_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Visit the ELI NEWS online: www.eli.pitt.edu/eli-news

ELI NEWS English Language Institute • University of Pittsburgh 01-31-19, Volume 58 Issue 4 Parkvale Building, Room M13, 200 Meyran Ave • Pittsburgh PA 15260 elipitt@pitt.edu

ELI Activity:

The Phantom of the Opera

Join the ELI on Thursday, February 28, as we go to see the award-winning musical The Phantom of the

Opera. A musical is a performance that is similar to a theater play but with the addition of singing and dancing. The performance is at the Benedum Center downtown and runs from 7:30 pm to approximately 10 pm.

The Phantom of the Opera follows the story of a masked composer who haunts the Paris Opera House. He falls in love with a chorus girl, Christine, and makes increasing demands of the opera house to make her the star of the opera. Will the Phantom succeed in getting what he wants? Come to the musical and find out!

If you want to become more familiar with The Phantom of the Opera before paying for your ticket, join the Language Music Club on Tuesday, February 5. On this day, we will listen to songs from the musical. Read the article in this week’s News for more information.

This activity is open to all ELI students, including CCC students. You are welcome to bring guests who are not ELI students, but children under the age of 3 years are not allowed. This show is recommended for children ages 8 and up.

The main office will begin collecting money on Monday, February 4. You must pay by 4:30 pm on Thursday, February 14. Discounted tickets are $31 each. Please bring the exact amount. There are no refunds. If you have any questions, please email Ece at ecu4@pitt.edu.

Lunar New Year Holiday

February 5 Students who traditionally celebrate the Lunar New Year within their cultures and families may be excused from class on February 5, 2019 to observe this holiday. Please tell your teachers in advance if you plan to miss class for this celebration. You will not be counted as absent, but you will be responsible for any work that you miss.

Transfer Process Students with F1 visas who want to transfer to a new school must see Stacy to complete the transfer. You must bring a copy of the acceptance letter and the transfer form from the new school. You may transfer at any time during the term, but you must complete this process to remain in legal status. Remember that if you complete your final term of study at level 6 at the ELI, you have a 60-day grace period. During that time, you may stay in the U.S. without studying, and you may request a transfer at any time during that 60-day period. If you do not complete level 6, you have a 2-week grace period, and you must request a transfer within that time. If you do not request a transfer during the grace period, you will be out of status at the end of your grace period, and it will be too late to transfer your SEVIS record. Please see Stacy if you have any questions about this process.

www.facebook.com/PittELI

ELI Activity:

Toastmasters Meeting

Postponed

Due to the extremely cold temperatures forecasted for this Wednesday, January 30, our visit to Toastmasters has been postponed. The new date is Wednesday, February 20. If you would like to attend the meeting on this day, please email Ece at ecu4@pitt.edu by 4 pm on Friday, February 15. On Wednesday, February 20, we will meet at the ELI at 11:45 am to walk over to the meeting together. The meeting will finish around 1 pm.

For more information about Toastmasters International and a complete list of all Toastmasters Clubs, visit www.toastmasters.org.

Instagram Raffle

The ELI has an Instagram account! We are having a little contest to encourage you to follow us, and it’s very easy to enter. Stop by the ELI Main Office (M13) and show the Front Desk that you are following @eli.pitt on Instagram. You will then be entered into a raffle to win a Pitt umbrella. A raffle is a type of contest. When you enter, your name will be written on a slip of paper. At the end of the contest, we will pick one slip, and the name on that paper will win the Pitt umbrella. The deadline for entering is Monday, February 4 at 4:00 pm. The raffle winner will be announced on Tuesday, February 5 and contacted by e-mail. Don’t forget to tag @eli.pitt when posting photos from your activities!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Visit the ELI NEWS online: www.eli.pitt.edu/eli-news 2

Women's Basketball vs. Virginia Tech

Join Pitt women’s basketball on January 31 7:00 p.m. at the Peterson Event Center (3719 Terrace St, Pittsburgh, PA 15261) as they play against Virginia Tech. Admissions are free with a valid Pitt student ID card.

I-20 for New F1 Students

If you are a new student with an F1 visa this term, please see the ELI main office for your new I-20. You have a new copy of the I-20 that shows that you have registered for ELI classes and are in the US legally. You must have this I-20 for your records.

Keeping the ELI Clean

The ELI tries to create a nice environment for our students, and part of that is providing a neat and tidy environment for you. Please help us to keep your classrooms and the Vault clean by throwing away any garbage in the appropriate trash cans. Please don’t leave any water bottles, cups, papers, or any other trash on desks, on the floor, or in the hallway after you have finished with them. Also, please do not scrape food into the sink when you rinse your dishes. Put all food into the trash can so that the sink will stay clean and drain properly. There are trashcans in every classroom and in each hallway-please use them.

Lateness

Please remember that the ELI Attendance policy states that a student will be considered absent if the student is over 5 minutes late for class. Your teachers do not have any flexibility with this policy; they must mark you absent if you are over 5 minutes late. Please be aware of your breaks between classes and come to class on time.

Open Mic Night

Join Center for Creativity (C4C) for an Open Mic Night on Monday, February 4 at the William Pitt Union, Nordy's Place (3959 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260) from 9:00 p.m t0 10:00 p.m. It is a chance for performers of all kinds (writers, musicians, comics, storytellers, etc.) to meet and mingle while showcasing their skills. All levels and styles are welcome! Whether you are an experienced performer or a first-timer looking for a supportive and enthusiastic audience, Open Mic is for you. Sign up is first-come, first-served and begins at 8:30 pm. All performance genres are welcome: poetry, prose, music (original or covers), comedy, performance art, storytelling, monologues, magic…. If you can do it in public, you can sign up for a slot! Musical performers, please bring your own instruments

Pitt Knits Open Knitting Hour

Join Pitt Knits as they host an open hour of knitting/crocheting every Wednesday from 1-2 pm in the Center for Creativity (C4C) Workshop (4000 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213)

The C4C Open Hour is a small, casual, social knitting group that welcomes all skill levels. Pitt Knits even offers some lessons/tips for beginners!

Follow us on Twitter

@Upitt_ELI

Repeating Level 6 at

the ELI

Many of you are making plans for your academic future here in the U.S. Please remember that ELI students are allowed to take only two semesters at level 6. After you complete two terms at level 6, you must transfer to another program if you want to stay in the U.S. The ELI cannot make exceptions to this rule, so please plan carefully.

ELI Absence Policy

There have been many questions about excused absences in the ELI. It is true that if you are sick, it is not appropriate for you to come to school—you may infect others, and it is crucial that you rest to get well. Please note, though, that the ELI attendance policy states that “there is no such thing as an excused absence” in the ELI. Even if you are sick, the absence must be counted as an absence according to the ELI rules.

According to the ELI absence policy, if you miss over 8 classes, you will not receive a certificate of attendance at the end of the term. If you miss over 12, you may not be invited back to the ELI next term. If you are an F-1 student and you miss over 15 classes, your visa may be terminated. Please see the online Student Handbook for more information on the ELI attendance policy. In addition, please remember that sponsored students have attendance rules from their sponsors, as well.

Remember that if you do not do the work in your classes and the homework, this will affect your grade. If you want to make progress with your language learning, it is important that you attend class on time, regularly, with your homework complete. Please see Stacy if you have any questions or concerns about attendance in the ELI.

Follow the ELI on Instagram

@eli.pitt

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Visit the ELI NEWS online: www.eli.pitt.edu/eli-news 3

ELI Activity:

Language Music Club

Phantom Edition

On Thursday, February 28, the ELI will go downtown to see a performance of The

Phantom of the Opera. We want you to become familiar with the music and lyrics of this musical, so we will have a special Phantom of the Opera edition of the Language Music Club next Tuesday, February 5. On that day, we will listen to 2-3 songs from the musical and learn a little about the story. Come check it out!

The Language Music Club meets every Tuesday from 1-1:45 pm in Room M15. This room is next to the main office. Feel free to bring your lunch! The first meeting was last Tuesday, January 29. If you missed the first meeting, don’t worry! You can drop in anytime! No musical talent is required. All you need is a desire to improve your English! This activity is open to all ELI students, including CCC students. For more information or to make song suggestions, please email Ece at ecu4@pitt.edu.

Pitt Master of Laws for Foreign-Trained

Lawyers Program (LLM)

The University of Pittsburgh offers a Master of Laws (LLM) degree that provides lawyers who have already completed a law degree outside the U.S. with training in common law legal tradition and the U.S. legal system. This is a one-year program with an average of 15 students each year. It is offered by the School of Law’s Center for International Legal Education. For acceptance to this program, TOEFL and IELTS scores are waived for students who have completed all classes at ELI Level 5 or 6 with at least 85% final grades in each class. Applicants must also have a recommendation from the ELI Student Advisor. See Stacy if you have questions, or find out more about getting your LLM at Pitt Law School by visiting the LLM program website at http://law.pitt.edu/llm, or call 412-648-7023.

Prayer Rooms Change

The ELI can provide the following rooms for prayer:

Room 112 1:00-1:45 pm

Tuesday/Friday only: The ELI does not have rooms available for prayer at 1:00 pm on other

days

Room 107 1:00-1:45 pm

Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday

If you plan to use these rooms, you must read and follow the rules below. Please note that if any of these rules are broken, the prayer room will no longer be available.

v Rooms are available only for the times listed.

v Students must finish prayer at the times listed. The teachers of the 1:00 and 2:00 classes must be able to prepare before the class begins. If the teacher ever has to wait for students to finish praying, rooms will be removed from the schedule immediately.

Students may not pray in the hallways, locker room, or anywhere in the ELI building.

Friday Prayer for Muslim Students

The ELI is aware that many of our Muslim students attend mosque on Fridays at 1:10. Of course, we want to assist you with this, so teachers will allow up to 20 minutes for Muslim students to return for the 2:00 class. If you are over 20 minutes late, though, teachers will have to count you as absent. If you are having a problem returning to class within 20 minutes, please see Stacy.

ELI Storytellers Series

One of the benefits of �studying at the ELI is the � chance to meet and to learn from people with diverse backgrounds �and experience. The ELI Storytellers Series gives students an opportunity to share their stories with classmates. Speakers give a 10-15 minute presentation, followed by a question and answer period. The talks are scheduled during the 12:00 or1:00 lunch break or after classes at 4:00. The series is open to all ELI students, and it is a great way to get extra speaking and listening practice outside of class. Your English doesn’t have to be perfect! This is a great opportunity to challenge yourself and share your story with your friends, teachers and classmates.

How about you? Do you have an interest or a skill you would like to tell us about? Have you accomplished something special or done something fun and exciting? Would you like to share information about your culture or hometown? What is your story? If you are interested in giving a short presentation, email Heather at hlm44@pitt.edu

Coffee Talk

You might be reluctant to do anything after your last class of the week. You might be inclined to just go home, but on Fridays

from 4:00–6:00 pm come to Coffee Talk! Other individuals from the ELI can participate in open conversation at Panera (on Forbes Avenue). This is a way for us to relax, build community, identify potential friends, practice English, and more.

There are just a few rules. 1. The objective of Coffee Talk is to practice English, so please do not use your native language during this activity (others will chastise you if you do). 2. Because Panera does not ask us to pay for the room, please buy something to eat or drink, even just a cup of coffee or tea. (Frugality is not a problem.)

There is no better resource to assist you with your language progress than a place to just speak English, and Coffee Talk is your place. See you tomorrow!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Visit the ELI NEWS online: www.eli.pitt.edu/eli-news 4

Student Advisor Office Hours

Please remember that Stacy Ranson, your Student Advisor, can help

you with questions about your registration and classes, academic issues, letters of recommendation, and personal issues, as well. Feel free to stop by her office in M22 during any of her office hours. You can also email her at sar72@pitt.edu.

Stacy’s office hours are:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 1:00 pm-1:45 pm

Medical

Emergencies in the ELI It is the ELI policy that any time an ELI student shows signs of a serious medical

issue, ELI staff and faculty must call 911 for medical assistance. For example, if a student complains of the symptoms of a heart attack, the ELI will call an ambulance. In a medical emergency, the first priority of the ELI is always the well-being of its students, and 911 will be called even if the ill student protests or is not insured. Ambulance rides can cost from $400 to over $1000, depending on the kind of care the crew must provide and the distance traveled. Patients are responsible for the cost, and patients without health insurance will be responsible for the entire cost of ambulance service. This means that you-not the ELI- must pay for the ambulance, even if an ELI teacher or employee called for the ambulance. The ELI requires that students buy health insurance, which may pay for part of the ambulance service, depending on your coverage.

Personal Belongings in Classrooms

We have noticed that many students leave their personal belongings in ELI classrooms during the lunch break each day. The ELI cannot guarantee the safety of your bags, laptops, or other items. Remember that it is always safest to keep your personal belongings with you, or locked in your ELI locker.

If you leave your things in an ELI classroom during the lunch break, you are taking a chance that you may lose them. The classroom door may be locked when you leave, but please remember that many people have keys to those doors. The ELI cannot guarantee that the classroom will remain locked until you return.

In addition, you should never leave your belongings alone in the ELI hallways, on a restaurant table, or in any other public place. It only takes a second for someone to take what is yours, so please be careful! If you would like to sign up for a locker, see the ELI main office.

English Language Institute

Final Exam Schedule Spring 2019

The ELI gives final exams at the end of the term. These exams are worth 30% of the final grade for each class. There are no excused absences for finals. The ELI does not give early final exams or make up exams. Role Play finals in Speaking are graded with another Speaking teacher. Writing finals are graded by a teacher from another class with input from your teacher. Please note the following schedule and plan to be present for the finals.

ELI Idiom of the Week

An idiom is a phrase or expression whose meaning might not always be clear from the words that make it up.

“Actions Speak Louder Than Words.” This phrase is said to emphasize that what you do is more important and shows your intentions and feelings more clearly than what you say. For example: “Its no use speaking to your teachers that you will complete your homework, you have to act on it. Remember actions speak louder than words.” If you like to learn more idioms, visit idiomsite.com.

Mark your calendars!

Upcoming ELI Activities

Tuesday, February 5: Language Music Club Phantom Edition Thursday, February 14: Make your own valentines

Saturday, February 16: Ice Skating Wednesday, February 20: Toastmasters Meeting Thursday, February 28: Phantom of the Opera Wednesday, March 6: Board Games with APO Saturday, March 23: ELI Night Friday, March 29: Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, March 30: ELI Trip to Fallingwater

Fri, April 5

Mon, April 8

Tues, April 9

Writing final 10:00am-12:00pm Speaking final 1:00pm-3:00pm

Grammar final 10:00am-12:00pm Listening final 2:00pm-4:00pm

Reading final 10:00am-12:00pm