day here is fruitful, and thank you very much to Lisa, the teachers, and the UNT buddies!

    WONDERFUL ACCP EXPERIENCE

    HOW TO CHOOSE AN ENGLISH COURSEBy Giorgio Airoldi

    Every summer, thousands of students from all around the world, look for schools where they can learn new languages. For those who are willing to come to America, I would like to share my experience.

    Among all of the websites, commercials, and internet ads, one in particular caught my attention: the ACCP (American Culture and Communication Program) at the University Of North Texas, located in Texas, Denton. This is a short, but intensive English course, designed for those foreign students who want to increase their English skills during the summer. The dierence between ACCP and a traditional ESL (English as Second Language) program is in the way English is taught: the

    students learn the language by osmosis, inside the classroom, but also outside the classroom.

    Heres a brief ACCP overview: MORNING CLASS: an ESL

    teacher teaches grammar, speaking, and writing using slides, videos and by engaging the students. The students practice speaking in public and often interview strangers at the university.

    US CULTURE CLASS: focused on giving a general idea of American culture, and mentions the most important aspects of American and Texan lifestyle. This workshop helps to eliminate prejudice against Americans, but moreover it works as a comparison between dierent cultures, thanks to the variety of the classmates who come from every part of the world.

    PRESENTATION SKILLS: one of the five elective workshops available. Students are encouraged to speak in public, in front of classmates or in small groups.

    EVENING ACTIVITIES: students are required to participate in many excursions, inside or near

    the campus, lead by sta. The goal is to let the students practice speaking English while entertaining them with fun activities like sports, games, or local tourism.

    DINNER WITH AN AMERICAN: small groups of students are invited by a teacher and her family to eat at their home. This is not only a way to speak to new people and taste the local food, it is also a chance to take note of their amazing hospitality.

    UNTS BUDDIES: they are people who work for the program; they are supposed to hang out with the students, give them advice, bring them where they need to go (grocery store, bars, etc), and help them in case of need.

    Now that this experience is over, I can definitely say that it has been worth it. At first I was concerned about the short duration of the course, especially compared to 2-month ESL schools, but now that I have experienced it, I recommend it to all students learning American English. This is the most entertaining and interactive course on the market.

    Giorgio with his new American friends!

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    THE ACCP: BEYOND EXPECTATIONSBy Luisa, Alberto, & Jahaziel (2015 UAEM Coordinators)

    Whenever you think about the summer experience, what comes to your mind is smiling, learning and having fun but it's not easy make them work together. ACCP's crew has succesfully accomplished both tasks due to its organization, creativity and expertise.

    During this program, not only did our crew challenge its English language competence but also got to know American life style through living up its history by attending dierent enriching cultural and scholar workshops as well as amazingly organized activities such as karaoke night, bowling, minute to win it, movie night and a jazz concert.

    From sports to music, we had the chance of enjoying relevant points of interest for American daily lives such as watching cowboys and cattle driving at the stockyards, sightseeing Dallas and its tasteful exhibitions in the museum of art. As if wasn't enough, we lived the speed of life in the world of shopping and sports taking some pictures in the stadium and malls.

    Maybe the most important experience of all was sharing with people from dierent states of this country and places as far as Italy and China. We gained knowledge but above all strong friendship. Can you expect more? Thank you ACCP International Summer Institute! We will miss you all.

    Thank you, 2015 UNT-International Summer Institute " " American Culture & Communication Program participants!

    DO YOU HAVE GREAT PHOTOS? SEND THEM TO US!

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    AUTOGRAPHS...

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    AUTOGRAPHS...