There are several important important changes in the GEO program this Spring Semester. These changes were in response to a fuller appreciation of the needs of the GEO students, as well as a move to utilize the resources made available to the program. One such change is the creation of the Conversation Club, which is exclusively for the GEO students.
The Conversation Club sign-up/schedule board at the Global Lounge
The Conversation Club is meant to reinforce the existing GEO classes that are held twice a week (i.e. Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday) by providing complementary lessons in English. All GEO students have to sign up for one Conversation Club, which runs for one hour a week for the whole semester. Each club is facilitated by Masters-level student/teaching assistants from the Philippines (i.e. "Filipino TAs" or "FTAs"). Each club is composed of 5 to 7 students and one FTA. The students are asked to suggest what kind of lessons they want to focus on each week, which the FTA will facilitate. While these lessons are devised to improve the students' English communication skills, they are also quite enjoyable.
Ricky Rosit and the Conversation Club students in action
Taking advantage of the brand-new facilities at the International Hub Building, the TA/facilitator and GEO students can use the Conversation Club as an avenue to improve their English communication skills in a fun way. One such activity was facilitated by Ricky Rosit, a graduate of English Literature in the Philippines and currently pursuing his MA in International Relations at CUK while serving as TA under GEO. One of the activities in Ricky's club involves two groups of students. One group of students have their backs in front of the monitor where a photo is being projected. Using pens and papers, the first group has to draw the photo on the screen ---without having to look at it--- based on the descriptions given by the second group who have the benefit of seeing the picture. This activity can last for 15 to 20 minutes, thus, both groups will have a chance to reverse positions using a new photo.
Conversation Clubs can make use of the facilities in the new International Hub Building
A photo of a couple walking. The students can be very vivid in their descriptions ---i.e. color, length, cut, style of the dress, accessories; height, build, complexion, disposition of the people, etc.
One group has to draw the picture.
Another group has to describe the picture.
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