2012 fall - star magazine

w w w.internat ional.unt.edu/iel i

I N T E N S I V E E N G L I S H L A N G U AG E I N S T I T U T E FA L L 2012

Established in 1977, IELI is one of the

largest language programs for learning academic English in

the U.S.

�

I’m on a Boat! /11

Three Important Days/4

Alumni Corner /19

On November 14, 2012, IELI celebrated its 35th anniversary with a day of festivities in the University Union. Students were encouraged to wear their favorite IELI t-shirt, celebrate their cultures, and introduce the program to UNT students and staff. The celebration included writing guests’ names in their native language (top right), demonstrating unique skills and talents (middle right), and an official IELI Day declaration from the Mayor of Denton (bottom right).

Happy 35th Anniversary, IELI!

2 IELI STAR I FALL 2012

IELI and UNT students, faculty, and staff enjoyed the first annual IELI Day celebration in the Univer-sity Union Courtyard on November 14 (far left). Pat Bull watched as Siwei Lin translated her name into Chinese (bottom left). IELI graduate Kaori Makino showed her UNT pride at the event (center). IELI instructors modeled current and former IELI t-shirt designs (upper right). Paeng Angnakoon watched as Juhina Al Shamsi carefully applied henna to her hand (bottom right).

Editor-in-ChiefAmber Hallberg

Logo DesignDani NicholsonPhotographersHamza Al JawiNat ChittamaiAllie Dyson

Amber HallbergKatie JohnsonKhalid Qutaym

ProofreadersJosh Bollman

Chris Fabiszewski

IELI DirectorFernando Fleurquin

IELI Assistant DirectorCarol Ogden

Special Projects CoordinatorSabine Thepaut

Communication Curriculum Coordinator

Donna ObendaWriting Curriculum Coordinator

Chris Fabiszewski Lab/ASC Coordinator

Angela Landt

Student CounselorAmber Hallberg

Lab AdvisorEvan Arnold

Office ManagerShana Savoie

Admissions AdvisorMegumi Leali

Administrative AssistantAmanda Harrison

CONTENTSUnusual Things/3

Three Important Days/4 - 8

You and Me/9

My Photographs/9

How to Attract a Girlfriend/10 - 11

Chicken Dance on a Boat/11

How to Make a Successful Party/12

A Funny Story from My Childhood/12

Facing It/13

Cultural Customs/14

Creative Fiction/16

The Characteristics of a Good Doctor/17

My Favorite Food/18

Alumni Corner/19

IELI Outstanding Students/20

IELI STAR magazine is a semesterly publication

showcasing IELI students’ writing.

Intensive English Language Institute1155 Union Circle #311067

Denton, TX 76203-5017University of North Texas

Sycamore Hall, 204307 S. Ave B

Denton, TX 76203http://www.international.unt.edu/ieli

The Intensive English Language Institute is a division of UNT-International.

Hamza Al JawiAllie Dyson

Gillian GrantBarbara Hefka

Katie JohnsonLaura Rios

Thank you to all the students, teachers, and staff who contributed their time and talents to making this semester’s IELI STAR, particularly:

www.international.unt.edu/ieli 3

What will your answer be if someone asks you about what you think of the adjective “unusual”? Have you ever tried to ask yourself about “unusual things”? Have you ever made a connection between yourself and “unusual things”? Or better; have you ever thought of yourself as an “unusual” person? We have tried to find out the opinion of some people about what they think “unusual things” are.

Evan Arnold, the IELI computer lab advisor, said, “I work in a computer lab, so I’m probably related to comput-ers. Computers are usual for me, but if there was a problem with animals, solving it would be unusual for me because I’m not used to it. “Unusual things” are things that I don’t know about.” Not only does Evan Arnold think that “unu-sual things” are things that are different, but also Eunji Kim, a computer lab assistant and a former student at IELI, an-swered, “Unusual things are things that don’t happen all the time; for example, I’m used to having cereal for breakfast every morning, but today I had a steak for breakfast.” This is what she said after we asked her about her feeling about a definition of the adjective “Unusual” on November the 8th of 2012.

As we can notice, “unusual things” are implied as strange or different attitudes or habits that everybody can have in view of certain circumstances. From this point of view, “un-usual things” can be everything; even things that we don’t really think about. “Unusual” might be a label for a teacher who takes pleasure in teaching English to foreign people. “Unusual” can be a description for an IELI employee who deals intensely with his part time or full time job in an envi-ronment where it’s pretty hard to understand a foreign lan-guage speaker.

What can internation-al students think about “unusual”? Josh Boll-man, an IELI instructor, said, “Unusual things are wonderful. They’re different and special!” Likewise, international students should consider themselves. It’s “unusual” to come to a foreign coun-try and to learn a new language. It’s, also, “unusual” to leave their country, their refuge, their comfort, their culture, or an-other part of themselves to come to a new environment in order to find a better “El Dorado”. Because it’s such a very challenging feat to accept and live with the limits or restric-tions that the F1 statue requires, international students should embrace every day of work proudly. They should motivate themselves when they feel like a huge fog is coming their way to keep working. They have to jump, run, and do whatever they can to reach their goals. They have to grab this amazing opportunity, which is to study in the USA. They shouldn’t be afraid to make mistakes. International students should keep in mind that there is a way to overcome adversity, and this way is everywhere. This way could be every worksheet or assign-ment that they receive from their different classes. This way could be a smile, a hug, a participation in an activity, or the ability to challenge their weaknesses.

“Unusual things” are to be considered as all of the above. “Unusual things” could be defined as their ability to deal with everyday life, so they have to be ready for an “unusual” part of their life in this amazing world of international challenges. ”Unusual” must be their hope, their home, and in one word, their future.

A New View of “Unusual Things”By Mahdi Al Yami • Saudi Arabia • Level 4 Writingand Oro Guy Cecilia “Ceci” Angui • Cote d’Ivoire • Level 4 Writing

Cecilia Angui and Mahdi Al Yami

Students learned about and celebrated holidays from each others’ countries during Fall semester, including the following (from left to right): Mid-Autumn Moon Cake Festival, African celebration, Korean Thanksgiving, and Omani National Day.


Three Important Days

By Nicolae Patrascu • Republic of Moldova • Level 3 Writing

Many times in my life I try to remem-ber the most significant stories. People cannot forget their good ones; that’s why life is amazing because we are passing through all of these moments. These are my three examples of how life shows us magic: my engagement day, my graduation, and of course my wedding day.

First, the engagement day was so important to me because I love my wife, and I want to spend all of my life with her. I made a big heart from small candles and also wrote on the floor with rose petals: “Angela, will you marry me???” We spent the rest of the day wandering around the lake, walk-ing through an art show, lounging under a shady tree, and enjoying our time together. It was one of the best days of my entire life. Second, my graduation day was so exciting when I finally saw my diploma after five years of study. This document is important not only for the present but also for my future. You can get a great job when you graduate from a good school and with a good major. The final important day was my wedding day. Even now, after a year and a half, I cannot believe I am married. Although my marriage has endowed me with many new responsibilities, I am lucky to have found my best friend for the rest of my life. I remember that it was a sunny day with a lot of friends, relatives, and a lot of flowers. Of course these are people who you want to share your happiness with every day and also see to help one another during bad situations as well.

These three special days are very important for everyone’s life because they make you very happy and complete. The love displayed during these days is sunshine that fills our lives. These are the reasons why life is so amazing, and why everyone should fall in love with the one they love. These days are only the beginning to true happiness, with no end in sight.

In Barbara Hefka’s Level 3 Writing classes, students discussed the most important days of their lives.

I have many important days in my life. There was my first piano recital day, my graduation day, and my wedding day. There are also countless other important days in my life. There are three important days in my life.

First, when I got married, I sang for my audience. To be exact, my husband sang a song to my piano accompani-ment. We practiced hard for our wedding ceremony. My husband memorized lyrics. We really looked forward to our day. However, the moment he saw the audience, he was nervous and turned pale. While he was singing, he forgot the song’s lyrics. The audience laughed, and we will never forget that day. Second, when I had my first baby, I was happy. We celebrated our first baby. Also, we bought many baby things, such as shoes, clothes, and baby books. How-ever, I had heavy morning sickness, so I couldn’t smell and couldn’t eat any food. Eventually, I was hospitalized for two weeks. However, I thought about my baby, and I could endure. Finally, when I met my husband for the first time, we had a good time all day. We fell in love the moment we laid our eyes on each other, so we lost track of time talking together. We can’t forget that day.

To sum up, the three important days in my life are when I got married, I sang for my audience, when I had my first baby, I was happy, and when I met my husband for the first time, we had a good time all day. I am looking forward to what will happen next in life.

By Haena Jee • Republic of Korea • Level 3 Writing

IELI students learned how to carve jack-o’-lanterns in celebration of Halloween. It’s not as easy as it looks!

Nicolae PatrascuHaena Jee


By Ali Albeesh • Saudi Arabia • Level 3 Writ-ing

Everyone has his/her own favorite stories to share with their family and friends. I can recall the day I came to the US, the day I graduated from high school and also the day of my 18th birthday. These are three important days in my life.

The first important day was the day I came to the United States of America. Leaving your home country is very dif-ficult, but in order to pursue your studies and have a bright future, you must make big sacrifices. I can recall when I de-cided to come to the US. All of my family and friends came to the airport to say goodbye. Moreover, it contained a lot of emotions and tears, especially from my mom, so I started to hesitate. I was scared and thought about backing down from the idea of traveling. However, when one week passed by, I felt that I was in the right place. In fact, I was enjoying my time studying and hanging out with my new friends. Then I convinced myself that coming to America was the best deci-sion I’ve ever made.

The second important day was the day I graduated from high school. Graduation day is one of the best moments in a student’s life. You have a special feeling when you step on the stage to be honored along with your classmates in front of your family and make them proud by succeeding in an important journey in your life. That moment is just priceless. I remember after we were honored, we went to a restaurant called Friday’s. After finishing dinner, my friends and I gathered and danced in my backyard all night. At the end everyone went back home remembering what a legen-dary night it was.

The last important day was the day of my 18th birthday. Sharing the smiles and joy with your loved ones is also one of the greatest moments to show that you care about them and how important they are in your life. I spent my birthday with my closest friends who surprised me with a cake in my face. Earlier that day when I woke up, I went downstairs to go to the bathroom, but when I reached the last stair, sudden-ly, I saw a big cake going towards my face. However, I was a good sport about it because I knew that we would laugh at that moment when we grew up. In addition, I opened my presents and blew out 18 candles on another cake they

had bought. After we finished, we went to the cinema and watched a comedy movie. Then everybody went back home with a great laugh from the cake incident.

In conclusion, people love to share their great moments with each other. I shared three important days of my life. The day I made my best decision by coming to the US, the day I stood up on stage with my classmates in my high school graduation day and also my 18th birthday were great days. Also, I got hit with a cake in my face.

Life is full of wonderful days. Every-one has special days in his life. My life is full of happy events. These days will be in my memory forever. Those days were amazing and made my family happy with me. For example, my graduation day

from university was interesting, my wedding day was a spe-cial day in my life, and the day that I held my baby for the first time was amazing.

First, my graduation with a bachelor’s degree in Health Information Management & Technology was a great day. My parents were proud and happy that I achieved my goal of a high degree. Therefore, my mother was crying when she saw me in my graduation uniform. Also, I stayed with my teachers and students and we remembered some events from four years ago. For example, we talked about the difficulties in our graduation project and how we challenged ourselves to make good research. Second, my wedding day is a special day in my life. I was happy when I wore the white dress. In addition, my wedding party was wonderful because it had two brides. The brides were me and my lovely sister. We married on the same day and place. Also, our husbands are brothers. Next, I can’t forget any details of that day not just because it was my wedding day but because it was the day that I will be with my lovely husband forever. Finally, the day that I became a mother was a different day in my life. I held my lovely daughter “Maryam” in my hands for the first time. Also, it was full of pain, and I was crying. On the other hand, my husband made me patient when he stood beside me all the time. We held our baby together before the nurse sent her to the nursery. In addition, I was so happy that my daughter looks like me in some features, and she looks like her father in other features. Then she still makes my life full of happiness because of the funny things that she does every day.

I have many wonderful days in my life. My graduation, my wedding, and the day that I became a mother are the most important days in my life. I predict that I will have more and more wonderful days because life is full of happy times that come to everyone.

By Sakinah Almuallim • Saudi Arabia • Level 3 Writing

Ali AlbeeshSakinah Almuallim


Whether young or old, people have very important days in their lives. Also, those days are very powerful because when people get stress, they usually re-member those days.

First, the first time I went to a theater was a very important day in my life. People have dreams, and they don’t forget the first time to decide their dream. For example, when I was young, I used to like ‘Harry Pot-ter’. I wanted to see that movie, so my mother brought me to a theater. That movie shocked me because that movie looked like magic to me. After I saw the movie, I decided on my dream and major. Now I study film. That kind of day gives people a dream. Second, the day I broke up with my girlfriend had a great impact on my life. Many lovers break up every day. However, some people don’t forget the last day of their love. For instance, when I was a high school student, I had a girlfriend. At first, she loved me very much, but 6 months later, she changed her mind about me. She wanted to break up with me, so she said many swear words to me on the last day. Since I broke up with her, I don’t believe in love anymore, so that day is a very important day of my life. Third, my first day to come to America is the last important day of my life. Many international students don’t forget the first day of arrival to another country be-cause every thing is very interesting to them. For example, when I came to America, I was really shocked because my English skill was really bad, so I couldn’t talk to anyone. Therefore, I kept in mind that I need to learn English. Now, I speak English much better than before. If I hadn’t gotten shocked on that day, I wouldn’t have learned English well.

In conclusion, my three important days gave me a dream, pain, and English skill. Maybe I won’t ever forget these three days in my life.

By Sanghyun Lee • Republic of Korea • Level 3 Writing

2012 was when the most special days showed up in my life. I am only 17 years old, and I’m very thankful to have this amazing life that includes three special days that I will never forget. They are the day I had a graduation party for high school, the day I arrived in London alone, and the day I got accepted to UNT.

Last summer my family sent me to Bournemouth, a small city in the UK, to study English at Anglocontinental school. It was my first time to travel abroad without my family. It was kind of weird and scary at first, but then I had a lot of fun when I met a new friend who came from the same coun-try. We used to go shopping, have lunch together, and go to the beach, cinema and playgrounds. We went everywhere together. We also went to see the London Eye and Mad-ame Tussaude on the weekend. At the end, we became such close friends that I never felt lonely or away from my family.

After I graduated from high school, we had a graduation party which was so amazing. My mom and dad were in-vited, and the best part was when all the students stayed on the stage and sang a song. I didn’t memorize the lyrics, so I was just smiling at my mom and dad, and they took lots of photos.

The third special day was when all my family gathered at our house for the dinner, my cousin and I were so nervous waiting for the acceptance of the scholarship. Finally, when it reached 12 pm, my cousin got a message that said the number of the scholarship. She hurried to my after to check what she got, and it was Energy engineering just like me, but not in the US. Anyway, everyone was so excited, happy and surprised that they came to congratulate us, and some of them gave us money as a gift. That’s how our gathering ended.

At the end I can say that I will never ever forget how ex-tremely happy I was on those days.

By Noor Al Zadjali • Oman • Level 3 Writing

Sanghyun Lee

IELI students enjoyed an FC Dallas soccer game in Frisco. It was a close match, but FC Dallas won at the last minute!


My life has a lot of action days. When I was a child, I could do many interesting things. When people grow up, they can’t remember many things in their lives. My life has three important days.

First, the first day made me happy. It was my graduation from high school. On that day I did many things. For example, I made a huge party at my home. Also, I invited all my family and all my friends. That day was a wonderful day for me. Second, the second day made me cry. It was my father’s day. On that day my father’s job gave him a high position. When my father came home, he announced his good news. He became the manager of the bank. He got this position after 20 years of work. The bad news was that he stayed in customer service for 20 years. Third, the last day will be when I graduate from UNT with a PHD. If I do it, I will make my family very happy. When I do it, that day will complete my life. That’s my dream and why I came to the United States. I will do it, and I will get a degree.

In conclusion, these three days changed my life. They are my graduation, my father’s day, and my graduation from UNT with a PHD degree. I will write a story when I finish the last day. I hope you read my story in the future. In my opinion, everyone should count his best days to remember them. Also, he can tell his sons when they grow up.

Maneh Al Hedar

By Maneh Al Hedar • Saudi Arabia • Level 3 Writing

People have their own life stories. Sometimes people face different situa-tions in their lives, such as losing, win-ning, or being encouraged by someone. These situations help people to become stronger to do everything. The story of my life includes three important days.

First, when I was a junior high school student, I won a prize in a clarinet competition. I didn’t have confidence when I was young, and I was always afraid to play the clari-net for the audience. However, after I won the prize in the competition, I started to believe that I could be a good clari-net player. Second, my graduate recital day is very impor-tant. I practiced very hard before the recital, spent so much time and money to prepare everything, and was too worried to sleep well. However, I did a good job in my recital. All of my teachers and friends enjoyed my performance, and I felt satisfied and learned a lot from the preparation of the recital. Also, I learned that if I try to do my best, things will work out. Third, the day I got the acceptance letter from UNT’s Music department is important. My dream was to study abroad, and it came true. It changed my life to have a chance to study more, feel more, and get a good job in the future.

In short, the three important days in my life are when I won a prize in a clarinet competition, my graduate recital, and the day I got the acceptance letter from UNT. I think that everyone should treasure their experience, no matter if it is good or not, and try to make themselves better by learn-ing from experience.

By Hsiao Ying “Amber” Wang • Taiwan • Level 3 Writing

Hsiao Ying Wang

Vampires, cartoon characters, and zombies joined IELI for the Fall 2 Welcome Party Costume Contest.


Most people have several important days in their life. Those important days might change their ideas, habits, or per-sonality. Those important days always occur in different periods. The story of my life includes three important days.

First, when I was a high school stu-dent, I lived with my godmother. My high school is very far from my home, but my godmother’s home is near my high school. Therefore, I lived with my godmother. I lived with my godmother on the first day. My godmother told me, “We are different from your home”, so I had to change my bad habits. For example, when I ate dinner, I couldn’t watch TV. Also, I had to bring a book anytime when I went out. Second, I lived in a university’s dorm. I remember the day I met my roommate. He was my first roommate and my best friend in the university. His personality is outgo-ing, but my personality is introverted. Therefore, he helped me to clean my bed and closet. Also, he taught me how to make new friends. Third, I was working my first job when I graduated from university. I didn’t work before, and this job wasn’t my first selection. Therefore, that day I made a lot of mistakes. For example, I sent documents to the wrong department, and my colleague blamed me. How-ever, my manager gave me a lot of encouragement, and he taught me how to deal with my work.

In conclusion, maybe important days occur every year. Maybe those important days help you improve your ideas, or they give you good suggestions. My important days made me change my personality and habits and make good friends.

By Shih Chieh “Steve” Lin • Taiwan • Level 3 Writing

By Tsan Huei “Dennis” Huang • Taiwan • Level 3 Writing

There are three hundred sixty-five days in a year. Until now, I had twenty-three years in my life. Important things often happened in a day. They make me think many times when I am alone. There are three important days in my life.

First, I met my first friend in my childhood. Before I went to school, I often played alone. There are few people in the city where I lived. At an appointment, my parents introduced a new friend to me. He is a funny, smart, and friendly guy. We talked a lot and became good friends. Second, I got great grades on a math test. There were many tests in my class when I was in senior high school. At that time, every classmate felt nervous about the math test and got bad grades. When the teacher called my name and announced my grades, everyone was surprised about what I did. I got the best grades in the class, and I

was glad to show them to my parents. Finally, I got birthday cards from my friends. Nowadays, people seldom write words with a pen. Everyone is busy, and they have their own business to do. Friends may forget what day is my birthday, and not even write birthday cards full of words to say happy birthday to me. No matter how many words they wrote on the cards, they are better than those who leave messages on my Facebook.

No matter what things happened on my important days, they always let me think about them again and again. At my first meeting with my first friend, I was excited to talk with him. After the difficult tests, I got the best grades in my class. My parents were proud of me. I got the best birthday gifts from my friends. These are three important days in my life.

Tsan Huei Huang

Shih Chieh Lin

My life is beginning to be fast, so I need to have a good memory. Most people change their life when they have special days whether they are good or bad. I am 19 years old, so my life has important days. For ex-ample, the day when I was in Eng-

land, the day when I graduated, and the day when I arrived in America were important days.

First, the day when I was in England was an important day because it had a lot of surprises. Before I went there, I was afraid. However, I went there with my cousin, so he helped me. When I arrived in England, everything changed. For instance, the clothes, food, people, and place changed. I lived with a British family directly when I arrived. A Brit-ish family helped me with everything. Second, the day when I graduated from high school was an important day. While I was studying, I was afraid about my grades, but it was easy. It was a surprise when I finished my high school, and I didn’t imagine that I would leave the school so fast. I did a good job when I had exams. Finally, the day when I arrived in America was an important day. Before I came here, I was very happy but afraid to be alone in the United States. As soon as arrived in the U.S., I saw Arabic people in the airport. Because I came to the U.S. to study, it was an important day. When most people travel to another country, it is an important day because they go to study or to work.

In conclusion, these are three important days in my life: when I was in England, when I graduated, and when I ar-rived in the U.S.

By Mohammed Al Aamri • Oman • Level 3 Writing

Mohammed Al Aamri


By JinSook “Krystal” Kwak • Republic of Korea • Level 5 Writing

You and Me

It was almost dark outside. “Wow, do I really have to say good-bye to my best friend?” Her eyes were getting wet with tears and almost ready to cry out. Finally, she shouted at me. “JinSook, how can I live here without you? You know, you are my best friend. We have known each other since elementary school. You know everything about me. Nope, even better than me!”

I’m that kind of person who does not usually express one’s feeling honestly and easily before another person; however, that does not mean I didn’t feel anything at that time, but saying good-bye is easier than making a decision to study abroad. I didn’t just want to show my tears in front of her. Truly.

I knew that she would love to tell me everything and rely on me more than I did to her whenever she has problems. However, we were not children anymore, and she also knew that she had to overcome that situation after I left. Maybe one part of her sadness was to be able to feel that I wasn’t the kind of person who would like a lot of contact with others, so it made her a little hurt. This was because, even in Korea, most of the time she just sent messages to me before I did. Yeah…I really felt sorry for her.

Before I got on the airplane, we exchanged letters. In the airplane, while reading a letter, I couldn’t stand not to cry out anymore. Thousands of memories between two of us just passed through my mind. Finally, I cried and cried for a long time. She is my best, dear, true, valuable and precious friend. She also knows everything about me, even more than me, too. I should have been nicer to her.

It’s been already one and a half years. People are living in memories. She might have had many memories with others, and not me after I left Korea. What has happened between the two of us after that time? Of course, the time that we could spend with each other by phone or online chatting decreased. However, what matters is not how many times we commu-nicate, but how close and a true relationship we have with each other. Whenever she has a big event, I have always been with her with all my heart. Our various kinds of memories still flow in our hearts. There is nothing for us but to love each other, for everlasting.

My PhotographsBy Kai Qiu • China • Level 5 Communication

As soon as I got off my flight in the US, the beautiful sunset became the best decoration of this plane.Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Fall 2012

This is a kind of special lotus. The shape of its leaf looks like a huge plate.Li lake, Wuxi, Jiangsu province, China, Summer 2010

Baby butterfly (caterpillar) It’s beauti-ful, but it’s poisonous!Nanjing, Jiangsu province, China, Summer 2010

No kangaroos in Austria! Vienna, Austria, Summer 2011

Look up into the sky! Even in a city with a long history, it’s easy to be pleasantly surprised. Nuremberg, Germany, Summer 2011

The step of autumn. This is one of my best pictures. Though it’s still summer in Paris, but the fallen leaves an-nounced that autumn was coming. Paris, France, Summer 2011

Kai Qiu does not have an expensive camera, yet he enjoys capturing images on his phone or Sony DV. “From my point of view, nice pictures depend on the photographer’s heart more than his equipment,” he said. Here are some of his favorites.

Jin Sook Kwak


How to Attract a Girlfriend

By Xihua Zhang • China • Level 3 Writing

Do you have a girlfriend? Many boys have already had a girlfriend, but they don’t stay a long time with their girlfriend. Even though they are handsome, rich, and tall, they still lose their girlfriend. I have a lot of girl friends. They always talk about their boyfriends with me. Therefore, I have learned about how to attract a girlfriend. To attract a girlfriend, follow these three essential steps.

The first step is to get together to do things which she likes to do. This step can help you find some hobbies with your girlfriend. Also, you can know more about what your girlfriend likes to do. For example, I have a girlfriend who likes to go to movies, and her boyfriend never asks her to go to a movie. She was very disappointed about it, and she felt her boyfriend didn’t care about her. Therefore, she wanted to break up with her boyfriend.

The second step is to have some time to talk with her. I think this is a good way to add emotion with your girlfriend. Many boys and their girlfriends don’t work or study together, so they don’t know what happens to each other. You can choose some places, like a coffee bar or public park, and you can sit on the chairs and talk with each other. Also, your girl-friend will be feeling romantic and warm. Talking with your girlfriend can improve your relationship.

The final step is to have a vacation to travel with her. A lot of girls like to travel with their boyfriends. In fact, I have five good friends, and four of them like to travel with their boyfriends. They think this is romantic. Also, they will have the same memories and good time together. To travel with your girlfriend is important to stay a long time with her.

In short, to get together with your girlfriend to do things which she likes to do, to have some time to talk with her, and to have a vacation with her are very important to attracting a girlfriend. I think if you do these, you will stay a long time with your girlfriend. Also, you will have a good time with her.

By Ali Almarzooq • Saudi Arabia • Level 3 Writing

Finding someone that you like is hard. Therefore, most people have problems getting a girlfriend. They don’t know what to do when they find someone they like. Attracting a girlfriend has three simple steps.

The first step is to get to know her. This is the most important step, for it is the foundation of any relationship. You should get to know her personality. For instance, you should know what she loves and hates. Also, you should know what you have in common. It is important for you to know someone before you get in a relationship.

The second step to get a girlfriend is to show her that you care about her. Showing someone that you care about her means that you like her. It is very important for you to see how she reacts. If she cares about you, you will know that she likes you too. You can show her that you care about her by the way you talk to her. Also, you can show her you care by buying her presents.

The last step to get a girlfriend is to ask her out on a date. This step is the hardest step, for you will be nervous and your heart will be racing. In addition, the last step means that you want to be more than friends. However, you have to ask her casually, so she won’t freak out. Also, you should try to be understanding and give her time to think. If she agrees to go out with you, take her to a nice place.

In conclusion, there are three simple steps to get a girlfriend. The first is to know her. The second is to show her you care about her. Finally, you should ask her out. It is very important to choose the right girlfriend for you.

In Barbara Hefka’s Level 3 Writing class, students reflected on qualities in men that are attractive to women and ensure a happy relationship. Here are their suggestions.

Xihua Zhang

Ali Almarzooq


By Abdullah M. Alanazi • Saudi Arabia • Level 3 Writing

There are a lot of ways to attract girls. However, girls have different preferences, so it is not easy to attract girls. Attract-ing a girlfriend has three simple steps.

The first step is to have a lot of money. No one denies that most people like to have a lot of money. In addition, most girls like a rich man because he can spend money whenever they want. For example, he can buy expensive clothes for girls. Also, he can pay the rent. If you want to attract a girlfriend, you must have a lot of money.

The second step is to be smart. Each person has a mind, but intelligence varies from person to person. Many girls like a smart man because he can do anything for his girlfriend. For example, he can do the homework for her. Also, girls like a smart man because the smart man has more responsibility. If you want to attract a girlfriend, you must study hard because the girls like a smart man.

The final step is to be handsome. Most girls like a handsome man because they want to have a special man. If you want to be handsome, you must be skinny because they do not like a fat man. Also, you should have muscles. In addition, you should wear beautiful clothes. For example, you should wear the Polo brand. I think every man wants to be handsome because he can attract a girlfriend.

In short, from my personal perspective I think that attracting a girlfriend is not easy because every girl wants a different man, so the three steps for attracting a girlfriend are to have a lot of money, be smart, and be handsome.

Exciting, incredible, and unforgettable moments were when we had a trip with IELI to Lewisville Lake. We were excited since we first heard about it. It was pretty nice weather for a boat cruise, and the timing was absolutely perfect since it was in the middle of Fall I term. On September 23, we took the bus to our amazing trip. While we were heading to Lake Lewisville, everyone was super active and enthusiastic.

The moment when we arrived, everyone was walking to the boat with a joyful smile. Joking, laughing, dancing, balloon fighting, swimming, relaxing, having massage and even onboard golfing are the images I have. The chicken dance on the boat was one of the best activities since no one can imagine how amazing, in a funny way, it was. Although it’s a children’s dance, almost everyone was dancing when the song was played. Golfing, also, was an extraordinary activ-ity onboard. Having a massage and golfing made us feel that we were in a luxury trip. Balloon fighting was another amazing activity since almost all of us had one or more hits.

In sum, it was one of the best adventures I have ever had. Having such a superior Student Service Coordinator like Amber is something that we should be proud of since she is the person responsible for students’ activities at IELI. We salute you Captain Amber and your “crew” for such activities that give us a nice break from studying and motivate us to do well in our classes.

Chicken Dance on a BoatBy Abdulmajeed “Majeed” Alrashed • Saudi Arabia • Level 6 Writing

Abdulmajeed and his friends relax on the deck (top), enjoy tubing on Lewisville Lake (middle), and dance the Chicken Dance (bottom).


Everyone loves a party, but when you are the host, you must make sure the events go as planned. This can be stressful. Before the party day, you must take some time to check all the details, so you will have a successful party. Making a successful party has three simple steps.

First, you must plan for your party. At the beginning, you have to choose a suitable time that reflects the occasion. Then you must pick a comfortable place for the party and decide how many people you will have. Also, a successful party usually has a particular theme, so the guests can know the occasion and the purpose. In addition, the host must plan the menu and what food he will serve. Next, he must plan for some amazing activities and games; therefore, the guests will have fun all the time, and you will

be happy to have an enjoyable party.Second, you must make the party fun and not boring. You have to prepare everything you need before the party starts.

Also, you have to be ready when the guests come. Amazing parties usually have some background music all the time. Also, you should prepare the place with some lights, accessories, and furniture. If you try to get everything done by yourself, it will be stressful for you, so you can call your friend to help you with the party and give you some ideas. In addition, you must adjust your attitude if something happened in the party that you did not expect. Moreover, you must try to keep the conversation flowing all the time, which makes the guests enjoy everything in the party.

Finally, you have to think about safety at the party all the time in your preparation. You must not keep the tables crowded with things or the plates and glasses on the edge of the table because something may fall down and break. In addition, if the party’s place has a swimming pool or is at the beach, you must be aware if the guests know how to swim or prepare someone to help them in case they don’t. Also, you have to be sure that each guest is awake when he leaves your party, and that he can drive his car alone.

In short, to host an amazing party, you must have three steps. You must plan for your party, you must make the party fun, and you must think about the safety at the party. In my opinion, a great and successful party will not be complete if you do not have fun, good, and perfect friends to attend the party and make it full of emotion; however, your creativity in the party and your efforts will be lost if you fail to invite perfect guests.

How to Make a Successful PartyBy Sakinah Almuallim • Saudi Arabia • Level 3 Writing

Sakinah Almuallim

Most people in the world have a funny story in their childhood. One of my stories was very funny, but it had a lot of trouble. I can’t forget what happened to me because it was an interesting story! My sister and I used to play together, but we didn’t care for each other! The story of my childhood includes three important days.

First of all, I can’t forget what she did to me when my tooth broke. As usual, we were playing in our room, I was pushing a small car, and she pushed me. However, in her mind, she thought that was going to help me to drive my little car faster! However, I faced the floor, and I opened my mouth like a fish! After that, I went to the dentist to have my tooth put back. Right now, I have to see a doctor to change it every two years. Another day, when my sister pushed me to the door, I wounded my head. We were playing alone in the house, and there wasn’t anyone else at home. What happened was I wanted to run away from her because she wanted to kiss me with red lipstick on her lips. When I pushed her, I fell back to the door, and I hurt my head. She called my older brother after she saw my blood on the floor was as red as her lips! My brother took me quickly to the hospital. While the doctor was stitching the wound, my brother gave me his credit card to divert my attention. I could still see how the doctor was sewing with a needle from my brother’s card! However, I couldn’t feel anything because the doctor put the anesthetic medicine on my wound. I can't remember what really happened. On the other hand, I can only remember that I was playing with my sister, and she pushed me into the mirror. Unfortunately, it broke, and I wounded my left arm. Another time, she pushed me again in the same place, and I hurt my right arm.

All in all, old days cannot come again, but everyone has an interesting story of his/her childhood. Even if it was a good or bad story, we must learn something from the past to teach our children not to do it! What I learned from my childhood was not to push anyone while playing.

By Maher Helmi • Saudi Arabia • Level 3 Writing

Maher Helmi

A Funny Story from My Childhood


She was only nineteen, and it was Fri-day afternoon, August 24, 2012, when she was getting ready to take about 23 hours flight to the United States, where she would study. She was full of motivation, determination, and insistence to be done with her second language session before

she heard her sister scream heading to their mother to tell her that their father had had a car accident, and he was in a really risky condition. Praying was only the thing available to a house with ten family members asking God with their heavy tears for a miracle that their father would survive. Only af-ter a few minutes, the house was known as a consolation house – unfortunately, the father passed away - God bless him. It was a tragedy, regrettable and complex news to face in the same day that the nineteen-year-old was supposed to travel on. Of course she missed her plane and her whole first school week as well. It’s hard to get rid of this situation, yet she was capable enough to do that in order to achieve her father’s dreams. She decided not to miss the rest of the term, and she didn’t. She fought and struggled to pass her classes. With the feelings of homesickness and trying to catch up in the term, she wasn’t able to make it, so physically she failed.

Her new search for success has started from that point - yes, from failing. Believing that failing is not the end, yet it’s the point to look forward from and start all over again is the strength that she gained.

Returning to the bright history events, a person will find out that Thomas Edison tried 10.000 times until he finally made the light bulb. Also, Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company, faced bankruptcy three times while he was making his own business. He didn’t stop at that point, he worked hard, and he gained more motivation with every failure that he faced in order to reach his target. Thus, he was capable enough not only to make his dream true but also by making wealth estimated at $188.1 billion and ranked as one of the richest men throughout the history.

Failing is not about failed experiments or losing money. It’s when a person loses his or her faith in hope when it

should have been a mistake that a person made to be taken as an experience to regain hope and considered it as use-ful parameter to launch the trip of success again. Michael Jordan, a former American professional basketball player, said, “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” He ended up with his known victories throughout his life not because he is a professional, but because the key is when he said, “I’ve never been afraid to fail.”

A failure can’t guarantee success every time a person fails, but it’s a great idea for failures to consider a fail as an experience, learn from it, try all over again and make it bright as much as they want. This is the exact thing that the nineteen year old is trying to do. She doesn’t have the magic to make her keep going; however, motivation, hope, confi-dence, and being positive are some of the parameters she has gotten the strength from. Also, she will never forget the mo-ment when her father - God bless him - gave her the green light to study abroad. His promotion made her start living her dream, so working hard to return the favor is her main target. All the surrounding lovely people including family, true friends, even teachers and other relatives are parts of that. Last but not least, it is the belief in Allah (God). Having faith that God won’t let a person alone whenever he keeps asking for assistance is very vital.

I can ensure the reader the whole truth of the nineteen year old’s story because honestly she is me, the author!

I’m really still in shock about my father’s death - God bless him. I found out that my tears won’t survive the situa-tion or give me my father back, so I decided to fight and hold the dreams that I’m sharing whatever the challenges are!

Try not to tumble, but if so, don’t stop at that point. Look at the sky, make a decision, and try to stand up again. Keep trying over and over again, never give up and make your changes; at the very end, you’ll figure out the difference that you made!

Facing ItBy Juhina Al Shamsi • Oman • Level 5 Writing

Juhina Al Shamsi

IELI students enjoyed a variety of activities during Fall 2, including camping at Ray Roberts State Park (left), exploring culture at Dallas Worldfest (middle), and volunteering for Make a Difference Day (right).


Laura's Communication 3.3 and 3.4 classes read about how the rules for many things, like gift-giving, gestures, names, and eating, are different in different cultures. The students talked about what information a visitor to their countries needs to know. They also interviewed Americans to learn about customs in the United States.

What did you learn about cultural customs in the United States?

We asked Americans about eating and giving gifts. If someone visits the US, they need to know that you can eat as much as you want, but you should not make any sound with your mouth. Also, you don't put elbows up on a ta-ble, and you should chew with your mouth closed. Don't eat too fast.

When you give gifts to someone in the US, it is appropriate to give gifts to a friend when they move into a new house. They are mainly decoration or food and drink gifts. Go to Google Im-ages and type in "housewarming gifts" to see examples. Also, Americans give gifts to close friends and family on Christmas. They give gifts to girlfriends and boyfriends on Valentine's Day. Ji Woo Ha (Korea), Tsan Huei "Dennis" Huang (Taiwan), Mohammed "Shams" Alshammasi (Saudi Arabia) CM 3.3

I interviewed a girl whose name is Laura, and my topic is about clothes. She says most people like to wear easy clothes with accessories, like scarves and jewelry, etc. Many people also have nose or tongue rings. They are open about what they want to wear. They won't feel shy or restricted. The most different thing from Taiwan is Americans can wear flip-flops or san-dals in the classroom, but in Taiwan,

if you wear this in the classrooms, the teacher would think you have bad man-ners. Szu Han "Angela" Wang (Taiwan) CM 3.3

If someone visits the US, they need to know how to give gifts and tips. You don't have to give gifts if you visit someone. You should bring something to their house on holidays like Thanks-giving and Christmas. You should give a tip to bartenders, waiters, and some-one who helps you park your car. You need to give waiters 15% or 20% of your bill. Hiba Almofez (Saudi Ara-bia), Yi Ting "Val" Liu (Taiwan), and Ahmed Al Mahrouqi (Oman) CM 3.4

Chicken fried steak is not chicken, it is beef! In Texas, people call beef cutlet “chicken fried steak” because the beef looks like fried chicken. Also, if

people can’t eat all the food at a restau-rant, they can take it out to their home. Shoko Abe (Japan) CM 3.3

We asked Americans about eating. We learned that the polite way to eat in public places is using a knife and fork. You should ask about what the food includes because some of their meals include bacon, and if you do not eat pork, you should be more careful when an American person invites you to eat with him. If that person offers you more food, there's nothing wrong in ac-cepting it. Kawthar Al Sinaidi (Oman), Osama Alzaharani (Saudi Arabia), Sh-uai "Ken" Zhang (China) CM 3.4

In America, being on time is ex-tremely important. You always have to plan for unexpected events and try to show up 30 minutes before at least. Szu Han "Angela" Wang (Taiwan), Khaled "Keko" Aljuhani (Saudi Arabia), Faris Sharbaji (Saudi Arabia) CM 3.3

Faris Sharbaji, Khaled Aljuhani, Szu Han Wang

Shuai Zhang and Osama Alzaharani

Ahmed Al Mahrouqi, Yi Ting Liu, and Hiba Almofez

Mohammed Alshammasi, Ji Woo Ha, and Tsan Huei Huang


What cultural rules do visitors need to know when they visit your country?Tsan Huei "Dennis" Huang (Taiwan): Every gift has a dif-ferent meaning. When you give some gifts to my country's people, you must not give a fan, clock, or shoes. A fan means you cannot be friends. A clock means death, and shoes mean death or "go out."

Mohammed "Shams" Alshammasi (Saudi Arabia): In Saudi Ara-bia, you have to eat with your right hand. Don't make any noise

when you're eating. If someone asks us to have lunch or dinner with them, we usually don't accept.

Ji Woo Ha (Korea): When you visit my country and eat, you can't eat until the old-est person starts to eat. You should use chop-sticks and a spoon. If you use your hands, that's impolite behavior. Also, you can't talk when you are chewing your food.

Shoko Abe (Japan): In Japan, you shouldn't make sounds while eating but if you eat noodles in a traditional tea ceremony, you can

make sounds. We have many rules for using chopsticks.

Khaled "Keko" Alju-hani (Saudi Arabia): In Saudi Arabia, the "OK" sign has another meaning, which means a kind of warning.

Szu Han "Angela" Wang (Taiwan): My classmate is from Saudi Arabia. I gave him some advice about visiting Taiwan. First, you can't use the right hand to grab the food. You must use a

spoon or other tool to take what you want to eat. Second, if he vis-its Taiwan, I will teach him how to take the public transportation because he says they seldom take pub-lic transportation in their country. Last, I told him that he can use "OK" gesture because it means "you can do it" in Tai-wan instead of a warning sign.

Hiba Almofez (Saudi Arabia): When you vis-it my country and visit people, you need to bring something. When you visit a woman who

had a baby, you must bring good gifts, such as money or expensive clothes.

Yi Ting "Val" Liu (Tai-wan): When a baby be-comes one month old, friends can give baby clothes, toys, or a baby bed. When you visit someone's home, you can bring some food. When you join a wedding party, you can put money in a red envelope to give to them.

Ahmed AlMahrouqi (Oman): When a wom-an has a new baby, you should give the baby some money. You should hide it. On birthdays, Mothers

Day, or Teachers Day, you should give gifts. At wedding parties, you should give the couple some home equipment.

Esam Almalki (Saudi Arabia): You should use your hand when you eat. You may be eating on the ground. Don't worry about tips. In my country, we don't pay a tip to waiters.

Osama "Sam" Alzaha-rani (Saudi Arabia): My advice for all those who want to visit my country is to find a traditional restaurant.

Don't eat fast food.

Kawthar Al Sinaidi (Oman): In our country, Oman, there are some rules for good manners while eating. People should wait for older people to eat first, and they start later. Some families eat using their hands and others knife and fork. The main dish which people eat is rice. They eat it with chicken, lamb, and eggs. Pork and wine are not includ-ed in our culture. Eating while you're talking is not polite. If someone offers you more food, first you should say "No thanks," but if they insist, then you can have more and thank them.

Suai "Ken" Zhang (China): In China, guests must wait for the host to say start before eating. Hosts should invite guests to sit at the north of the table. That means respect for the guest, and the host must sit nearby the guest. Chinese like talk-ing when they are eating. If it is quiet, maybe you are not warm. If the host gives you food, even if you are hungry, you'd better say it's enough because if you feel empty, that means the host is not warm.

Wen "Coco" Cheng (China): When peo-ple are strangers, we should call them by the family name. When they become friends

or like family, we can use his/her first name. Most people don't have nick-names, but we can double his/her first name. When we call a teacher, we often call him/her "Teacher" and the family name.


A very wise man once said that seek-ing adventures is what makes life bear-able. That wise man was my dad and he died the day I turned thirteen. Yes, he died on my birthday just a week after he said these words. You might think that I stayed home and cried and was mis-erable for a month, but no, I didn’t do any of that. I just stopped talking and didn’t shed a single tear because after the man I loved the most passed away, I had nothing to say because there was no importance to what I said anymore. And shedding tears would only admit that I confirmed that he would never come back for me.

So the day I turned thirteen, no one heard my voice. My mom tried talk-ing to me and trying to get me talking again, but it was a fail. They even took me to a therapist, but she was no good either.

See I am naturally a copy of my dad, stubborn and determined. When I say that my words are not to be heard again then that’s what will happen. And no one is going to change that.

Remember what my wise daddy said to me. He said a life without adventure is not a life at all. So I was determined that I would make my life a hell of an adventure, so I kept seeking an adven-ture not caring of what the consequenc-es would be.

When school started, my mom al-ready told them what had happened to me, but I still got mixtures of looks, some sympathy and some confusion of why I stopped talking. But being me, I didn’t give it another thought. I just was comfortable being silent.

But I had another way to speak,:I wrote a diary of every emotion and every thought I had during the day. And I assure you it’s not like any ordi-nary diary. It’s much more fascinating.

There is an ancient Chinese myth about the red thread of faith. It says

that gods attached a red thread around every one of our ankles and attached it to all of the people whose lives we are meant to touch. This thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break. This is a story of a man that happened to have the same thread as mine.

As I was heading back home from school, I noticed the vacant house that was next to mine. I grimaced as I remembered why the old neighbors moved from their house, but that’s an-other story for another day.

There was a big blue moving van parked in front of the house filled with lots of furniture, and also lots of men going in and out of the house. I entered my house and headed upstairs to do my homework.

Next day my mom gave me the “welcoming gift” to give to the new neighbors next door. I went over and rang the bell twice, but no one an-swered. I assumed that no one was in the house. As I turned and started to go back I heard faint footsteps coming toward the door. Maybe I just woke up the new neighbors. “So much for first impressions,” I thought.

A middle aged man opened the door. My smile fell when I saw the state that he was in. His small eyes were framed with spectacles, but if you focused well enough you would notice that his eyes were puffy and red. Maybe it was from lack of sleep. He was thin and his hair was what you call salt and pepper. And he definitely needed to shave his beard.

I handed him the basket and took out my small notebook and pen which I al-ways kept in my back pocket. This was my way of communicating with peo-ple. Normal teenagers will have their phones in their pockets, but I guess I am not a normal teenager.

I wrote down that this was our wel-coming gift and that we lived next door, I showed him the notebook and

pointed to my house. He smiled and said what I recognized to be a thank you and closed the door. He must have been having a bad day.

A week later I noticed that John – my new neighbor’s name – always went out at six in the evening and came back at three in the morning. Yes I stayed up a couple of nights waiting for him. And no one was living in that house ex-cept him, which was strange since the house is huge and for families.

I was determined to go inside his house to see if I could find anything that would explain his behavior.

One Saturday and I was waiting for John to go out as usual. I had been sit-ting watching from my bedroom win-dow since 5:40. And now I could hear the clock chiming six. John’s main door opened and out stepped a dark sil-houette. He got into his car and drove away.

Then I was standing in front of his house, and I decided to use the side windows to be inconspicuous. I tried the first window and found it locked. I prayed that the second window would be open, and God answered my prayers. I slid it open and chucked my-self inside.

I was standing in the middle of the house and it was awfully dark. Thank God I thought to bring my flashlight! Everything seemed to be normal on the main floor. A bit dusty for my liking.

I found the stairs and headed up-stairs, I found a total of five doors, and two of them were bathrooms. I opened the first one and found an empty room. I went to the second one and found that behind the door was the master bed-room, I didn’t dare go inside. I reached the last door, which was at the end of the hallway.

Before I opened the door I strange-ly took a deep breath like I knew that

By Hanin Al Wardi • Oman • Level 4 Writing

Creative WritingThis is the author’s original story.

continued on page 17


something bad was going to happen. I opened the door slowly and let the light of my flashlight flood the room. The first thing that caught my eye was two children’s beds. And as I stepped fur-ther into the room I saw a desk with a framed picture of two lovely boys smil-ing widely to the camera, but the frame had a black ribbon.

As my eyes landed on the black rib-bon, I remembered the article I read on the newspaper about a month ago. It was about a right man who lost his fam-ily in a car accident. The man’s name in that article was John Meyer. So I bet that this must be him.

My feet suddenly gave up on me and I fell down, but I didn’t feel any pain. I could feel the tears rolling down my face. There was a scream that wanted to

get free, but I didn’t hear it even though I opened my mouth. I tried to move, I tried to stand up, but I was numb. I had no control over my body.

I sat there on the cold floor for hours, tears were now not drops but rivers run-ning freely down my face. But even though I was crying so hard I couldn’t hear my voice. It’s still wasn’t the right time for me to talk again. I couldn’t stand watching another man suffering the way I was suffering. It had been a year since my father died, but I only felt like it was yesterday. How my sadness was renewed when I saw that this man’s family had left him behind the way my father did.

I didn’t remember how I got back to my house and on my bed. But I woke with determination. I stood up and went to my desk, I pulled out a white paper

and drew a tulip and wrote underneath it: don’t blame yourself.

I went to his house and rang the bell; quickly I dropped the paper on his door step and hid behind a bush. A few sec-onds later he opened the door and saw the white paper.

John stared at the paper and was shocked like he had witnessed a mira-cle, like he had been waiting for a sign of forgiveness. I saw the tears starting to roll down from his eyes. I saw a flicker of a smile; this was all he needed to re-gain some hope.

Although fate is a cruel thing, there is so much love and beauty still left in this world and it is not such a bad place to live after all. When your eyes are all dried up, and you can cry no more, look for beautiful things, and you will find something.

By Pin Chen Wu • Taiwan • Level 3 Writing

When I was a child, my sister and I had our own doctor. Our health condition was not good. We almost died in a hospital. Our doctor was very professional. He had patience to answer our questions. He always focused on his patients. He always cared about everyone, even if they were not his patients. There are three characteristics of a good doctor.

First, a good doctor should be patient with his patients. When I was a child, I always cried in the hospital. I was afraid to take the medication. My mom was angry at me. At that time, my doctor had some methods to make me calm. Sometimes, our questions were very funny, but he always answered

my questions.Second, a good doctor should be focused on his patients. In a famous hospital or clinic, we had to wait for a long time

to see a doctor. Moreover, when it was our turn, the doctor could only use one minute to explain our questions. They don’t have time to answer more questions. That is not a good doctor. My doctor always tried his best to answer my questions. For example, when I was sick, my mom called the doctor, and he would open his hospital for me.

Third, they need to care for everyone. Some doctors don’t want to help people when they are off work. For example, when I was sick, and my doctor was not in the hospital, I asked other doctors for help. They didn’t want to help me, and I was so sad.

In conclusion, my health condition was not good. I met a lot of doctors. I think that the characteristics of a good doctor are patience to answer questions, being able to focus on patients, and the need to care for everyone.

The Characteristics of a Good Doctor

Pin Chen Wu

continued from page 16

IELI students enjoyed a relaxing day of sailing on Lewisville Lake in September.


In Ms. Gillian Grant’s CM 2.3 and 2.4 classes, they read about the history and importance of the tomato (Ch.3: “The Love Apple”, New PassWord 3). Students wrote paragraphs about a food they could not live without. The following are some of their paragraphs.

I come from Saudi Arabia and many people in my country love dates. I come from a city named Qatif. Qatif has lot of farms. Those farms have a special type of tree called palm trees. This tree gives

different types of dates. For example, palm trees give different types likes Klas, Gorah, and Secary. Dates are very healthy for people. The researchers found this result when they analyzed dry dates. The dates have different amounts of carbohydrates, fat, water, mineral salts, fibers, and different types of vitamins like A, B, and C. Also, it has protein, sugar, oil, and different chemicals. All of this means that the dates a great nutritional value.

By Saleh Alsulaiman • Saudi Arabia • Level 2 Communication

By Muneer Kufair • Saudi Arabia • Level 2 Communication

By Siwei “Chloe” Lin • China • Level 2 Communication

By Muyahan Zhang • China • Level 2 Communication

By Ghadah Alyousef • Saudi Arabia • Level 2 Communication

Seafood is good for people’s health. My parents usually say, “ Seafood is very important and healthy”. Seafood is a good source of protein. Personally, I like to eat it four times a week. I used to eat it when I was in my country because it is cheap and available in my city. On the other hand, unfortunately, in the U.S seafood is very expensive and not so available. This bothers me since it is my favorite food. Since there are many different kinds of seafood like fish, shrimp, and lobster, I can usually find something to eat here in America to remind me of my home.

If people want to have better health, they should eat vegetables. First, veg-etables are very useful for human health. For example, if people have anemia, they should drink tomato juice. It has

a lot of iron. Second, if they want to maintain a healthy weight, they should continue to eat vegetables. For exam-ple, cucumbers, lettuce, and carrots don’t contain fat and high calories. Also, if you are fat, you should eat vegeta-bles and stay away from junk food. Third, some types of vegetables strengthen the sense of sight. For example, car-rots can help you. All doctors advise patients to eat carrots for healthy sight. I always eat vegetables for my lunch. I’m a woman who likes to maintain my health. In short, if peo-ple want good health, they should do all of these things.

I come from China, and many people in my country love noodles. Therefore, my country has many kinds of noodles. Different cities have different noodles. Therefore noodles are symbolic food in my country. They are very delicious. In some cities people can eat noodles everyday because there are many kinds of noodles to choose from, so people in my country love them.

I just arrived in America a few weeks ago. I can't adapt easily to American food. I saw in America many people consider pickles good to eat, but I do not. I found in Amer-ica a lot of the food had pickles inside. I think it tastes strange, but everyone likes different food styles. In China, hamburgers have salad and vegetables inside. However in America, hamburgers have just have pickles inside, so everytime I buy hamburgers, I tell the waitress "I want a hamburger without pickles." Although many people think pickles are delicious, I don't like them.

I like to cook many things. Also, I like to make pasta. It is my favorite kind of food. I eat pasta twice a week. I like to make it for dinner. I make pasta with chicken, cheese, and some vegetables.

For example, I put onion, garlic, and carrots in the pasta. My family and I like pasta very much. I learned to cook pasta by watching TV and the Internet. I like to watch cooking programs, and I like to research the Internet to find new ways to cook things.

By Kholud Alghannam • Saudi Arabia • Level 2 Communication

I like to make Kabsa, and it is popu-lar food in my country. I usually eat it at Lunch time. I can make it several ways, but I will describe how I make it one way. First of all, I put oil and onions in a pot. After that, I have to move these around. Then when the onions get brown, I put vegetables, a little sauce, and some chickens in it. Then I should move it around with a big spoon until these get hot. Next, I have to put in the water, spice, black pepper, and a little vinegar. Then I wait until the chicken gets ready. After that, I put some rice in and lower the heat for around twenty minutes. Finally, it will be ready to eat.

By Sultan Alluhid • Saudi Arabia • Level 2 Communication


IELI students come from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds. Some need to fly only a few hours to land in Texas; some, an entire day. All, however, have gathered at IELI because mastering academic English is a common goal. Following is the story of one graduate. (Reprinted with permission)

{ALUMNI CORNER}By Caren Rodriguez • UNT Journalism Major

�

Eunsol Park • South KoreaInternational student Eunsol Park

sat in a chair on the Murchison Per-forming Arts Center stage at the 35th Intensive English Language Institute summer graduation. Park, wearing a fitted black dress with flats, smiled as she was called to the podium to present the speech she practiced all week.

Park was one of 33 international stu-dents who graduated on Friday morn-ing. The 23-year-old South Korean native was recommended to speak at the ceremony by her two-time writing English Language instructor Jeffrey Rasch. Student counselor Amber Hall-berg informed Park of the recommen-dation.

“Amber said Jeff recommended me to speak and I like Jeff, so I said sure, of course I agreed,” Park said. “I was proud and [thought] ‘Oh, maybe I’m a good student in his class’.”

Rasch, a six-year IELI instructor, said Park is a smart, driven and friendly student.

“When I suggest somebody for a speaker, the main thing is how they in-teract with other students in the class,” Rasch said. “I think she really has a gift for being personable with people from a variety of different cultural back-grounds.”

Park, who missed her college gradu-ation in South Korea to attend IELI, will be a chemistry graduate student at UNT in the fall. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Sookmyung Women’s University in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea.

Her journey to the U.S. began at the recommendation from her organic chemistry professor, Dong Gon Park, who suggested she study abroad to be more independent and successful. She was the first in her immediate family to

study in the U.S.Park compared similar institutes and

chose UNT’s IELI program in part at the suggestion of an aunt and uncle who live in Denton.

“The program is good,” Park said. “I know friends who studied English [at] programs in L.A. and Chicago and compared to their program, this [one] is good.”

The program has eight-week terms during which students are enrolled in writing and communication skills classes ranging from level zero to six, according to the institute’s website. Park completed the program in three terms, but entered at Level Four Writ-ing and Level Five Communication in January.

IELI provided Park with an Eng-lish language education and helped her make new friends. She participated in IELI Women’s Group events and made a friend, whom she thanked in her grad-uation speech, through IELI’s Conver-sation Partner program.

Biology senior Sarah Matthes be-came Park’s conversation partner after

signing up to volunteer for the pro-gram. The two women met once a week for an hour to discuss cultural topics, help Park study for tests and enjoy each other’s company. Matthes, who trans-ferred from Austin Community Col-lege, said they helped each other get accustomed to living in a new city.

“It’s nice to be able to help her get situated, but at the same time, she helps me get situated,” Matthes said. “When we hung out, it wasn’t always, like I would help her with school stuff. We just hung out just for the fun of it.”

The women formed a bond over their shared interests in science, “nerdy things,” dining out and exploring Den-ton, Matthes said.

“We both like to go out and eat and just like trying new things,” Matthes said. “It’s just really amazing that some-one could be such a great combination of smart, sweet and fashionable.”

Park also joined UNT’s Korean Cul-ture Exchange Club. She treasures the experience she’s had with KCE.

“I think that was the most valuable experience here,” Park said. “Among 20 people, four are Korean and 16 are American and we danced [a] Korean dance in America.”

Precious Bieni, a biology senior and KCE’s president, said KCE is a student organization where UNT students and Korean international students meet once a week during fall and spring se-mesters to exchange culture, ideas and make friends.

The KCE dance event took place in April as part of UNT’s Internation-al Week. Park helped coordinate the dance, Bieni said. Park is teaching Bi-eni Korean while Bieni helps Park with her English skills.

Eunsol Park with friend and Conversation Part-ner, Sarah Matthes, at Summer 2012 Gradua-tion. (Photo by Caren Rodriguez)

continued on page 20


Each term, IELI instructors will nominate a student to be recognized as the Student of the Term. Students will be selected based on academic accomplishments, motivation, attendance, and participation in IELI and UNT activities.

{IELI STUDENT OF THE TERM}

�

Fall I: Abdulaziz Alsarami • Saudi ArabiaAbdulaziz Alsarami started in Levels 1

and 2, and he hasn’t repeated a class dur-ing his time in IELI. He has been accept-ed into the MBA program at UNT, and he has participated in the first term of IELI’s Level 6 pre-MBA program this Fall. Here

is what his teacher, Lisa Hollinger, had to say about him:“Abdulaziz took Level 6 Writing in the May mini-term.

He was a hard-working student who added a lot to the class with his comments and questions. He wrote a very interesting research paper on the advantages of alterna-tive medicine. He studied hard and passed the mid-term grammar exam, so he didn't have to take the grammar fi-nal. He always strove to use new academic vocabulary and grammar structures in his writing. Also, his creative and well-thought out ideas made his writing fun to read. Ad-ditionally, he participated in the mini-term pot luck lunch and brought Arabic coffee to share with his classmates and teachers. It was a strenuous but fun three weeks studying in the mini-term with Abdulaziz.”

Fall II: Anwar Ajaj • Saudi Arabia�

“I like that she’s really outgoing,” Bieni said. “She doesn’t let anything hold her back, because you know English isn’t her first language. But even still, she’s really outgoing and

willing to try new things. That’s really cool.”

Living here has given Park the opportunity to focus on her studies, make friends and feel accepted.

“I like life here,” Park said. “Thank you for welcoming other cultured people.”

continued from page 19

{IELI STUDENT RECOGNITION}IELI graduate Catherine Fresneda was recently recognized as a UNT Dining Services’ Worker

of the Week for the quality of work she brings to her student assistant position. Catherine began in Catering this fall and quickly impressed her peers and supervisors with her focus and diligence. Her supervisor described her work and character as follows:

“I seem to see this young woman working all the time. Actually working, not riding the clock. Not waiting to be told what to do. Not working to avoid working, but actually being productive. Whether it is putting together salads or appetizers at Apogee, boxing sandwiches for catering, or washing baking pans on the third floor, Catherine Fresneda works. I am not sure who taught her to work so diligently, but she learned the lesson well. While work is its own reward, hard work always pays off. We don’t always know when, we just know it does. Catherine is building a great foundation for a bright future. We could all learn from her. Thank you, Catherine, for what you bring to the job.”

Anwar Ajaj started in Levels 0 and 0, and she hasn’t re-peated a class during her time in IELI. During her time in IELI, Anwar has participated in multiple events and field trips, volunteered her time during UNT’s Make a Differ-ence Day, and and has joined several off-campus organi-zations. Anwar is currently in Levels 6 and 6 with plans to study chemical engineering at UNT in Spring 2013. She was recommended by several teachers who said the following:

“Anwar is such a joy to teach and to know. She takes part in activities. She even comes to my classes (which are not her classes) to tell them about her experiences and to offer her help,” said Pat Bull.

“Anwar...is simply a ray of sunshine. ALL of her teachers rave about her,” said Hyunju Lee.

Congratulations to both Abdulaziz and Anwar for their accomplishments!

PDS 126183-12/12o

2012 fall - star magazine

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