Capital Knowledge National JapaneseSpeaking Contest

Language ExpressCEWL photocompetition

Centre for�English andWorld Languages

WelcomeWelcome to the second issue of VoiceBox, the official newsletter for theCentre of English and World Languages (CEWL). 2011-12 has been a busyyear and we hope you enjoy reading about our latest activities and newdevelopments

Cover picture: “Enjoying great company” by Chung Yee Wong, CEWL photo competition winner

VoiceBoxThe international magazine from the Centre for English and World Languages

Vol 1 No 2 2012

2 VoiceBox

It’s cold, dark and raining. A group of policemenare following a woman detective through amuddy field. She is walking towards a shapeunder a tree. As the camera focuses on it we seethat the shape is a horribly mutilated body... Thisis the opening scene from the popular Danishdetective programme The Killing, translated forBritish television from the Danish originalForbrydelsen, which means, literally, Crime.

In recent years, Danish detective series, with theircombination of intrigue, plain speaking andgruesome detail, have become increasinglypopular on British television; Sarah Lund’s FaroeIsle jumper has reached iconic status and sparkedrenewed interest in knitting across the country!

Series 2 of The Killingis to be broadcast inBritain in the Autumnof 2012.

Jane ShortDirector of Learningand Teaching

Second Prize:“Finding your way around the world” by Tommaso Paletta

Third Prize: “The green lane” Artist Unknown

GraduateDiplomasCEWL launches a new suite of Graduate Diplomas;Premasters’ programmes forinternational students

The Graduate Diplomas are a one-year Pre-Masters programme which focus onpreparing students for the academic challengesof postgraduate study within their chosen field.The Graduate Diplomas are jointly delivered bythe University of Kent’s academic schools andour Centre for English and World Languages

Students are given the opportunity to developtheir independent study and research skillsthrough a combination of subject-specificmodules within their chosen academic school. In addition, students will have the opportunity to improve their English language proficiencyand skills competence with our English andAcademic Skills modules.

The new Graduate Diplomas are in the fields of Biosciences, Politics and InternationalRelations; Humanities (notably the subjects in our School of European Culture and Languages)Law and Psychology. CEWL already contributesto the University’s Graduate Diplomas inInternational Management with InternationalEnglish and the Graduate Diploma in Computingand Computer Science.

To find out more about our Graduate Diplomasvisit www.kent.ac.uk/cewl or email us atpremasters@kent.ac.uk

“The extensive and relevantManagement English modulesequipped me with the skills andtools to develop my research andstudy proficiency. This course hasbeen a fundamental step for me toidentify my weaknesses and hasoffered me the help andassistance to overcome them, inaddition to the opportunities toimprove on my existingstrengths.”

Fahad Al Nasser

CEWL photocompetitionThis year, CEWL opened up itsphotography competition to allstudents taking courses at theCentre. The theme was‘Campus Culture’. Thanks toall students who participated!

First prize was awarded to Chung Yee Wong,whose photography “Enjoying great company” isthis issue’s front cover photograph.

Second prize was awarded to Tommaso Palettafor ‘Finding your way around the World’, andthird prize went to the photographer of ‘GreenLane’ . Unfortunately, we do not know the identityof the student who took this great photo so if itwas you, please let us know!

How learning Danish may help you with Scandinavian crime and knitting!

If you’d like to follow it in the original, whynot take one of the Centre for English andWorld Languages’ new modules in Danish?For details, visit www.kent.ac.uk/courses/modulescatalogue/

First Prize and cover image:“Enjoying great company” by Chung Yee Wong

University of Kent 3

Views from the other sideFormer International Foundation Programme (IFP) students, LauraPeltomaki from Finland and Laith Zurikat from Jordan, talk about theirexperience of progressing on to undergraduate study. Both completedthe 2010 – 2011 Foundation programme

Laura PeltomäkiI am a European student so the decision to apply for the InternationalFoundation Course didn’t take long because I wanted to experienceanother kind of international environment. Essentially, I was keen ontaking a course which would thoroughly prepare me for a real academiclife and I must say now, as a first year undergraduate student, I can feelthe positive effects from what I’ve learnt from IFP.

I would like to emphasize the importance of making the most of thefoundation course. I want to specifically emphasize the importance ofacademic skills. Many students may feel that the purpose of the moduleis to teach how to speak and write in English but by the end of last year,I realised that the purpose of the module was much more than that. I’mnow studying Psychology, which is a very academic discipline; knowinghow to write, think and research academically has given me so muchadvantage in Psychology that I strongly advise keeping in mind whatacademic skills teaches because no matter what course follows, theinformation and advice applies to everything.

I would like to wish the best of luck to all prospective IFP candidatesand remember, always look for support when needed!

Laith ZureikatMy name is Laith Zureikat. I am an international student from Jordan.

I came to Kent last September, with the hope of learning as much as Icould about architecture from the foundation year so I could be readyfor the tougher challenges of first year. My learning curve startedslowly as everything was new to me; the subjects, lectures, seminars,studio work and tutorials. By the end of the first term I was averagingjust about 50. The requirement for me was only to pass but I hadhigher ambitions. As I got used to the usual weekly schedule and theself-study routine, I started to write better essays and my designs andproject work improved. I ended the year with a Merit overall –something I’m proud of.

The foundation year made me a well-rounded student. I could sit andtake notes in lectures, participate in seminars, come up with excellentessay titles and most importantly for me, I had a taste of whatarchitecture would be like.

Now in first year, things are different. We interact with more people, wehave tutorials more often and the expectations are raised with each andevery project or report. If I were to compare first year’s learning curve tolast year’s, it’s a lot steeper, but most importantly for me, I am enjoyingwhat I’m studying. The staff are very helpful and look out for usacademically and outside the territory of the Marlowe building.

To sum up the foundation year and two thirds of first year, all I can say isthat I’m learning something new each day and I’m having a good time.

Credit to my teachers last year!

Student trackingBritish Association of Lecturersof English for AcademicPurposes Professional IssuesMeeting (BALEAP PIM) Literally hundreds of students take courses every year at CEWL, yet ourinterest in their respective journeys does not end once their course hasfinished. However, finding the most efficient way to track their progress andachievements can be challenging. Exchanging ideas on this topic was theaim of the PIM conference held at CEWL in February 2012.

On 25th February, the Centre for English and World Languages hosted a oneday conference at Keynes College for nearly one hundred lecturers in Englishfor Academic Purposes from all over Britain. They met to discuss how andwhy they track the progress of their students, most of whom are speakers ofEnglish as a second language.

There were fourteen presentations during the day, including a jointworkshop from Kent, Heriot Watt and Exeter Universities on TrackingFoundation and Pre-sessional Students. Speakers from the Universities ofYork and Essex gave papers on the development of programmes ofEnglish for Academic Purposes for post-graduate students, and lecturersfrom Southampton and Warwick focussed on the language learning ofChinese post-graduates.

Speakers from Birmingham and Reading evaluated the effectiveness ofpre-sessional programmes. A small group of student volunteers from theInternational Foundation Programme and the Language and Literaturedegree programme at Kent made an invaluable contribution, registering allthe delegates on their arrival and guiding and informing them during theday. Conference feedback was extremely positive, and CEWL can be proudof its contribution to the professional development of everyone who attended.

January start IFP launched in 2012CEWL is pleased to welcome its first cohort of students onto the Januarystart International Foundation Programme (IFP). This year’s students joinedthe course at the beginning of the spring term; they will stay later into thesummer than their colleagues, taking their exams in the August examsession and hopefully progressing onto the Business Administration degreeprogramme at the Kent Business School in September 2012.

The January start IFP is designed for students who, for whatever reason,cannot begin the course with their colleagues in September but who stillwant to join their chosen degree course in the following academic year. Thecurrent course is currently only available for students studying on theBusiness pathway of the IFP, but CEWL hopes there will be sufficientdemand to open it up to other subjects in 2013

If you would like more information on this or any of our foundationprogrammes, please contact IFPinfo@kent.ac.uk

4 VoiceBox

Julie George Garkov is an ESL/ESPprofessional from the United States who hasbeen living in Brussels, Belgium for two and ahalf years.

I moved here with my husband, Vladimir, and our two teenage childrenwhen my husband accepted a position with the European Commission in2008. Before relocating here, I taught academic writing to internationalstudents, and Spanish to American students at a private American collegein Virginia, USA. Last August, I taught the first Pre-sessional Englishprogram offered at the Brussels School of International Studies (BSIS), abranch campus of the University of Kent.

When I arrived in Brussels, I was at first confused and then fascinated bythe multilingual environment of the city. Officially, Brussels is a bilingualcapital where both French and Flemish are spoken, and all street signs,advertisements, and public information are printed in both languages.Unofficially, English is used as a common language of communicationamong people from diverse cultures hailing from all over the globe whocome to live, work and study in Brussels. In addition to being the de factocapital of the European Union, hosting the European Commission, Councilof the European Union, European Council, and the second seat of theEuropean Parliament, Brussels is also headquarters to myriad internationalorganizations, as well as numerous NGO’S, federations, consultancies,press associations and private companies who maintain internationaloffices in Brussels. As a result, approximately 30% of Brussels inhabitantsare expatriates, so it is quite easy for foreigners to feel at home in this verydiverse city.

I enjoy the multicultural vibrancy of this city where discussions are boundto be engaging with such a mix of participants contributing theirperspectives to any given topic of conversation. I am never bored! BSISand the Pre-sessional English course in Brussels is a microcosm of thecity’s international atmosphere, as students come from around the world topursue graduate degrees in a variety of global-minded fields. What I foundmost rewarding about working with the students in the Pre-sessionalprogram here last summer was the degree to which I could individualisemy teaching to match their needs. It is an intimate and friendly campuswhere students can quickly and easily get help and advice from fellowstudents and staff about anything – academic or social. I look forward toworking with pre-sessional students again this summer, helping them tosettle and study in Brussels as they prepare for their chosen graduateprogram at BSIS. It’s a challenging and always interesting adventure thatwe embark on together.

Julie George GarkovPre-sessional tutor

CEWL’s new Pre-Sessional tutorin Brussels

University of Kent 5

The Bahraini students who entered the BusinessFoundation Programme at Capital Knowledgeare taking these courses in order to develop andenhance their knowledge about business andeconomics, as well as their academic skills, withthe aim of pursuing a degree course in the areaof business or finance at the University of Kent.However, since they entered the program theyhave become even more ambitious and morefocused on what they want to accomplish in life.

Our fellow students all stated that being part ofthis program has helped them realize what theyaspire to be in the future. The tutors and staff atCapital Knowledge have been very helpful with

informing us about career choices, guiding usand supporting us toward reaching our goals.We feel motivated to work hard while at CapitalKnowledge because of the positive environmentand the great support system.

Most of us aspire to become CEOs orentrepreneurs who are willing to open globalfranchises in the Middle East, and CapitalKnowledge definitely support their students’aspirations and greatly encourage us to pursueour goals.

Noor Waleed Ahmadi and Mohammed JanahiFoundation year students at Capital Knowledge

Bowling forsuccessHaving started bowling fromthe age of 13, I quickly gotinterested in the game andcould not stop playing.

I practised quite often trying to fix mymistakes and improve my technique so that Icould become a better bowler. I caught theattention of the head coach of the nationalteam and joined a few months later.

Now that I am at university, I manage mytime as best I can between my practicesessions and my study time so that I canmake the most of it. Practice sessions areusually 3-4 times a week for 2 hours so I tryto manage my studies around those times.Attending practice sessions helps to releasestress and clears my mind.

However, sometimes it is difficult to copebetween my studies and my bowlingactivities, since I have to travel abroad toparticipate in international bowlingchampionships. I have to submit myassignments beforehand and make sure thatI will have enough time to catch up with theclasses that I will miss during the periodwhen I am abroad.

Will I be able to continue bowling while I amat Kent University? I definitely hope so!

Hussain Al-ShehabiMember of Bahrain’s Youth National Bowling Team

Capital Knowledge, Bahrain continues todraw ambitious students to study onCEWL’s Business Foundation Course

6 VoiceBox

Emma Marku, Support Officer for Japan inInternational Development attended the courselast year and agreed to speak to VoiceBox aboutthe experience.

As the support officer for Japan in InternationalDevelopment, I wanted to find out more about thecountry and its culture. Dealing with Japanesestudents on a regular basis, I wanted tounderstand the culture shock they may experienceand how I can better prepare them for living andstudying in the UK and especially Kent.

In addition to this, being able to learn a littleJapanese would help improve my owncommunication and develop my own learning. I was surprised at how easy it was to startlearning the language. The small group helpedto allow each person the chance to answer and

practise the language and the teaching wasfocused on speaking Japanese as opposed togetting to know the written characters.

The sessions were broken up with languagetraining in the morning and learning about thecultural aspects in the afternoon. This was aidedby the delicious Japanese lunch that wasbrought in on a couple of occasions. I evenbecame better at using chopsticks!

It is a good course for people who may bethinking about wanting to learn the language and want a taster first. It is also good preparationfor a first visit to Japan. I am looking forward tovisiting Japan one day and discovering thecontrasts of the country for myself.

Emma MarkuInternational Support and Placement Officer

Discover Japan and China...from as little as £85!In 2011, CEWL piloted a short course in the language andculture of Japan. This year, CEWL is offering to take you toChina also!

On the 12th October 2011, over 50 students onthe Business Management course departed fromthe Canterbury campus on a luxury coach toattend the Chartered Institute of MarketingAnnual Marketing Lecture at the MidKent Collegecampus in Medway. After a scenic ride throughthe autumnal countryside they arrived for agourmet meal at the venue to be followed by apresentation from Heath Harvey, the MarketingDirector of the new Wembley Stadium.

The students were welcomed by Neil Lakeland –Chair of the CIM Kent Branch, Heath Harvey andother members of the Kent Branch.

Using the title above, the talk – subtitled InspiringMemories – outlined the role of the new stadiumin providing world class eating, football andmusic experiences, particularly focussing oncorporate customers. The CEWL students, asfuture business leaders, were able to pick upuseful business knowledge for their studies aswell as enjoying a splendid evening out.

The eats were popular, the photographic shoot byaccompanying lecturer Carla Morris was splendidand the whole evening scored a big success.

Terry BevisIFP Business Tutor

If you want to find out more about theDiscover Japan and Discover China courses,visit the web page below for more details:

www.kent.ac.uk/cewl/courses/discovercourses/

Eats, shoots and scoresA marketing trip for the Business Management Students.

University of Kent 7

I was very excited when I knew there would bea Japanese speech contest for universitystudents. It would be a great chance to test myJapanese proficiency. I am a fan of Japaneseidol group AKB48, and the group has become atrend in Japan. The popularity of AKB48 inJapan is well-known, but they are also popularoverseas. I think it would be interesting to talkabout their success in the speech.

However, I did not have enough time to preparebecause I was busy with my coursework. Ialways enjoy studying Japanese, but I wasstressed during the preparation period. I was sonervous when I practiced, and I could not speakfluently. I was so depressed that I even cried.Luckily, my Japanese teacher and friendsencouraged me and even practiced with me.Finally my speech was better.

It was like a dream that I won this contest. I reallyappreciate the help that my teacher andJapanese friends offered. I would not have wonwithout their help. Moreover, I would like to thankthe organisers and sponsors who gave me sucha treasurable chance. I hope more students fromthe University of Kent will learn Japanese andparticipate in the contest in the future.

Yee Man WongJapanese module student

Yee Man Wong, who isstudying Japanese modulesLA506 and LA507 at CEWL,entered and won Speechcategory 2 of the BATJ (BritishAssociation for TeachingJapanese as a ForeignLanguage) Japanese SpeechContest.

CEWL student winsNational JapaneseSpeaking Contest

From Japan to Kent

PersonalDevelopmentProgramme‘Headstart’introduced forCEWL FoundationStudentsLearning how to deal with university life is asimportant to the success of a student’s experience as their academicdevelopment. Consequently,this year CEWL launched a series of ‘Headstart’development workshops forits Foundation Programmestudents

In the Autumn term 2011, we ran ourPersonal Development Programme (PDP) forthe first time. Targeting primarily students onthe International Foundation Programme, thePDP is a suite of workshops covering arange of both academic and non-academictopics. In the Autumn term, students wereable to attend sessions on culture shock,academic culture, effective communicationand study skills. In the Spring term,workshops were more closely related toacademic progress and a number ofworkshops on specific study skills such aseffective revision and exam writing wereoffered. These workshops were led by CEWLas well as other external staff and took placeon Wednesday afternoons. The workshopswere advertised weekly through flyers andemails. Feedback from students has beenpositive and those who attended theworkshops found the topics covered bothrelevant and helpful.

Khanh Duc KuttigEAP Tutor

Haruka Yahiro, Japanese Year Abroad (JYA) Studenttells VoiceBox about herexperience at Kent.

Going to Kent was one of the best decisions I have ever made, and taking the Pre-Sessionalcourse at CEWL was a fantastic start to beginmy exchange student life there. Although I’d hadexperience living in the US for a few years, doingacademic studies in English was a big, newchallenge for me. The teachers at CEWL taughtme various kinds of basic and essentialacademic skills such as writing essays and

doing presentations throughout the 19 weeks,and that experience helped me very much after I started a new term in September 2011. Not justthe daily classes, but also planning and leadingthe welcome party for 12 week students, which I did, which was very meaningful to me. Also, thewonderful days I spent with my Pre-Sessionalfriends remains clearly in my memory even sinceI have come back to Tokyo. I strongly hope allthe international students who are taking the Pre-Sessional this year will enjoy their course andtheir stay in Kent.

Haruka Yahiro

8 VoiceBox

LanguageExpressLanguage Express EnglishCourses encourage cross-cultural flavouring!

One of the great advantages of CEWL is itsmulticultural aspect. Students are always keen tocook national dishes and to try out the food fromother places. In 2011, The Language Expressstudents of English cooked up a storm of exoticflavours for their class mates...

“I really enjoyed the class. Theteacher and classmates werebrilliant. I found an atmospherewhere I could learn aboutEnglish and England, andwhere to exchange knowledgeabout each student’s culture aswell. My English has improveda lot since then.”

Dian PurwandiniLanguage Express Student 2010-2011

“I’ve enjoyed attending theclass. I liked the Englishgrammar lessons especially.I’ve been able to understandclearly and I’ve spoken a lotwith classmates and it’s so niceto spend time with them.Thank you for the chance toattend the class!”

Saori OdaLanguage Express Student 2010-2011

Class of 2011/2012. From left: Chuande Zhou; Xinli Li; Marta Helena De Freitas; Ebru Dogan; Elisa Puvia and Chuanlong Xu

Top tips for learning EnglishAs we all know, there aremany ways to learn Englishas a foreign language. Morethan ever we, as non-nativeEnglish speakers, haveaccess to a large range ofmodern “tools” to learn thelanguage. This applies to metoo. On the other hand, Ihave often received guidancesuch as suggestions andadvice on how to achieve thebest results as fast aspossible. I am grateful for allthe help received along theway to reach a goodcommand of English

Tips like using audiobooks, CDs, the internet,listening to the radio or watching TV are morethan welcome at every stage of the learningprocess. However, human interaction and agood, talented and dedicated teacher are andwill always be a must and an invaluable part ofthe learning process and perhaps will never bereplaced by the progress of modern learningmaterials and new techniques. I remember thatI left the last English class with these kinds ofthoughts.

I did not miss a single class and I attended everyclass with great pleasure, interest anddetermination to start at once “to think in English”and “conquer” the colloquial language and thephrasal verbs, which are just a few of the “traps”of the English, language from my point of view.

The weekly English classes were more than justlanguage lessons. In an enjoyable internationalenvironment (where no two students were of thesame nationality) we learnt grammar, expandedour vocabulary, improved our conversationabilities, pronunciation and intonation. Beyond thelinquistic aspects of the lessons, we enriched ourknowledge of British culture and “Britishness”.How could I forget the December lesson centredaround Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, thelesson about English etiquette and the debatesabout “Canterbury and its place in British historyand British culture “ ? Thanks to our teacher, the“nato phonetic alphabet” is in my daily usage andthe Nancy Mitford’s list of “U and non-U” had asensational effect among my friends. These arejust a few memories that are still vivid in my mind.

My thanks go to the Centre for English and WorldLanguages at the University of Kent for theopportunity given to us to immerse ourselves inthe beauty of Shakespeare’s language and therichness of British culture.

Steluta PodoleanuAugust 2011

University of Kent 9

Lucia’s Spanish OmeletteThe potato omelette is a popularand famous dish in Spain. Theseingredients are made with eggs,potatoes, olive oil and salt. If youwant you can cook with onion.

It is a nice and easy dish, I recommend you, TRY IT!

Serves 3 people

Ingredients• 3 Potatoes• 4 eggs• ½ onion• Olive oil• Salt

DirectionsIf you want to cook for more or less people, you only need more or less eggsand potatoes.

Ways to cook it1 Peel and cut the potatoes. You can cut slices or cubes.2 Fry the potatoes in a skillet with very hot oil. Do not over fry the potatoes.You have to stop before they start to turn brown (or soft or doughy).

3 If you want cook it with onion (cut in thin and small cubes), you have tothrow in the cook the onion before the potatoes start to turn brown. Only for 4 or 3 minutes.

4 While the potatoes and onion are in the skillet, beat (or whisk) the eggs in a bowl.

5 When the potatoes (and the onion) are cooked, take out the ingredients,pour in the eggs and stir it all in the bowl.

6 Take out the oil from the skillet and leave a little. Heat up the oil and put all ingredients in the skillet. Do not stir the dough and when the base iscooked, turn the omelette. This is the most difficult step. To help you use a plate, but careful, do not spill it and burn yourself.

7 GOOD LUCK!

Lucia MartinezLanguage Express Student 2011-2012

ReviewIt is easy to cook a potato omelette. The potato can be fried, roasted orboiled, and I chose to boil it. Firstly, I fried two eggs. Secondly I fried the eggsand potato cubes together with some salt. After about one minute, I addedsesame oil and a small amount of cilantro to the dish. It can be served cold,warm or hot, both as a side dish or main course. I adapted this recipe slightlyand made it a Chinese potato omelette. You can also make some otherchanges to this recipe so it can become your favourite potato omelette!

Xinli LiLanguage Express Student 2011-2012

Elisa’s Tuscan Soup – RibolitaThe dish that I have chosen iscalled ‘Ribollita’ and it is atraditional Tuscan soup. It is avegetarian dish.

Ingredients • Lacinato kale (also called blackkale), center stalks removed,leaves chopped (about 4 firmlypacked cups)

• 2 to 4 thick slices of sturdycountry-style bread, preferablysourdough

• 500g tin of cannellini beansrinsed and drained

• 100gr Savoy cabbage, washed• 100gr of Swiss Chard, washed• 3 potatoes• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped• 150 gr courgettes• 1 medium celery stalk, chopped (3/4 cup) • 2 tbs tomato paste• 1 leek and 1 onion finely chopped• Extra virgin olive oil • Vegetable stock• Salt and black pepper to taste

DirectionsMill half of the cannellini beans through a vegetable mouli. Heat the oil in a4-to5-quart pot over a medium heat. Add the onion and leek, and cook,stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, for about 6 minutes.Add the tomato paste and cook until fragrant, for about 45 seconds. Add theLacinato kale, potatoes, celery, carrots, savoy cabbage, swiss chard, andcourgettes roughly chopped. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to low, andsimmer gently until the vegetables are tender, for about 1 hour, addingoccasionally vegetable stock. Add the cannellini beans, both the mashedand the whole ones. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Set a slice or two ofbread on each plate and put the soup on top. Enjoy your meal!!!!

Elisa PuviaLanguage Express Student 2011-2012

ReviewThe recipe for the Tuscany soup (Ribollita) was really simple to follow andtasted delicious. The most time consuming element to the recipe was thepreparation; It took about 30-40 minutes to chop and wash all theingredients. I could not find all the ingredients in the market, such asLacinato kale/black kale, but added curly kale instead. I also added somegarlic to the recipe as I love garlic! What I also liked about this recipe wasonce the ingredients were prepared you could leave the soup cooking slowlyfor an hour while you did other things (stirring occasionally of course).

To serve, I grated some parmesan on top of the soup and added freshwatercress as a garnish. It truly was superb; a tasty, hearty and healthyrecipe. I will definitely be making this recipe again soon. Thank you Elisa!

Charlene EarlLanguage Express Teacher 2011-2012

Lucia’s Spanish OmeletteElisa’s Tuscan Soup – Ribolita

If you would like to try any of the other recipes our studentssubmitted, please see the full online recipe book at:http://tinyurl.com/CEWLrecipes

...Carrying on the tradition from last year’s English class, this year’s students went one step further.Not only did they write and produce their own cook book, they tasted and reviewed the recipe

10 VoiceBox

Recently CEWL became an exam centre forCambridge and Pamela Vickers, CambridgeCourse Tutor, discusses the first course whichwas taught to a group of enthusiasticERASMUS students.

This term I taught the new ten week Cambridge exam preparation coursefor the Erasmus students – and what a pleasure it was! All the studentswere highly motivated and keen to put in extra work outside the class(which was only one evening a week) in order to maximise their progress.The classes focussed on all aspects of language and in particular, theskills of reading, writing, listening and speaking, which are tested in theexam. An emphasis was placed on extending vocabulary, range oflanguage and accuracy, so this included some revision of grammar.

I aimed to include a wide range of activities to stretch and challenge thestudents, with tasks at slightly different levels to meet different needs,choosing topics that would interest this particular group and making surethere was always an opportunity for fun as well as hard work! Towards theend of the ten weeks there was more practice in the exam format asfamiliarity with this is a great advantage in Cambridge exams.

CEWL becomes centre for Cambridgeexams in English

CEWL supportsPorchlight CEWL has recently been in contact withPorchlight, a Kent-based Charity that works tochange people’s lives for the better.

Porchlight helps the most vulnerable and isolated people in our communitiesto access housing and related support services. The organization also workswith individuals, organisations and the government to prevent the breakdownof our communities and reduce poverty.

Although CEWL always tries to cater appropriately and carefully for studentevents, in order to avoid wastage, after a recent student induction meeting anamount of food remained available and it was decided to donate this toPorchlight.

Kate Lumley, fundraising Support Officer from Porchlight said ‘Thank you verymuch for your donation of sandwiches and rolls that was made by the Centrefor English and World Languages at the University of Kent…it is fantastic toknow that you thought of benefitting our supported accommodation projectsin Canterbury…. I guarantee that your donation will have been muchappreciated.’

However, this is not the first time CEWL has been involved with Porchlight. Acouple of years ago, the English with Volunteering students held a ‘Picnic forPorchlight’ and raised £75 for the charity. Now that CEWL has re-establishedthis link, it has been agreed that we will attempt to support Porchlight in asimilar manner should a similar situation arise in the future. CEWL’s new testing suite.

In addition to teaching the whole class there were three hours (one everythree weeks) for each student in a small group where we workedspecifically on speaking skills in preparation for the oral exam. Thisincluded detailed correction of grammar, learning about the importance ofthe right word or phrase to express meaning accurately and effectively, andimproving pronunciation. Most commented on how helpful they found thisextra practice not only with other parts of the exam but also in how theycommunicate in English generally.

Most have decided to sit the Cambridge Advanced exam (CAE) althoughsome have opted for First Certificate (FCE) and a few will be takingProficiency (CPE).

Pamela VickersCambridge Suite Tutor

The First Certificate in English (FCE); the Certificate in Advanced English(CAE), and the Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE) are all part of theworld renowned University of Cambridge English for Students of OtherLanguages (ESOL) Examinations suite. Students who wish to pursueacademic studies or a professional career through English can take therelevant exam as a recognised benchmark of their ability.

University of Kent 11

New faces at CEWL

Hannah McNortonHannah McNorton is Assistant Director of theCentre for English and World Languages (CEWL)with key responsibility for the Centre’s pastoralprovision and management through her role asSenior Tutor. Hannah supports the Director ofCEWL in achieving the Centre's objectives, inparticular in association with Academic andQuality Assurance Management, Student Liaison,Marketing and External Relations, StudentRecruitment, Communications and Admissions.

With a background in Social Anthropology andApplied Linguistics, Hannah’s particular interestsinvolve enhancing the student experience througha strong pastoral support framework, togetherwith a developing a deeper understanding ofinter-cultural communications both within andoutside of the classroom.

Before joining CEWL, Hannah worked for more than7 years as Senior International Officer at theUniversity of Kent. This has contributed to herexpertise in understanding international studentneeds and the challenges posed by transitions intoUK Higher Education. Hannah has also developeda thorough understanding of the processesinvolved in international student recruitment within awide range of countries including Brunei, China,India, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.

Max HowellsMax Howells joined the team in September asCEWL’s International Officer. Max comes to usfrom Thanet College where he worked for twoyears in a similar role and before that from theForeign and Commonwealth Officer where heworked for UK visas and the Far Eastern Group.His role is to promote CEWL’s academicprovision as well as to assist with The Centre’smarketing and international activities.

Max’s role is split between two departments,working as the International Officer for CEWLduring the first half of the week and for theInternational Development Office during thesecond half, where he is responsible for the UK’sInternational School project and recruitment ofinternational students from within the UK.

He can be contacted on mbh@kent.ac.uk

Dr Leonie Wells-FurbyDr Leonie Wells-Furby joined CEWL in November2011 as Student Support Officer, having workedin a number of roles across the University since2001. Leonie is very familiar with Kent, not onlythrough working here, but also because she didher undergraduate degree, masters and PhDhere.

As part of her role, Leonie offers pastoral advice,guidance and support to all students on CEWLprogrammes and modules, including IFP, WorldLanguages, In-Sessional, Pre-Sessional andGraduate Diplomas, working closely with HannahMcNorton, the Senior Tutor. Leonie sees her roleas particularly important in enhancing theexperience of international students here in CEWLand will be working further on this in the future.

On Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdaymornings, Leonie can be found in Keynes C1.9.Email: l.wells-furby@kent.ac.uk; telephone 01227 827486

Charlene Earl Charlene Earl is an EAP tutor in the Centre forEnglish and World Languages and teaches on awide range of CEWL's programmes andcourses. In addition to teaching EAP, Charlene isalso a Personal Tutor for IFP students. Charlenejoined CEWL in October 2011 having previously

worked at the University of Glamorgan in Waleswhere she helped co-ordinate the Pre-sessionalcourse and taught on the IFP and various In-sessional English language classes. Charlenehas travelled extensively and has taught EFL inNew Zealand and at an orphanage in Bolivia.

Charlene graduated with a Masters in TEFL fromthe University of Wales, Swansea andspecialised in vocabulary acquisition andretention supervised by Paul Meara. Charlene isalso an examiner for IELTS and an external editorfor the University of East London GlobalExaminations Board. More recently, she haswritten and published EFL materials for ImpactSolutions in Exeter.

Helen Winder Helen Winder is Senior Programme SupportOfficer at Centre for English and WorldLanguages. She has been at the University sinceSeptember 2006 working for the same School,Engineering and Digital Arts (previouslyElectronic Engineering). Her backgroundexperience includes admissions/ recruitment &Marketing (pg & ug); Schools liaison officerworking with local Schools under the STEMproject; Organiser of UCAS open days anduniversity general open days, and SchoolsScholarship Administrator. Helen joined theUniversity of Kent on leaving the Foreign andCommonwealth office where she worked as anECO (immigration) and Consular Officer invarious Embassys overseas. She travelledextensively while working for the Foreign Office;her last posting was in Seoul, South Korea.

2011 saw the joining of five newmembers of staff to The Centre

Hannah McNorton Max Howells Dr Leonie Well-Furby Charlene Earl Helen Winder

Spotlight on…

This newsletter has been produced by:

The Centre for English and World LanguagesKeynes College University of KentCanterburyKent CT2 7NPUnited Kingdom

Tel: 01227 824401

General enquiriesE: cewl@kent.ac.uk

Pre-sessional enquiriesE: presessional@kent.ac.uk

International Foundation Programme enquiriesE: ifpinfo@kent.ac.uk

Language Express enquiriesE: languageexpress@kent.ac.uk

For details of all the courses mentioned in thisnewsletter, please visit our website at: www.kent.ac.uk/cewl/index.html

Thank you…

We would like to thank staff and students and allwho contributed to the newsletter and especially tothe Design and Print Centre for an excellent job.

CEWL’s new ventures!Testing Experiences for CEWL – Cambridge ESOL and Pearson Test of English CEWL is excited to announce that, from Summer 2012, the Centre will be approved to deliver bothCambridge ESOL examinations and the Pearson Test of English (Academic). This development willprovide a very useful service to both the staff and students of the University of Kent, as well asmembers of the wider community who wish to benefit from the opportunity to obtain an internationallyrecognised language qualification.

Examinations in the Cambridge ESOL suite are globally renowned and have particular currency inmany European countries. CEWL has already started running evening classes for students wishing togain an additional qualification alongside their main programme of study (see page 8). The PTE testwill perform a different function for international students in the region who are looking to take anapproved Secure English Language Test for study and visa purposes. The new laboratory facility inCEWL has been designed to comply with the high-security testing requirements of UKBA and it isplanned that CEWL will be providing testing services of this nature to prospective students fromsummer 2012.

Anthony Manning, Director of CEWL commented that

“The University of Kent and the Centre for English and World Languages is committed to the provisionof high-quality language training and assessment and with that regard we are delighted to be able toadminister Cambridge ESOL examinations and PTE Academic. Being able to offer these new testingservices will assist international students both in the local region and beyond in gaining furtherevidence of their language proficiency and following the visa application procedures required byUKBA. We look forward to welcoming students to our Centre and the University in this new capacity.”

Design & Print Centre 113274 06/12

CEWL, Testing Laboratory CEWL, Reception area

CEWL, Reception Students relaxing in The Reading Room