2015 ACCP Newsletter

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS | UNT-INTERNATIONAL SUMMER INSTITUTE "
SUMMER 2015
THE HEAT
STUDENT NEWSLETTER
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
THANK YOUS
Page 2
CLASSES & PROJECTS
Page 3
STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS
Page 6
A FEW GOOD PHOTOS
Page 8
CULTURE STORIES
ABOUT THE PROGRAM

The American Culture & Communication Program (ACCP) is a multi-level
ESL program that provides summer learning opportunities through language
and culture immersion. This program design promotes English fluency through
engagement with the community of UNT, Denton, and DFW. Our goal is to
give students a unique opportunity to practice and improve English skills
through cultural immersion, social interaction, and experiential learning.
Page 10
EXPERIENCE STORIES
Page 13
THANK YOU, UAEM & ECIT COORDINATORS!

coordinate their university groups
and to serve as liaisons between
This has been an exciting
the program sta and the
albeit busy three weeks of classes, students. I would like give my
evening activities, and cultural
heartfelt thanks to Luisa,
excursions for all of the ACCP
Alberto, Jahaziel & Xiong for
participants and sta! During
their hard work, dedication, and
these three weeks, the UAEM
friendship. This program could
and ECIT coordinators have
not have been a success without
impressed me with their ability to you. I will miss this dream team!
By Lisa Jeon
2015 UAEM & ECIT Coordinators
"
PAGE 1
SUMMER 2015
2015 ACCP Sta

Program Director
Lisa Jeon
Program Assistants
Kendall Fleming & Dina Madi
Faculty English Class Instructors
Lisa Jeon & Kendall Fleming
Advanced Class Instructor
Elizabeth Wallett
Intermediate Class Instructor
Peter Schuelke
Beginner Class Instructor
Chip Cullum
2015 ACCP Sta
THANKS!
Professors
Dr. Michael Barnett (Psychology), Dr. John
David Beatty (Chemistry), Dr. Jerey Anthony
Cole (English), Dr. Susan Layne Dadres
(Economics), Dr. Richard B. McCaslin
(History), Dr. Kathryn McCauley (Business
Law), Dr. Haj Ross (Linguistics), Dr. Chetan
Tiwari (Geography) & Dr. DC Wang
(Psychology)
Colleges & Departments
College of Business, Discovery Park, Eagle
Images, Intensive English Language Institute
(IELI), Pohl Recreation Center, UNTInternational, UNT Bookstore, UNT Career
Center, UNT Eagle Student Services Center,
UNT Media Library, UNT Multicultural
Center, UNT Sustainability, & Willis Library
People
Meagan Adams (UNT Career Center), Evan
Arnold (IELI Language Lab Supervisor), Lynne
Barga (UNT-International Global Engagement
Coordinator), Carolyn Blevins (UNT Housing
& Dining Director), Marc Cobos (Paper
Concepts), Fernando Fleurquin (IELI
Director), Alissa Flores (UNT-International
Accountant), Dickie Hargrave (UNTInternational Assistant Director of
International Recruitment), Andrew Klipsch
(Bruce Cafeteria General Manager/Chef) Chris

Lawrence (Associate Director of Facility
Operations), Julie Morris (IELI Administrative
Specialist), Dr. Richard Nader (UNT Vice
Provost for International Aairs), Carol Ogden
(IELI Assistant Director), Evan Oxenhandler
(UNT Jazz Alumni Guest Artist), Summer
Sadiyeh (Miss Texas 2015), Adam Silva (Student
Accounting & Cashiering Services Supervisor),
James Strawn (CAS IT Services Student
Computing Manager), Pieter Vermeulen (UNTInternational Recruitment & Engagement
Director), Chris Wright (UNT Jazz Student
Guest Artist), Pam Yarbrough (UNTInternational Director of Finances) & Matt
Young (UNT Jazz Student Guest Artist)
Volunteers
Sola Akinola, Kathryn Booker, Natalie
Caballero, Susan Carnell, Bret Ferguson,
Madeline Fink, Myiah Danielle Jones, Jessalyn
Mayer, Chigozie Osuh, & Raven Vincent
UNT Liaisons & University Coordinators
Manuel Goel (UNT-UAEM Academic Liaison
Director), Maria Luisa Becerril Lopez (UAEM
Coordinator), Alberto Colin Ortega (UAEM
Coordinator), Jahaziel Alberto Reyes Galicia
(UAEM Coordinator) & Yichun Xiong (ECIT
Coordinator)
US Culture & Oral Communication

Workshop Instructors
Chip Cullum, Brian (Alex) Elliott,
Kendall Fleming, Peter Schuelke &
Elizabeth Wallett
English through Film Workshop
Instructor
Chip Cullum
Performing Arts Workshop
Instructor
Peter Schuelke
Presentation Skills Workshop
Instructor
Elizabeth Wallett
Professional Development
Workshop Instructor
Brian (Alex) Elliott
UNT Scholar Workshop Instructor
Kendall Fleming
Teaching Assistants
Michael Kim, Tyler Macho, Shea
Mighell, Yacine Ndiaye, Debriel
Parrish, Marcus Rodriguez, Rafa
Schuelke & Zak Shelton
Activity Coordinators
Brian (Alex) Elliott, Michael Kim,
Mindy Le, Christopher Macaulay,
Tyler Macho, Audryanna (Gabby)
Reed & Elizabeth Wallett
Photographer/Videographer
Damian Atamenwan
Visit our website, (UNTISummerInstitute.com), like our Facebook page, or connect

with us on Instagram (@untisummerinstitute) and on Twitter (@UNTISummerInst)!
"
PAGE 2
SUMMER 2015
LANGUAGE, CULTURE IMMERSION

MORNING CLASSES AND AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS
Faculty English class
Faculty English class participants practice small talk in a speaking line.
As our students can attest, the UNT-International Summer Institute

is a truly unique English language program! Unlike many traditional ESL
programs with rote methods, this program is designed to teach language
through cultural immersion, social interaction, and experiential learning.
As part of the 2015 ACCP, participants engaged in four hours of English
study daily. Morning class lessons focused on core English skills (including
speaking and pronunciation, reading and listening, and writing and
grammar) while also incorporating activities that promoted cultural,
linguistic, and social immersion.
Advanced class
A portion of the four hours of study also included hands-on, themed

workshops. Students attended one required workshop (US Culture &
Communication) and one elective workshop based on a specific skill
(Presentation Skills, Performing Arts, English Through Film, Professional
Development, & UNT Scholar).
2015 ACCP WORKSHOP CLASSES
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PRESENTATION SKILLS
Develop professional skills using English

such as resume writing, interviewing, job
searching, and creating e-portfolios.
Practice and improve oral English by

developing practical and academic English
presentation skills.
PERFORMING ARTS
Practice speaking English and get
confidence through short drama skits and
improvisation.
ENGLISH THROUGH FILM
Practice English while improving listening,
learning about culture, and discussing
American TV shows and movies.
"
Intermediate class
UNT SCHOLAR
Learn all about UNT while practicing oral
communication skills in English during
campus tours and field trips.
US CULTURE &
ORAL COMMUNICATION
Learn about topics in US and Texas culture
and practice oral communication skills in
English by doing on-campus interviews and
recording experiences in the United States.
Beginner class
PAGE 3
SUMMER 2015
CLASS PROJECTS
STUDENT-CREATED PROJECTS FROM CLASSES
Denton survival guide
Intermediate class students work on group projects about English slang and idioms.
In the morning and afternoon workshop classes, students created

individual and group projects on a variety of dierent topics.
The Beginner class wrote and illustrated ACCP and Denton survival guide
brochures. The Intermediate class created group presentations about
American slang and idioms. The Advanced class wrote and peer-edited
academic English articles about their impressions of US and Texas
culture, their program experience, and how the ACCP has helped them
learn more about their area of study. Additionally, the Faculty English
class created and presented 10-minute English lessons and 1-page
handouts on topics about English or topics related to their research areas.
Final projects in the afternoon workshop classes also included studentcreated culture collages and murals, travel brochures about US regions,
product commercials, movie reviews, and e-portfolios. You can check out
all of these fantastic class projects via our program Facebook page!
US culture mixed media collage
Movie review of Titanic
Brochure about dierent regions in the US
Ling Juice commercial created by Performing Arts Workshop students.
"
PAGE 4
SUMMER 2015
FACULTY ENGLISH PROJECTS

FACULTY-CREATED ENGLISH LESSONS & HANDOUTS
Miriams handout on organizational culture
Alice gives a presentation about passive voice in the Faculty English class.
2015 FACULTY ENGLISH
PRESENTATION TOPICS
MARTHA ALICIA HERNANDEZ

PENALOZA
ALEJANDRO DIB KANAN
The colors in your life and what they

mean
The advantages of a new technique

called immediate loading for dental
implants
MIRIAM ELIZABETH RAMOS
MUNOZ
Tips for improving the organizational
culture of your company.
FLORENCIO GARCIA ZARAIN
Different types of viral herpes diseases,
the symptoms, treatments, and
complications
PATRICIA GARCIA HERNANDEZ
How to become a business
entrepreneur
JOSE DE JESUS LOPEZ ZAPIAIN
The commitment of the university
professional techniques for teachers
for more effective teaching
ANGELICA REGINA SANCHEZ
MEJIA & JULIETA NAVARRETE
FLORES
The definition and use of countable and
non-countable nouns in English
ARCELIA RODRIGUEZ GARCIA

Techniques to increase the habit of
creativity
MARIA ALICIA ZARATE MARTINEZ
English passive voice what it means
and how to use it
JESSY HERNANDEZ ALCANTARA &
GRISELDA HERNANDEZ PENAFLOR
Tips for having a healthy life illustrated
with English adverbs of frequency
ENRIQUE PEREZ & CARLOS
BADILLO MUNOZ
Alejandros handout on dental implants
The history, types, and process of

getting of dental implants
KARLA NATALIA NOGUEZ
HERNANDEZ & LILIA ANGELICA
CAMACHO GONZALEZ
The definition and use of English
phrasal verbs
ANGEL GABRIEL MENDOZA
MARTINEZ
An overview of different English idioms
and their meanings
"
Jessy & Griss handout on tips for having a

healthy life
Karla & Lilis handout on English phrasal

verbs
PAGE 5
SUMMER 2015
STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS
What was your favorite
class during the program?
Florencio
Dentistry
My best class is the

Faculty English class
with Lisa, Kendall, and
Debriel. I love the
class. It is very funny
and very easy to learn.
Advice for others who

want to learn English as a
second language?
Yes, this is a terrific

opportunity for me to
learn English. I never
took an English class in
my life but I like
having a dierent form
to express my ideas.

evening activity?

class and why?
What surprised you about

American culture?
The Dallas World

Aquarium because I
have never been in an
aquarium before. They
are not common in my
country so I was really
looking forward to
seeing it.
Minute to Win It
because it was an
activity to break the ice
between all the
students. It was cool
and funny to play and
be able to know each
other better. Also my
team won!
My favorite class is the

US Culture with Dr.
Elizabeth because my
whole life I have been
interested in US
culture so its a very
good chance for me to
learn about the history
and customs.
I thought our customs

were not that dierent
but the ideology and
values are. I think I can
really get used to this
lifestyle. Its amazing
the way US people see
things and overcome all
kinds of diculties.

cultural excursion?
Most important thing

youve learned here?

evening activity?

I love the Stockyards

because its so
dierent. It was so
Texan. The rodeo was a
once in a lifetime
experience. But Dallas
is my favorite because I
love big cities and
skyscrapers.
Its my second
experience abroad and
I think that the bonds
between cultures are
the most amazing thing
in the world. The best
thing about
globalization is the
bonds it makes
between cultures.
Its a tie between

Karaoke Night and
Minute to Win It. The
first day I saw karaoke
on the schedule I was
so looking forward to
it. Minute to Win It
was amazing.
Competing and
cheering made it fun.
The Advanced class

with Elizabeth because
I have the best teacher.
Everyday we improve a
little in vocabulary,
cultural topics, and
relations with
classmates. Everyone
participates and its
very dynamic.

class during the program
and why?

second language?
Favorite thing about

UNT?

cultural experience?
Advanced class because

in each class we learn a
little bit about
dierent vocabulary
and aspects of culture
like fashion,
Hollywood, and our
daily lives.
Dont be afraid to use

English because if you
dont you wont know
what mistakes you
made. Also expose
yourself to things
youre interested in like
movies and TV shows.
It has a lot of space.

Hong Kong is such a
small place that every
campus is very small.
The biggest would be
half the size of UNT. I
get a lot of exercise
walking around this
campus!
My favorite would be
to the Stockyards and
the rodeo. I didnt
imagine there would be
such a dierent culture
of cities within Texas.
Dallas and Forth
Worth are close but so
dierent culturally.

cultural excursion during
the program?
Engineering
UAEM
Carmen
Economics
UAEM
Candy (Yuk Ying)

English
HKPU
"
Has your English

improved as a result of
this program?
The trip to Fort Worth

and the rodeo was very
interesting. The Ranch
Day was also very
exiting. I like all of the
activities so much. My
life is always stressful
so this a great time.
Practice speaking
English face to face
with someone instead
of online.
BUAP
Julio
What is your favorite

cultural excursion?
PAGE 6

Martha
Management
UAEM
Karla
English Language
UAEM
Ezequiel
Engineering
UAEM
Monica (Shiyu)
English
ECIT
"
SUMMER 2015

second language?
Why did you decide to

participate in this
program?
I encourage them to
speak a lot. They dont
have to have fear
because everybody
here is so friendly and
they will try to
understand you.
It is my fifth time to
participate in this
program and every
time I come back I
improve my English,
have great experiences,
and make new friends.
My favorite class was

the Faculty English
class because I learned
too much! I have
started to give classes
in English so I learned
many things about how
to teach in English.


evening activity?

Do you have a favorite

English slang or idiom?
I liked the visit to the

Stockyards because it is
the traditional side of
Texas. I could
understand the roots
and pride that Texans
have. Mexicans have a
similar cultural history.
The Scavenger Hunt

because it was fun to
be playing as a team.
We were so engaged in
the activity and it was
nice to see how we
could all mix together.
The Faculty English

class has been very
interesting and useful
because it helps me see
myself from outside. It
helps me refresh my
ideas and techniques as
a language teacher.
Sticks and stones

from the Movie Night
film The Blind Side. It
was new for me but I
could understand it
from the movie.

thing about UNT?

evening activity?


The swimming pool at

the Rec Center because
we go there after class
to talk and have fun.
We have been going
everyday and after we
go to eat dinner. Its
funny because we are
always very hungry
because we swim
before dinner.
Minute to Win It
because I participated.
We were team
Fantastic Four, the
losers, but it was pretty
funny because we were
trying to win third
place. I participated in
the game where we
shot ping poll balls in
sticky bread.
Time flies because I

like it in both English
and Spanish. When I
arrived here, I thought
it three weeks was
going to be a long time.
But now I cant believe
its about to end!
When we went to Fort

Worth, it was a good
experience to be at a
rodeo. I sat down with
Gabby and she was
very friendly. We were
talking about a lot and
it was good because I
usually speak with
Mexican friends.



evening activity?

Curiosity killed the

cat! Another phrase I
like is badonkadonk.
The Dallas Museum of

Art. It is a very big
museum! In China, the
museums are a little bit
small and boring and
about China only. I
liked to see exhibits
about the culture of
other countries, you
can take pictures, and
the sta is nice too.
I liked to play Ultimate

Frisbee because I never
played it before. I
never seen that massive
of gym before too. I
liked Movie Night
because the movie
inspired me. Also I
liked Miss Texas. She is
charming!
The Intermediate class

because its two hours
so I have more time
with Peter to learn
idioms and slang. We
played games and
learned how to
pronounce confusing
sounds. I learned a lot
from this class!
The Stockyards
because it was so fun
and so dierent. The
way that cowboys are
here in Texas changed
my opinion about them
and I really enjoyed it!

PAGE 7
SUMMER 2015
A FEW GOOD PHOTOS...
"
Helen masters the climbing wall at the UNT Rec Center.
Tour of the Denton Square.
Evelin with UNT jazz concert guest artists.
Baron shops for new shoes at North Park Center.
Campus Scavenger Hunt prize winners: Mindys buddy group!
Striking silly poses on ACCP photo day!
PAGE 8
SUMMER 2015
The winning team on Minute to Win It Night: Team Eagles!
Meet and greet with Miss Texas 2015.
Miguel showing his roping skills at the Fort Worth Stockyards.
Ee and Sarah tour the AT&T Cowboys Stadium.
Trip to downtown Dallas.
Florencio cheers for the Texas Rangers at the baseball game!
Visit our website, (UNTISummerInstitute.com), like our Facebook page, or connect

with us on Instagram (@untisummerinstitute) and on Twitter (@UNTISummerInst)!
"
PAGE 9
SUMMER 2015
CULTURE STORIES
ONLINE SHOPPING IN HONG KONG AND THE USA
By Candy (Yuk Ying) Cheung
purchases over thirty-five

dollars. If the user is a member of Amazon Prime, they not
only enjoy free two-day shipping for any purchase they
make, but they also have access to unlimited music,
movies, and TV shows.
When you first think about shopping, what do you

think about? Giant malls? Bargain sales? These might
come to mind, but to American citizens, the definition of
shopping has changed since the birth of the internet. To
Hong Kong citizens, shopping in-store is still the primary
Other reasons for the popularity of online shopping
way to buy merchandise. My e-commerce knowledge is
are the ease of price comparison between dierent
from my class about retail; I did not realize the dominance merchants, and the large variety of brands and products
of online shopping in the USA until I visited.
available online. Most shops in Hong Kong are specialty
In Hong Kong, the closest online shopping experience stores, but due to the well-developed public transport
system, you can reach any shop you want to visit within
that we have to American online shopping is from Tao
two hours. In the USA, due to its geographical size,
Bao, a Chinese online shopping site, or eBay. Also, as
disperse buildings, and limited access to public
Hong Kongs major payment systems are cash and
transportation, it is hard for people to have access to
Octopus Card, a reusable contactless store valued smart
card; people rely less on credit cards or debit cards, which everything they need in a short period of time. So many
prefer online shopping over shopping in a physical store
are the most popular payment method in the USA
(Federal Reserve System, 2014). Due to the inconvenience because it saves both time and money.
of their payment methods and expensive shipping charges,

As e-commerce has become an important part of our
e-commerce in Hong Kong is still a long way from
lives because of the massive growth of the internet, the
dominating the market.
dominance of online shopping will keep expanding. If
There is a vast dierence when comparing the online Hong Kong companies want to grasp the opportunity to
extend their business online, they could take companies in
shopping experience between Hong Kong and the USA.
the USA as an example and encourage citizens to shop
In Hong Kong people usually go online to shop due to
online by oering exclusive deals, providing coupons, and
dissatisfaction with the price of a product they saw or
could not find in a physical store. The items Hongkongers oering free shipping. Bill Gates once said, The Internet
is becoming the town square for the global village of
usually buy via online shopping are clothes and cheap
alternatives to existing products. In the USA, people shop tomorrow. If Hong Kong companies want to maintain
their competitiveness in the retail industry, it is important
online not only for low prices, but for the convenience of
for the companies to explore the possibility of maintaining
shipping. For example, Amazon provides free shipping
throughout the forty-eight contiguous United States with online stores.
DOOR-OPENING HABITS
Lydia (Lihua) He
Opening a door is one of the most
common and easiest things to do in
everyday life. What we physically
need to do is to push or pull the door
open and then let it go. However,
these two simple maneuvers are done
dierently in the U.S.A. In the U.S.A,
we open the door to take care of
others by holding the door for the
next person. The first time I
experienced this special door opening
was in Bruce Hall. When I was
entering the hall, the man standing in
"
front of me in the line unexpectedly

held the door for me even as he
entered, smiling and waiting. At that
moment, I was totally shocked and
surprised. That has never happened in
my country. No one will waste a few
seconds holding a door for someone
they dont know. Later that day, I
found out that almost everyone will
hold the door open for the next
person. I asked some of my friends
from China, Mexico, and America
whether it is common for people to
hold the door open for the next
person. My Chinese friends told me it

is not common in China in public.
But my Mexican and American
friends regard this special door
opening habit as a usual and
unconscious habit everyone does. For
me, this is something special about
America. Though Americans strongly
value the belief that time is money in
their fast-paced society, holding the
door for the next person for few
seconds shows warmth and care for
others. In short, politeness costs
nothing and gains everything.
PAGE 10
SUMMER 2015
TO MEET AMERICAN CULTURE

By Carley (Shuqing) Tao
Minute to Win It Night!
What is your purpose coming

here? the customs ocer in the
airport asked me before I even
stepped on American soil. This
unknown mystery land not only made
me feel nervous but also excited.
After a two-week stay in Denton, I
am impressed by American culture.
First, even though time is money,
many Americans are patient. In the
road intersections, most of drivers

will stop and wait until pedestrians
cross the street. This kind of thing
does not usually happen in many
cities in China. Moreover, Americans
are patient when they communicate
with foreigners. For example, when I
went to a shop to buy clothes, I spent
a long time describing the style that I
wanted, but the shop assistant did not
feel annoyed even when I did not use
the correct words to explain what I
wanted. I discussed these two
examples of patience with my
Mexican friends and all of us agreed
that Americans are patient.
Secondly, Americans are
enthusiastic, which influences others
as well. I remember that all of the
students were encouraged by the
ACCP teachers at the Minute to
Win It night. We danced, we sang
songs, and we hit the desk screaming
for the champion. The fire of victory
was lit up, and so did my heart.
During the Campus Scavenger
Hunt night, I had a fantastic time

working with my buddies, as we ran
together to finish our tasks. We took
videos, we jumped, and we made
funny faces together.
I searched for the definition of
culture on the internet, and
discovered that culture is a set of
ideas, beliefs, and ways of behaving of
a particular organization or group of
people. I think culture is an iceberg.
Although we can see some things
above the sea, like behaviors and
traditions, many other things are
invisible, such as values and attitude.
The best way to get closer to a culture
is to experience it on our own. It was
my great pleasure to experience
American culture during these weeks
of the ACCP program. Now I know
exactly why I came to America. I
wanted to experience American
culture. I needed to see a new and
fresh culture so that I could learn
how it diers from my own countrys
unique culture.
MEXICAN AND AMERICAN CULTURES

By Celina Gutierrez
There are many dierences
between Mexican and American
cultures, but there are also
similarities. I have just been in Texas
and I can tell you that it is very
dierent from the region I know in
Mexico. The landscape here is similar
to the landscape of some regions of
Mexico but the way people live and
interact with each other is very
dierent than in Mexico.
Mexicans and Americans are both
very passionate about the things they
enjoy, like sports. Mexicans love
soccer as much as Americans love
football. This is something that I
think is never going to change.
Another thing that both cultures
"
consider important is religion. In

Mexico, the religion that is the most
important is Catholicism and in the
USA Protestant Christianity is the
most important religion.
Despite those similarities I found
many dierences between these two
cultures. For example, almost all
Mexican food is spicy and American
food is barely spicy because most
Americans are not used to eating hot
spices. Another dierence is that the
most popular sport here is football
and in Mexico the most popular sport
is soccer. Also, the ways that people
interact are not the same in the USA
and Mexico. In the USA people are
colder than in Mexico and here
people do not kiss each other when
they say hello. A kiss as a greeting is
very common in Mexico.

Mexico and the USA are
neighbor countries, but their cultures
are very dierent, because of each's
separate past and traditions. They
may have similarities, but the two
cultures will never be the same.
American vs. Mexican cultural dierences.
PAGE 11
SUMMER 2015
THE INFLUENCE OF MEXICAN CULTURE IN THE USA

By Charlie Sanchez
Charlie on the AT&T Stadium field.
The 2015 ACCP allowed me to

learn how much Mexican culture has
influenced American culture. During
my time in Texas I have seen many
similarities between Mexicans and
Texans. For example, in Fort Worth
there are many people who wear hats
and ride horses just like people in
northern Mexico.
Logically as neighbor countries it
is normal to share some things but
Mexico and de U.S. have more than a
few things in common. More than
26.7 million Mexican people living in
the United States, and that makes the
U.S.A. and Mexico more than

neighbor countries. We share a huge
part of our gastronomy, and especially
in Texas you can find Mexican
restaurants in every corner. Taco Bell
is the most common example that
you can find in the U.S.A. to see how
heavily the Mexican culture has
inspired the gastronomy of the U.S.A
It is amazing how many restaurants
have spicy food on their menu and it
is also impressive how many
Americans like Mexican cuisine
inspired spicy sauce.
But it is not only the food that
makes America and Mexico so closer,
America also share so much Mexican
traditions, like the fifth of May battle,
in which, cities like Los Angeles,
Houston, New York and Denver
celebrates as if where a national
celebration. People used to eat
nachos, tacos, and guacamole in
which case American people consume
over 81 million of avocados from
Mexico. American people used to
break piatas but not only on the

fifth of May battle, it is common to
see piatas in the birthdays parties
for the kids.
When I came to the U.S.A. I was
expecting that everyone would have
the same racist opinions about
Mexican people as Donald Trump,
but I found that this is not true.
Every person which I have had the
opportunity to speak about have a
dierent opinion from Donald
Trumps. American people really value
Mexican people, their culture, their
gastronomy, and their traditions that
now it is part of most of the
American normal life. To share our
food, our traditions and mix it with
the U.S.A culture to get as result a
whole new kind of culture that is
simply awesome. I hope I can keep
sharing my culture and learn more
about American culture in the future
when I come back to Texas or any
other place from all around U.S.A.
GREETINGS IN AMERICA AND HONG KONG

By Ee (Tsz Ki) Wong
not say these greeting with the

purpose of really getting to know how
This is the first time I have
the other is doing. However after
visited America. Before I arrived, I
some days went by, I started to get
had no doubt that the culture here
used to this kind of greeting and felt
would be dierent from my home,
Hong Kong. The food, the values and better about it. The reason why I
started to like this greeting style is
the lifestyle are all dierent. But, the
cultural dierence that impressed me because I compared the greeting with
the most is Americas greeting culture. behavior in Hong Kong. In Hong
Kong we seldom greet each other. A
People here love to greet each
greeting is most likely just a hello
other even if they are strangers. From and goodbye. If you smile at a
the website about American etiquette stranger on the street in Hong Kong,
I looked at and my daily experience
others will find you really strange and
here, I found that Americans will
not smile back. It makes me feel very
always start with Hi! How are you
alienated.
doing? And when they separate, they
After staying in America for a
will end with Have a good one. or
month,
I have experienced a lot of
See you later. At first, I found it very
dierent
cultures here. Hong Kong is
awkward to answer and respond to
also
a
city
of diverse cultures and I
these kinds of standardized greetings.
really
hope
the people in Hong Kong
This was because I felt like people do
"
will embrace this greeting culture in

the future, because it draws citizens
closer. After participating in this
program, I hope I will have the
opportunity to visit other American
states and to discover more and
dierent cultures in America. Thank
you UNT for giving me this
wonderful experience!
Team jump at the Rec Center as part of the

Campus Scavenger Hunt..
PAGE 12
SUMMER 2015
EXPERIENCE STORIES
UNIVERSITY INFRASTRUCTURE
By Juan Carlos Terron Vega
One of the most astonishing
things as a student is the quality and
quantity of facilities that UNT has
compared to my home university,
Universidad Autonoma del Estado de
Mexico (UAEM). The first amazing
infrastructure I saw when I arrived
from the airport was my dorm. The
dorm was just across the street from
the main campus buildings and it took
only a 5-10 min. walk to be at the
classroom building. Despite this, I
have to say that I was not so cool
because the weather was very hot and
I was always sweating on the walk.
When I go to class at my
university, the facilities in my
department, Mathematics, are at a
dierent location than most of the
other departments at UAEM. There
are university facilities all over the
city and as a math student if I need to
improve my language skills I need to
travel to another facility. At UNT
traveling from the math to the
language department only involves

walking from one building (General
Academic Building) to the next
(Language Building).
Another thing that surprised me
is the importance and quality of the
music program at UNT. Jazz is most
important in this program but even
Mariachi classes are held. The
classrooms are built especially for
music students to rehearse and the
students can borrow instruments they
need. At UAEM the students would
need to bring their own.
It was not the five story building,
not even the huge amount of books it
holds that impressed me, but the fact
that even during the summer you
could find the main Willis Library
open twenty-four hours a day seven
days a week! This is awesome! There
is nothing like this at my university or
any other in my city or country!
There are historical plaques on
the UNT buildings that make the
The Willis Library at UNT.
students feel pride at belonging to a

university that is more than 100 years
old. Even though UAEM is a
university with more than 150 years of
history you cannot find as many
historical plaques as you can find at
UNTs buildings. Another very
amazing place here at UNT is the $31
million dollar recreation center. I
believe that even premium resorts at
tourist places do not have this
facilities in quantity and quality.
UNT has facilities than amaze
students from my country, Mexico,
and students from many countries
might have this same reaction if they
have the opportunity to visit UNT. If
a student decides to study at UNT, I
believe he or she would be making the
right decision because of everything
that this amazing university oers.
A DAY IN DALLAS
By Mark Cruz Rodriguez
Kitchen Fire. It reminded me of a

book I read in my childhood with
The trip to Dallas was my favorite
stories by Charles Perrault, because
activity of the ACCP program. On
this trip I went to a fabulous museum, one of the illustrations for the story
of Cinderella was this painting.
I ate vegan food, and I used the train
and the bus systems like a local.
After the museum, we were a bit
In the morning, we went to the Dallas hungry, so Zak Shelton, one of our
UNT buddies, and his friend,
Museum of Art. I love art museums
Courtney, suggested going to a vegan
and galleries, so the DMA was the
restaurant called Spiral Diner. My
perfect spot to start my trip. My two
friend Martha and I ordered the
favorite works of art were Nunscape
at Manzanillo by the surrealist painter famous, huge Supreme Nachos and a
burger. Both were absolutely
Leonora Carrington, because she is
delicious. I think the best part was
one of my favorite artists, and I was
glad one of her paintings was there to that, thanks to Zak, we got to go to a
place away from the touristy area, and
be admired by the American public.
we were able to eat dierent, nonThe other painting I loved was
stereotypical tourist food.
Thomas Sullys Cinderella in the
Finally, we went back to downtown to

go to the North Park mall. I liked
shopping there, but what I liked the
most was the fact that we took the
train and the bus.
Going to Dallas was a soul-nourishing
experience. I was able to admire
timeless, beautiful works of art, I ate
dierent food at a place not on the
tourist route, and I used the train and
the bus like a local.
Lunch at Spiral Diner in Dallas.
"
PAGE 13
SUMMER 2015
YALL CAN BE FRIENDS

By Carmen Perez Rougon Estevez
This article will describe what
kind of attitude a person should have
to make friends with an American,
especially a Texan. This advice is
based on me and my friends
experiences in the ACCP program
and from our other visits to Texas
According to city-data.com,
Texas has three cities (Houston, San
Antonio, and Dallas) in the top ten
biggest cities in the USA. This means
that the state has many dierent
types of people due to globalization
in urban reas. Many people come
from Latin America, because of its
proximity to the USA, and Latin
American culture has influenced
American culture for many years.
There are many stereotypes
about Texans, and to be friends with
them you should just go along with
their customs. In a survey given to

students, teachers, and workers at the
University of North Texas, everyone
interviewed agreed that Texans are
very easy to get along wit if you do
not oend an aspect of their culture.
According to my survey, to be
friends with a Texan you should
definitely enjoy talking with people,
not be in a hurry, and also have an
open contact culture and always say
hello and introduce yourself.
Texans love to hear about their
culture and what you like the most
about their state and activities.
Always respect their private space, so
you have to be funny but polite. They
really like sports, so enjoy the games
and the conversations about their
favorite teams and do not be overly
enthusiastic about your own favorite
team (if it is dierent).
Another important thing is the

food. If you like BBQ and beer, you
can be the best of friends with a
Texan. They respect dinner time with
their families and family is an
important aspect of their daily life.
Texans are so easy to hang out
with, and easier if you are Mexican.
We have many similarities and
common cultural customs. We
respect almost the same points of
view and our patriotism is recognized
everywhere. That is why, in my
personal experience, it was easy for
me to have Texan friends, and once
you have them they are loyal, funny,
and you will never be bored with a
Texan friend.
THINKING ABOUT ATTENDING UNT

By Carlos Pedraza Ho
The ACCP is a really good
opportunity to practice and improve
my English skills. It is also a nice
opportunity to learn about Texas
culture and the dierences between it
and the culture in Toluca, Mexico.
This program has helped expand
my horizons and maybe I will try to
complete a masters degree in the
USA. I would like to learn about
other universities, but UNT is
definitely an option.
I think that UNT is a good
option because I like the academic
environment here, and I also like
Denton because it is a peaceful town
without much noise. It is a town
where there are a lot of students and
people of my age that might have
many things in common with me.
Also many students play dierent
types of sports which I think is very
interesting. This is in contrast to my
"
country, Mexico, where sports are not

important or emphasized in school.
UNT has good academics, and
there are many good teachers. This is
very important so that students can
receive a good education. Otherwise
students might find a job because they
have a degree from a well known
school but they might not have much
knowledge because of a poor quality
teacher.
I also conducted a survey to find
out the opinions of other students
who also participated in the program.
The survey participants stated that in
addition to learning English, the
ACCP program helped them hang out
with many dierent people, avoid
being shy, and allowed them to get to
know people of dierent cultures. All
of the interviewees told me that they
do not envision studying at UNT in
the future, but they think they are
going to study abroad. The thing that
the interviewees liked the most about
the school is that it has good and welldesigned facilities, and that in
summer there are not many students
on campus.
To conclude, I am really looking
forward to studying at UNT in the
future because it is a well-known
school and has good teachers, I like
Denton, and it is not that far from my
home. At UNT I can learn English,
get to know many people from other
countries, and I can learn about many
dierent kinds of cultures.
Carlos with the UNT sign in front of

Bruce Hall.
PAGE 14
SUMMER 2015
DISCOVERING DALLAS
By Martha Villalobos
Selfie with a manatee at the Dallas World

Aquarium.
For one of the activities in the

American Culture and
Communication Program we went to
Dallas to visit some of its emblematic
museums and attractions.
First the entire group visited the

Dallas Museum of Art. The group had
around two hours to visit the
dierent exhibits and then we had the
opportunity to choose a second
excursion. The excursion options
were: the Dallas World Aquarium, the
Sixth Floor Museum, the Perot
Museum of Nature and Science, and
the North Park Mall. I chose the
Dallas World Aquarium. We went in
groups to McKinney Avenue and had
a great lunch eating at food trucks.
Some of us ate in a delicious pizza
truck called Yummy Pizza.
At 2:40 pm we walked to the
aquarium. At the aquarium I saw
many species that I had never heard
of and also saw amazing animals.
According to the aquariums website
they have over one hundred species.
They had five exhibits: Mundo Maya,
Orinoco, Aquarium, South Africa, and
Borneo. My favorite exhibit was the

Aquarium. In this exhibit I saw a
beautiful manatee, and I also liked
the Borneo exhibit where I saw an
amazing bird, the Shoebill Stork. At
5:30 pm we walked to the West End
train station and took the red line to
Park Lane. When we arrived at Park
Lane we walked to the North Park
Mall. After some fast shopping, we
gathered next to the Macys entrance
to load the buses and start our
journey back to UNTs campus.
Dallas is a big city with hundreds
of attractions and hopefully I will
come back to visit Dallas other
museums, tourist attractions, sporting
events, and other places of interest!
VISITING THE AT&T COWBOYS STADIUM

By Jose Luis Soto Najera
When I realized that we were
visiting the AT&T stadium as part of
the ACCP activities, I was shocked
and emotional. I was really excited
because football is my favorite sport
and I am a big fan of the NFL and
college football.
This stadium replaced the

partially covered Texas stadium,
inaugurated in 1971, which was the
home of the Cowboys until 2008.
One of my favorite things about

this new stadium is that it is where
Super Bowl XVI took place in
February 2011. In this game, the
As one of the most popular sports Green Bay Packers defeated the
Pittsburgh Steelers, and some of my
in the USA (at professional, college,
and youth levels), this team sport uses favorite artists (The Black Eyed Peas,
Usher, and Slash) performed during
strategy, intelligence, courage, and
strength towards one purpose: feeling the half time show. The Cowboys hold
the record for the most Super Bowl
the fame of victory.
appearances at eight, and have won
Located in Arlington Texas, with
five Super Bowls. The Cowboys
an 85,000 seat capacity the AT&T
dominance in the 1990s is the reason
stadium, formerly known as the
they were deemed Americas Team.
Cowboys Stadium, is home to one of
During our visit we were able to
the most valuable and famous football
visit
the players lockers and the
teams in America. According to
Dallas
Cowboys cheerleaders lockers.
Forbes magazine, the Dallas Cowboys
We
also
were able to go on the field
are also the third most valuable sports
and
we
could
admire how huge the
team in the world.
stadium is.
"
The AT&T stadium visit made me

feel overwhelmed with excitement
because I got to see a famous football
stadium. I learned lots of facts about
the stadium and the sport. I would
love to visit it again.
Jose at the AT&T Cowboys Stadium.
PAGE 15
SUMMER 2015
HOW TO CHOOSE AN ENGLISH COURSE

By Giorgio Airoldi
students learn the language by

osmosis, inside the classroom, but
also outside the classroom.
Heres a brief ACCP overview:
Giorgio with his new American friends!
Every summer, thousands of

students from all around the world,
look for schools where they can learn
new languages. For those who are
willing to come to America, I would
like to share my experience.
Among all of the websites,
commercials, and internet ads, one in
particular caught my attention: the
ACCP (American Culture and
Communication Program) at the
University Of North Texas, located in
Texas, Denton. This is a short, but
intensive English course, designed for
those foreign students who want to
increase their English skills during
the summer. The dierence between
ACCP and a traditional ESL (English
as Second Language) program is in
the way English is taught: the
MORNING CLASS: an ESL

teacher teaches grammar, speaking,
and writing using slides, videos and
by engaging the students. The
students practice speaking in public
and often interview strangers at
the university.
US CULTURE CLASS:
focused on giving a general idea of
American culture, and mentions
the most important aspects of
American and Texan lifestyle. This
workshop helps to eliminate
prejudice against Americans, but
moreover it works as a comparison
between dierent cultures, thanks
to the variety of the classmates who
come from every part of the world.
PRESENTATION SKILLS:
one of the five elective workshops
available. Students are encouraged
to speak in public, in front of
classmates or in small groups.
EVENING ACTIVITIES:
students are required to participate
in many excursions, inside or near
the campus, lead by sta. The goal

is to let the students practice
speaking English while entertaining
them with fun activities like sports,
games, or local tourism.
DINNER WITH AN
AMERICAN: small groups of
students are invited by a teacher
and her family to eat at their home.
This is not only a way to speak to
new people and taste the local food,
it is also a chance to take note of
their amazing hospitality.
UNTS BUDDIES: they are
people who work for the program;
they are supposed to hang out with
the students, give them advice,
bring them where they need to go
(grocery store, bars, etc), and help
them in case of need.
Now that this experience is over,
I can definitely say that it has been
worth it. At first I was concerned
about the short duration of the
course, especially compared to 2month ESL schools, but now that I
have experienced it, I recommend it
to all students learning American
English. This is the most entertaining
and interactive course on the market.
WONDERFUL ACCP EXPERIENCE

By Lucy (Xiyao) Li
website says,the Dallas Museum of

Arts collection contains over 23,000
This is my first time in America
works of art from all cultures and
and taking part in the ACCP. I am
time periods spanning 5,000 years of
attracted to everything here.
human creativity. The collection is
Lisa, the teachers, and our UNT
dynamic; new acquisitions are being
buddies prepared great and elaborate added all the time and the galleries
activities for us. I like my advanced
are constantly changing. The
class and my favorite workshop is
Aquarium was amazing and I had a
Professional Development. In this
new type of experience. As the
workshop, I learned how to develop a wikipedia says,The upper level of the
good resume and how to prepare and
aquarium is an artificial reproduction
do an interview. I think Alex and Tyler of the Orinoco Rainforest. It
work very well together.
resembles the zoo in China but there
As for excursions, I liked the
was more variety of amazing animals,
Dallas Art Museum and World
like seahorses, sloths, and so on.
Aquarium very much. As the DMA
"
I also observed an English Writing

course at UNT. I believe the classes
here have a more carefree atmosphere
than in China. The most important
dierence is that students can take
their tablet PC or laptop to classes
and do some homework or search for
useful information while in the
classrooms.
In general, I like the classes and
activities here very much. I acquired a
lot of knowledge and experience in
the ACCP.Each day here is fruitful,
and thank you very much to Lisa, the
teachers, and the UNT buddies!
PAGE 16
SUMMER 2015
THE ACCP: BEYOND EXPECTATIONS

By Luisa, Alberto, & Jahaziel (2015 UAEM Coordinators)
Whenever you think about the summer experience,
what comes to your mind is smiling, learning and having
fun but it's not easy make them work together. ACCP's
crew has succesfully accomplished both tasks due to its
organization, creativity and expertise.
During this program, not only did our crew challenge
its English language competence but also got to know
American life style through living up its history by
attending dierent enriching cultural and scholar
workshops as well as amazingly organized activities such as
karaoke night, bowling, minute to win it, movie night and
a jazz concert.
From sports to music, we had the chance of enjoying

relevant points of interest for American daily lives such as
watching cowboys and cattle driving at the stockyards,
sightseeing Dallas and its tasteful exhibitions in the
museum of art. As if wasn't enough, we lived the speed of
life in the world of shopping and sports taking some
pictures in the stadium and malls.
Maybe the most important experience of all was
sharing with people from dierent states of this country
and places as far as Italy and China. We gained knowledge
but above all strong friendship. Can you expect more?
Thank you ACCP International Summer Institute! We will
miss you all.
DO YOU HAVE GREAT PHOTOS? SEND THEM TO US!
Thank you, 2015 UNT-International Summer Institute

"
"
"
American Culture & Communication Program participants!

PAGE 17
SUMMER 2015
AUTOGRAPHS...
"
PAGE 18
SUMMER 2015
AUTOGRAPHS...
"
PAGE 19

2015 ACCP Newsletter

Încărcat de

Informații document

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

2015 ACCP Newsletter

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS | UNT-INTERNATIONAL SUMMER INSTITUTE "

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

THANK YOU, UAEM & ECIT COORDINATORS!

2015 UAEM & ECIT Coordinators

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS | UNT-INTERNATIONAL SUMMER INSTITUTE "

2015 ACCP Sta

2015 ACCP Sta

(Bruce Cafeteria General Manager/Chef) Chris

US Culture & Oral Communication

Visit our website, (UNTISummerInstitute.com), like our Facebook page, or connect

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS | UNT-INTERNATIONAL SUMMER INSTITUTE "

LANGUAGE, CULTURE IMMERSION

Faculty English class

Faculty English class participants practice small talk in a speaking line.

As our students can attest, the UNT-International Summer Institute

A portion of the four hours of study also included hands-on, themed

Develop professional skills using English

Practice and improve oral English by

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS | UNT-INTERNATIONAL SUMMER INSTITUTE "

Denton survival guide

In the morning and afternoon workshop classes, students created

US culture mixed media collage

Movie review of Titanic

Brochure about dierent regions in the US

Ling Juice commercial created by Performing Arts Workshop students.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS | UNT-INTERNATIONAL SUMMER INSTITUTE "

FACULTY ENGLISH PROJECTS

Miriams handout on organizational culture

MARTHA ALICIA HERNANDEZ

ALEJANDRO DIB KANAN

The colors in your life and what they

The advantages of a new technique

ARCELIA RODRIGUEZ GARCIA

Alejandros handout on dental implants

The history, types, and process of

Jessy & Griss handout on tips for having a

Karla & Lilis handout on English phrasal

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS | UNT-INTERNATIONAL SUMMER INSTITUTE "

My best class is the

Advice for others who

Yes, this is a terrific

What was your favorite

What was your favorite

What surprised you about

The Dallas World

My favorite class is the

I thought our customs

What was your favorite

Most important thing

What was your favorite

What was your favorite

I love the Stockyards

Its a tie between

The Advanced class

What was your favorite

Advice for others who

Favorite thing about

What was your favorite

Advanced class because

Dont be afraid to use

It has a lot of space.

What was your favorite

Candy (Yuk Ying)

Has your English