elc.polyu.edu.hk/ecNews
Steve in action
Vol. 9.2 Feb 2005
English Club
English Award Scheme
"Enrich and Gain" is the theme of the English Club this year. In order to encourage
the PolyU students to enrich themselves through all opportunities and gain invaluable
experience in using English, the English Club organised a great variety of exciting and
exhilarating activities in semester one, including a series of Cantonese lessons and a
Cultural Trip in Hong Kong for international students, an English Speaking Activity
Workshop for primary English teachers in Guangning, a small town in rural China, the
weekly English conversation forum Big Mouth Corner and a 5-day Winter Study Tour
to Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul, South Korea.
The Language Improvement Period
for the English Award Scheme is
well underway. We have had a very
keen response this year with over
160 applicants. Students are using
the resources in CILL and
participating in extra-curricular
activities such as the English Club,
PIFS, the Reading Club, the Drama
Club and Big Mouth Corner to improve
their language proficiency. They are
building up portfolios to record their
self-study efforts which will be
submitted on or before 1st March,
2005.
Don't be surprised if you hear riotous laughter on the podium every Thursday evening.
This is because students are having fun at the Big Mouth Corner. Big Mouth Corner
is one of the most popular activities organised by the English Club. Held every Thursday
on the EF Podium, the English Club provides students with valuable chances to learn
about different cultures and practise speaking English with young
and energetic native English speakers. In semesters one, the
participants tried doing Scottish dance and tasting Scottish
food, Canadian and British party games and many other exciting
activities at the Big Mouth Corner. In semester two, the native
English-speakers facilitators will continue to bring us more fun
games. If you want to be part of this, drop in and meet us on
Big Mouth Corner
the EF Podium on Thursday evenings.
In semester two, the English Club will organise lots more activities and continue to
provide students with chances to "Enrich and Gain". These activities include a Sports
Day, a series of English Teaching Workshops in a local primary school, as well as Big
Mouth Corner. For details, please visit our web site: http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/englishclub
There have been 3 consultation
sessions so far and the EAS
committee members have been
impressed by the candidates'
enthusiasm.
The award winners will be able to
study on summer programmes at
either York University, Toronto or
University of California, Los Angeles
in 2005.
Kelvin and friends at a birthday party
Reading Group
BRICKERS - The ELC Band
The latest Brickers line-up, called
Brickers VI, performed on Friday 21
January. This was probably the most
successful performance ever by the ELC
Band. The audience clapped along to some
songs and applauded and cheered more
than ever before. It was also the first
BRICKERS performing
time the audience have demanded an
encore. Highlights from the show included the quieter, solo spots; Wilson
singing More Than Words, backed only by his acoustic guitar, and Kay singing
Lover's Concerto, which also featured Emily on the piano. The show ended
with two rousing rock songs; Surrender sung by Kiki and Yesterday Once
More, an updated, energetic adaptation of the Carpenters song, which
featuring some impressive guitar solos from Wilson and Ivan.
Debate Chatroom
The online Debate Chatroom was launched last
September with the aim of giving students a platform
to argue about current issues in order to improve their
writing and analytical skills. We have organised 3 debates
on:
* whether the Olympic Games can alleviate international
tension
* whether Hong Kong needs some radical democrats
* whether the new American president can bring about
world peace.
We presented book vouchers and transcripts to the
best debaters in January. Please check the website
<http://dev.elc.polyu.edu.hk/dChat> for more
information. In addition, a discussion forum is being
developed to let more students post their writing. For
upcoming events, please see the PolyU portal.
The Centre for
Independent Language Learning
IELTS and Mini Courses
English Drama Club
Fun never stops in the English Drama Club (EDC). Over the past semester,
a series of EDC activities have brought together knowledge of drama
and members' enjoyment. Starting with an amazing O' Night, members
of various nationalities had a lot of excitement on the campus podium.
Inspired by members' enthusiasm, regular gatherings were held with
such dynamic sessions as gaming, acting, staging and mini-drama.
Undoubtedly, public productions each semester are the highlight of the
Club. "Flush", a modified version of the 2003
production, was performed on Information Day in
October. "Death Angel", a large-scale home-made
production held in November, was the fruit of a joint
effort by the existing committee, devoted members
and teacher advisors. It is all about a struggle between
Dr. Joe and Death Angel (a devil) in a hospital. Its success also resulted
from expert workshops hosted by a drama consultant, in which new
knowledge was learned by both actors and stage workers.
Coming up this semester, the club is preparing for a still more enjoyable
semester for the members. If you would like to find out more, check
out the website http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/EngDrama/. Join the family and
upcoming casting: Be a Star! Watch out for all this!
The ELC is running 20 hour courses to help students prepare for the IELTS
examination. You can sign up for any module Speaking (6 hours), Writing (6 hours),
Listening (4 hours), Reading (4 hours).
We are also running Mini Courses focusing on Grammar (8 hours), Vocabulary
development (6 hours), Practical Pronunciation (8 hours).
Information and registration CILL. You can also find information on the websites
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/IELTS/inCILL.htm
http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/miniCourses
Many courses are already full, so hurry.
Speaking Assistance Programme - SAP
SAP is available in CILL. You can practise any kind of speaking in a group for 3
- 5 students with a teacher. Many groups like to practise for the IELTS speaking
test, or job interviews, or just practise their discussion skills. The choice is
yours!
Writing Assistance Programme - WAP
WAP is a popular CILL programme where students can get individual help with
their writing. Students often take application letters, resumes, final year projects,
essays to get one-to-one help. The teacher can help you with organisation, layout,
content, but will not proof-read for you.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE CENTRE
Discover how reading can bring you joy and enrich
your life. Reading Group, organised by the ELC, provides
an environment in which you can improve your English,
broaden your general knowledge of the world, and,
perhaps more importantly, enrich your life through
reading and small group discussion. You choose and
read any books, fiction or non-fiction, in which you
are interested; then you share your thoughts with
other students in the regular meetings facilitated by
ELC teachers. The books we read in the last semester
are "Fragrant Harbour", "Dead Poet Society", "The
Present", "The Alchemist", "The Five People You Meet
in Heaven", "The Da Vinci Code", etc.
To find out more about the Reading Group, please
visit our website at: http://elc.polyu.edu.hk/readgroup
PIFS
Last semester, the PolyU International Film Society
(PIFS) screened five films from different
countries, which presented different cultures and
social values to members. Eighty people attended
the first film event which demonstrated the
popularity of the PIFS and established our great
reputation to new students including exchange
students from abroad. Many participated in the
lively discussion sessions which follow the film
shows.
In the coming semester, the PIFS will continue
to present excellent movies from all over the
world to PolyU students and staff and hold
discussions in English to promote greater
understanding of the films and improve language
skills.
To continue to attract more members, the PIFS
will arrange activities such as O’Night, activities
with other societies and podium shows. We look
forward to seeing you at our events this semester.