uk go teacher ecuador july 2013 newsletter

7/28/2019 UK Go Teacher Ecuador July 2013 Newsletter

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NEWSLETTERCENTER FOR ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

In this issue: Introduction A Taste of English Go Teacher July

Birthdays!

Welcome Cohort 4! Cohort 4 Leadership Summertime Tips Go Teacher Events Snapshots Lexington Summer

Events

Go TeacherExperiencesoChronology

Yoconda Franco (C4)

oAn Awe-InspiringExperienceGina Torres (C4)

oFoodGina Gonzalez (C4)

oWhat a WonderfulDay!Nelly Tipan (C3)

oA Trip to CincinnatiRoddy Lopez (C3)

oCincinnatiMaria Inga (C3)

oUnforgettableVacationLucia Arizaga O. (C3)

CESLThe mission of the Center for English as a Second Language (CESL)

at the University of Kentucky is to provide comprehensive English

language instruction for non-native English speakers in a university

setting. At the Center for ESL, we assist students in achieving

language proficiency goals for academic, professional, and social

purposes through multi-level language instruction. The Center forESL is dedicated to promoting diversity and to providing reciprocal

cultural enrichment opportunities to the University, the

community, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

A Taste of EnglishColor Idioms

tickled pinkShe was about the thoughtful gift.

* to be delighted by someone or somethingcaught red-handedThe thief was .

* to catch a person in the act of doing something wrong

Out of the blue, my friend decided to visit Lexington.

* without any warning, by surprise

July Birthdays!

COHORT 3

Jose Fabian Torres, 7/6

Susana Lupe Auquilla, 7/13

Daniel Diaz, 7/16

Veronica Chindon, 7/18

Paola Cordova, 7/19

Carlos Hidalgo, 7/27

Mariana Diaz, 7/29

Jose Flores, 7/30

COHORT 4

Luisa Martinez, 7/3

Juana Tapia, 7/6

Deys Rios, 7/7

Nancy Quiros, 7/10

Yoconda Franco, 7/10

Lorena Alvarez, 7/28


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JULY 2013 NEWSLETTER

CENTER FOR ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

See more information at weather.com by

searching Lexington, Kentucky

UK and CESL Welcome

Cohort 4

GO TEACHER

Ecuadorian Scholars

New Go Teacher Leadership

Paty Salazar Crespo

President

Lourdes Llerena

Vice President

Patricio Andino Valles

Secretary/Treasurer


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STAYING COOL

DURING SUMMER

LIGHT AND LOOSE CLOTHESWear light-colored, loose fitting clothes.

SCREEN IT OUTUse sunscreen to protect yourself from

harmful UV rays!

H2ODrink a lot of water!

SHADEProtect your eyes by

wearing your favorite

sunglasses.

EVENTS

29 June: Kentucky Renaissance Festival

4 July: Fourth of July festival and fireworks, Lexington

14 July:Peter Pan at the Arboretum

27 July: Mammoth Cave tour

31 July: Closing Ceremony for Cohort 3


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Cheapside Park(Downtown)

Saturdays - 7am to 3pmwww.lexingtonfarmersmarket.com

SNAPSHOTS

THROUGH YOUR LENS
http://www.lexingtonfarmersmarket.com/http://www.lexingtonfarmersmarket.com/http://www.lexingtonfarmersmarket.com/http://www.lexingtonfarmersmarket.com/http://www.lexingtonfarmersmarket.com/


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Chronology of an Announced TripBY YOCONDA FRANCO (Cohort 4)

Why do I say, chronology of an announced trip? Well, because from the moment that we were

informed that we had gotten a sufficient score to qualify us for the scholarship, we were very sure that

the trip was imminent; all we had to wait for was the American consulates approval of the visa. When

the visa was approved, we began to complete even more paperwork and legal documents that lead up

to the day we were to leave our homes. It was very hard to leave our families for those who had not

been accustomed to being without them, but we remained strong.

In Guayaquils airport we met with some friends who also came to the same adventure. We were

nervous to get on a plane for the first time, well I already was, but I did not have much fear. After a very

long journey to get to Miami, we had to check into the Immigration Office of the United States. It was

very tedious and it took so long; we almost missed the plane to Chicago. Two partners did get lost.

Getting to Chicago was a little quieter because the airport was smaller, and then it was time to take the

plane to Lexington, but to our surprise there was bad weather and the plane could not take off on time.

The plane had to leave at half past six, but it actually ended up leaving at twelve o'clock! Our question

was who was going to be waiting until that time? We arrived at half past two AM and Jason and Parker

were waiting for us. It was a great happiness to know that someone cared for us in a country so far

away and so foreign. They kindly took care of us and drove us to our new apartments, which

incidentally were prepared with everything we needed for our stay.

The next day, we had to be at the main apartment office to begin our orientation to the university and

the different places that we needed know, such as: the supermarket, the bank, restaurants, the student

health clinic, and some places in Lexington. Also, we had the opportunity to know little by little the staff

members of the CESL (Center for English as a Second Language). They are all very kind people who


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Chronology of an Announced Trip, Yoconda Franco (continued)

welcomed us to their city and campus. Of course we also found some colleagues from the first group

of Go Teacher already in the University of Kentucky.

The experience of living here is wonderful, from living with peers (roommates) who we had not known,

to the knowledge we are getting both at the University of Kentucky and in real life, whether in the

supermarket, on the bus or anywhere, we are putting into practice what Vygotsky says "learning in

social interaction." With a lot of responsibility we can adapt to some changes that I think for some of

my colleagues are very difficult, e.g. punctuality.

I must say that the treatment both at the university and in the apartments is excellent. Our coordinator,

Jason, always organizes activities in which we have a chance to apply the language, of course thinking

of our welfare, just like the whole group of people who work for the CESL program and the University of

Kentucky.

I am deeply grateful to all the staff that works for the CESL program as it is a big responsibility to make

this Ecuadorian teachers group develop the skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing correctly in

English.

Similarly, a special thanks to the Ecuadorian government including SENESCYT, IECE and all the

institutions that made it possible for this group of teachers to be trained professionally in a place where

the language is applied naturally. Thank you, President Correa. This group of teachers (Go Teachers) will

not disappoint you.


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Finally, I want to share some memories of our experience here at the university and in different places:

Guayaquil Airport Chicagos OHare Airport Lexingtons Bluegrass Airport

Our First class with Ms. Lina University of Kentucky The supermarket

University Trails Apartments Danvilles Great American Brass Band Parade.


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Danvilles parade Celebrating Fathers Day Celebrating our partners birthdays

Our national flag Salsa classes, time to relax. Time for lunch

Sharing with our classmates, they are from different parts of the world


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An Awe-inspiring ExperienceBY GINA TORRES (Cohort 4)

First of all, I am so thankful to my God, SENESCYT, and The National Government of Ecuador for giving

me a scholarship to study at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, and for my family for supporting

me in the wise decision that I made of travelling here on May 28th, 2013. Some of the other scholars and

I arrived at Bluegrass Airport at almost 1:00 the next day. All my fears disappeared when I saw Mr. Jason

Carr who is the Special Programs Coordinator at the Center for English as a Second Language. Until

then, I had only met him through Facebook photos and from the email that he sent us.

So far I have had an awesome experience in Lexington. It is a peaceful place and Kentuckians are so

kind, friendly and talkative. I feel confident when practicing my speaking. The University of Kentucky is

so huge and wonderful. All of the teachers are charismatic and cheerful. I am learning so much English

with them.

I have attended all the events that Mr. Carr has planned. One of them was to go to Danville to watch

the Great American Brass Band Festival. It was organized by Center College's Norton Center for the Arts.

The parade and the instrumental music were amazing. All of the events have been charming because

everybody unites in friendship. In brief I am looking forward to improving my English skills in this place

that is so beautiful.


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FOODBY GINA GONZALEZ (Cohort 4)

Ecuador and the United States are two beautiful countries on the American continent. During

my first time in the States I could immediately notice the difference in the food. The first time I

was out to eat lunch they gave me a slice of pizza, and for dinner, a hamburger. Pizza is

delicious and so are hamburgers, and yet I felt weird, and my partners did too, because in my

country fast food is not healthy and neither is coke.

People from here encouraged us to buy food in the supermarket; it was great. I bought some

juice because I thought it would be delicious, but they were not. They were too sweet. I could

not drink it, and neither could my roommates. So we decided to buy fruit to make our own

delicious juice. However, even when we did this, we could not believe the high price that fruit

has. In supermarkets like Kroger and Wal-Mart fruit is so expensive and the food is too. In my

country you do not spend so much money buying food, but one thing that I like in the

supermarkets here is that you can find mark-downs everywhere and you have to take

advantage of them. So you can buy cheaper items and you can save money too. Life here is

different but we have to adjust. We will survive this new experience.


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What a Wonderful Day!My Trip to CincinnatiBY NELLY TIPAN (Cohort 3)

When I woke up in the morning, my first though was that it was Saturday again with nothing important to

do, but I was wrong! The day had just started. It was a sunny day and the sky was blue, but not like every

other day; that blue color was special. It was bright! The weather was not hot and was not cold. It was just

perfect.

What made this day special? I realized that it was our trip day! Jason, our Coordinator, had been planning a

trip for us for a week. He was exited about that, but on that day he could not be with us, and instead Thomas

and Shannyn were there to help us. The trip was long but relaxing. We had fun while we travelled to the

Newport Aquarium, chatting with each other, laughing, and listening to nice music that Thomas put on the

radio.

When we arrived there, the weather was perfect. It was warm and bright. We took some pictures before

going in. In the aquarium we could see fish of different shapes and colors. There were sharks, turtles,

octopus, and jellyfish. There was a variety of sea species and also frogs. I had a picture taken on a fake

frog. I could see some snakes, they did not look so good, but still I took some pictures of them.

After that we went to another stage where we found a really big alligator or crocodile. Im not sure about

that. The only thing I knew was that it was so big. Then we saw penguins from all over the world. It was so

nice. I enjoyed my trip to the aquarium. When we finished the walk, we went to eat. The food was not bad,

and I actually like hamburgers so I ate two of them. After eating, we walked around exploring the place and

taking pictures.

On the way back most of my friends were tired and slept. I did not sleep because I wanted to enjoy the trip

until the last minute. When we arrived home it was the end of a very nice day.


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A Trip to CincinnatiBY RODDY LOPEZ (Cohort 3)

I arrived in the United States last January 6th. Since then, I

have known some wonderful places such as shopping

centers, the city of Louisville, and others. However, my tripto Cincinnati was wonderful and interesting because I could

enjoy it with my friends and roommates. We left early in

the morning from Red Mile Village, the place where we

Ecuadorians live, to Cincinnati in two vans. They were

driven by our friends Tom and Shannyn, who were our

Program Assistants during our trips. While traveling, I

enjoyed my trip to Cincinnati by taking some pictures,

listening to music, reading a magazine. It was so much fun.

When we arrived in Cincinnati it was amazing because I saw

several bridges. All of them have a particular shape. For

example, the Newport Southbank Bridge has the shape of

roller coaster. Also, I had time for visiting the Serpentine Wallat Riverfront Park. Here, people can go jogging, play softball

or just walk along in the park. In addition, I took a picture with

Cincinnatus statues. I learned that Cincinnatus was a

legendary Roman and that it was from


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A Trip to Cincinnati, Roddy Lopez

his name that the city was named Cincinnati. Moreover, I noticed that some buses of the city were

different from Lexington. For instance, they are smaller and more similar to a bus from San Francisco. I

could also see the Cincinnati Reds Stadium. It has giant field. That day was a marvelous day because I

could visit new places and know a little bit about a nice and interesting city.


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CincinnatiBY MARIA INGA (Cohort 3)

Spring has arisen in Lexington. Everything has changed here. Before all trees looked brown and dry.

Now, they are green and colorful how if a new life was born.

Springtime arrived and Lexington has many wonderful and

amazing places to enjoy a weekend out home. Louisville and

Cincinnati belongs to it. Both have really remarkable and touristic

spaces. In particular, I excited for Cincinnati for its marvelous

attractions. It has an aquarium where many animals represent the

best charm of this nice place. It has wonderful charms that

children, old people and teenagers show faces of happiness when

they visit it. Flashes shine each moment because everybody takes pictures, especially Ecuadorians who

love nature and all what signify life for them.

In addition, I astonished for its wide and

large bridges which does not have much

distance each other. They have an

impressed sight that I could not leave it

without walking on them. They truly look

magic places. Likewise, it has a big quite

river with green trees around it where a

ship navigates with heavy material. However, a monument of a Roman man

focused on me my attention since it has the name of this town. Why does it have the same name? Just

its people know this history. In short, Cincinnati denotes the wonders and miracles that this country has.


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An Unforgettable VacationBY LUCIA ARIZAGA O. (Cohort 3)

Two weeks ago, after we finished the Spring II courses, a group of friends and I decided to take a short

vacation out of Lexington. After searching online for some possible places for visiting, we decided to go

to a town located in Tennessee, which promised to be unforgettable. Our adventure started after lunch

time, when it was sunny and little windy. The journey was enjoyable, because we were fascinated by the

greenness of the woods and meadows that we saw along the road. After driving three hours, we got to

Gatlinburg, a city in Tennessee. From there we traveled to the Smoky Mountains and Cherokee, North

Carolina. In these three places we enjoyed the most of our short break.

Once in Gatlinburg, a short drive lead us to an area surrounded by abundant colorful trees, flowers,

beautiful woods, cabins, and singing birds that transported us into scenes from a fairytale. In this

picturesque zone we had booked a cabin, which was very comfortable, with a nice kitchen, dining and

living room on the first floor. Also, we had four cozy bedrooms in the basement, a wide entertainment

area on the second floor, and two balconies with rustic rocking chairs that invited us to take a sit to

enjoy the beauty of nature.

Everywhere nature impacted us with its lovely presence. So, the next day, after having a deliciousbreakfast, our dear American friend drove us up to the top of the Great Smoky Mountains National

Park, which is located in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. At the top it was too cold and

foggy, and we learned why they are called Smoky Mountains. We went back the next day to see the

magnificence of the mountains and we took wonderful pictures. Also, we were directly in contact with

nature while we hiked on one of the trials of the mountains. We really enjoyed ourselves by driving and

walking in this wonderful creation.


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An Unforgettable Vacation, Lucia Arizaga O. (continued)

Continuing with our trip through this outstanding zone, we arrived at the Cherokee Indian Reservation

which is a peaceful small town with interesting stores full of traditional souvenirs. I liked the most the

stone axes, hand-made soap, Cherokee dolls, and dream catchers (to catch bad dreams). Another

interesting thing was a giant Cherokee puppet in front of a tattoo store that we found on the way to the

Harrahs Cherokee Casino Resort, where we could not gamble because we did not have our passports.

However, we had a delicious dinner at the casinos restaurant.

On the way back to Gatlinburg, we planned to stop at the Old Houses Cherokee Museum, but two

amazing sights made us stop. The first one was a cute young bear that was sitting down as if it were a

model posing for a photo on the side of the road! Another surprise was a pair of female elk and a male

grazing in a small clearing between the woods and the road. It was really amazing because of the

distance, but other cars were behind us so I could only take a photo of one of the elks. After this

marvelous encounter, we got to the Old houses Cherokee Museum where we learned how the

Cherokee would live in the past.


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It was a busy and exciting day out in Gatlinburg, but we came back from there and stayed over in our

beautiful cabin. Early in the morning, the gorgeous singing of the birds and a sunny day told us that the

time to go on another adventure had begun.

After fixing our breakfast, our friend drove us to downtown of Gatlinburg. After that, we walked along

the main street in Gatlinburg which was crowded with tourists that went in and out of different places

where the most curious things are offered. So we visited many places, but the most awesome for me

were these: the exhibition of some of the Guinness world records such as the tallest man, oldest tree,

worlds smallest production car, The Peel, and worlds largest rubber band ball. Another discovery was

a giant Optimus Prime of the Transformers made from old car parts, some puppets on the walls, and a

bizarre pink monster. Furthermore, there were a lot of candy and pancake stores.

In the afternoon we took a trip in the chairlifts to the top of a mountain, it was fantastic. Finally, I think

the funniest thing we did there was posing for an old picture wearing costumes from 1800s as The Wild

Bunch wanted by the Pinkerton Detective Agency.


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We were definitely right when we decided to visit Gatlinburg, The Smoky Mountains, and the CherokeeIndian Reservation. We had a wonderful time that will always be in our memories.


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COHORT 3

Closing

CeremonyJULY 31, 2013

MORE INFORMATION FORTHCOMING


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The link to Go Teacher Kentuckys

Facebook group is on the website!

uk go teacher ecuador july 2013 newsletter

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