Category: Editors Pick

Students at SDSU’s American Language Institute enjoy being on campus for a variety of reasons.

From the teachers at ALI to the lifestyle of San Diego to the activities available, there are plenty of ways to keep students happy during their stay in San Diego.

Natalia Mityushina from Russia has taken classes in ALI’s Intensive English for Communication (IEC), International Business English (IBE), and Social Entrepreneurship (SE) programs.

“I’ve met a lot of great people here,” she said. “The ALI has great instructors who have helped me a lot. I like the atmosphere. The teachers don’t only talk, they listen to what students have to say. ALI attracts wonderful, enthusiastic, and hard-working students who want to communicate as much as possible in school and out of school. It’s a fantastic learning community, where I want to study and work in the future. I’m lucky to be here.”

Hiroki Matsunaga came from Japan to study in the IEC program because he wanted to improve his English in order to become an airline pilot. He attributes his progress toward his goal to the teachers at the ALI.

“They are very kind,” he said. “When I have a question, the teachers will tell me what something means. They all answer me. I like it.”

The weather also appeals to Matsunaga.

“In Japan, the summers are very hot and the winters are very cold,” he said. “It’s very nice in San Diego. The weather is not hot or cold, it’s medium. It’s also a lot less dangerous here than in other American cities.”

Oleksandr Iakovenko, a native of Ukraine, enrolled in the ALI’s Pre-MBA and Pre-Master’s program with hopes of one day obtaining his business MBA.

“The university here is very nice, especially the campus and the teachers,” he said. “The teachers are the best feature of the program; they are great. Everyone here is really kind and willing to help students.”

Students also discover there are plenty of activities through the ALI. Chinese native Yanying “Toto” Deng came to improve her English through the IEC and IBE programs. Little did she know she would stay longer than planned to help improve other people’s lives by taking part in the first Social Entrepreneurship (SE) class at ALI, which focuses on creating businesses that solve social problems.

“We were like a family at the ALI,” she said. “We did a lot of things together. We went to lunch, dinner, hung out together, and traveled to Las Vegas.

“I really liked San Diego,” she added. “I felt very comfortable. I was able to have a more open personality in San Diego. The people were really friendly.”

Sofia Rodriguez of Mexico came to the ALI hoping to improve her English speaking skills and expand her vocabulary through IEC and IBE. Not only did she improve her skills, she also found the SDSU community to be welcoming.

“I liked a lot of things about San Diego State,” she said. “But I think the best thing about it were all of the activities available on campus.”

In addition, Rodriguez found the San Diego community to her liking.

“San Diego is an awesome place,” she said. “Everything is nice … the weather, the people, the beaches. You can hang out with your family or friends. There are many interesting places to visit where you will have fun.”

Fadi Sassine from Lebanon came to ALI at age 37 to improve his digital and internet skills through the IBE program.

“I like the entire family of SDSU,” he said. “You can go to the pool, watch kids play basketball, play football (soccer), or go to the gymnasium. It’s not only an educational institution, it’s a lifestyle.”

 

When Kyoung Seon Na attends Intensive English for Communication (IEC) classes at SDSU’s American Language Institute, the native of South Korea is always holding a baseball.

“It ain’t over till it’s over,” is written several times on the baseball, a saying made famous by former New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra.

Na, who goes by the nickname “Anna,” is proof that something is never over until it’s over. At age 47, she is the oldest student attending the ALI.

Whenever she starts to feel down, she looks at Berra’s quote on the baseball. It immediately gives her motivation to face the rest of the day.

“I think baseball is life,” Anna said. “Like in baseball, we have so many chances. If we don’t give up, we always have a chance to win.”

Anna was recommended to the ALI by her son, a sophomore psychology major at SDSU who attended Torrey Pines High School north of campus while living with a host family. She believes she has hit a home run at the ALI because the IEC program will help her in three ways:

• She’d like to help children learn how to speak English back home on Jeju Island, the largest island off the coast of the Korean Peninsula.
• She wants to be able to speak English to the grandchildren she hopes to have one day.
• An avid reader, she desires to be able to comprehend books written in English.

“The younger ALI students ask me why I study so hard when I already have a job back home,” said Anna, who taught Japanese and Korean before coming to America. “I tell them this is my last chance in life. It has been on my bucket list to study without working. I made it!”

While checking off an item on her bucket list, Anna continues to check in with her fellow classmates.

“Some of them tell me I’m the same age as their mom,” she said. “I have a close relationship with them, and even share Korean food. I enjoy talking with my younger classmates. It helps me understand what young people are thinking.”

Anna speaks fluent Korean and Japanese, as well as some Portuguese and Chinese. Because of that, she’s able to share with numerous ALI students in their native language.

“I love to study foreign languages,” she said. “Greeting other students in their language is my ice breaker.”

Since breaking the ice at ALI, Anna has made great strides in learning English. In fact, while being interviewed she proudly displays an “ALI Reading Award” she earned.

“I have very special and great teachers at ALI,” she said. “I have taught 25 years and love my job. The teachers here motivate me to study. I really appreciate them.”

In her spare time, Anna appreciates watching Major League Baseball in America. Her favorite player is Korean-born outfielder Hyun Soo Kim of the Baltimore Orioles.

“I love him because he is so positive,” Anna said. “He practices so hard and doesn’t give up. He motivates me in study and in life.”

Just like Hyun Soo Kim, who struggled to make the major leagues, Anna knows it’s never over until it’s over when it comes to improving in life.

When Hiroki Matsunaga heard about SDSU’s American Language Institute it was like music to the ears of someone who has played piano since childhood.

Not only would he learn English as he dreamed of becoming an airline pilot; he would also be close to the Mexican city of Tijuana.

“I want to study English somewhere that is very close to Mexico,” said Matsunaga, who’s enrolled in the Intensive English for Communication (IEC) program at the ALI. “If I want to be a pilot in Japan, I’ll have to pass a company exam. Then, I’ll have to pass a very difficult English exam.”

Since the age of 6, he has desired to be an airline pilot. Why?

“When my family was in an airport in Hawaii, I met an airline pilot wearing a suit,” he answered. “When he asked my name in English, my parents and grandparents had taught me to say, ‘my name is Hiroki Matsunaga.’ I was very impressed with the pilot and wanted to be like him.”

In order to be like the pilot, Matsunaga said it’s imperative that he do well during his two semesters at ALI. The IEC program is focused on speaking and listening, grammar, reading, and writing. IEC provides students the opportunity to practice their skills with teachers, American students, and classroom facilitators.

Before coming to America, Matsunaga was a junior at Sophia University in Tokyo with a Spanish major because of his interest in the Latin American culture and economy.

“In Japanese education, we learn grammar, reading, and writing,” he said. “We do not focus on speaking and listening like we do here at ALI. It has helped me a lot.”

He attributes his progress to his teachers at the ALI.

“They are very kind,” he said. When I have a question, the teachers will tell me what something means. They all answer me. I like it.”

Matsunaga also enjoys the weather in San Diego – much different than what he is accustomed to.

“In Japan, the summers are very hot and the winters are very cold,” he said. “It’s very nice in San Diego. The weather is not hot or cold, it’s medium. It’s also a lot less dangerous here than in other American cities.”

In his spare time, Matsunaga still plays the piano. He’s a big fan of the Japanese band “Sekai no Owari” (End of the World), which is famous in Japan and recently announced its plans to debut internationally with an English language album currently in production and expected to be released next year.

His other favorite pastime is baseball, which he played through elementary, junior high, and high school as an outfielder. While in San Diego, he attended a Major League Baseball game between the San Diego Padres and the Boston Red Sox at Petco Park downtown.

“It was very interesting,” he said. “The stadium is much bigger than the ones in Japan. The players are very powerful. They hit home runs very easily.”

By coming to San Diego and the ALI, Matsunaga has certainly hit a home run in his life.

San Diego State University’s American Language Institute (ALI) is part of SDSU Global Campus, whose motto is “Never Stop Learning.”

ALI student Fadi Sassine is a perfect example of the slogan.

At age 37, the Lebanon native came to ALI a month ago to improve his strategic digital and internet skills through the International Business English (IBE) program.

“I came here for the essence,” Sassine said. “You should never stop learning.”

Sassine studied business and economics at Lebanese University. He spent the next 14 years in Kuwait, five years in the banking industry and nine as a advertising director for the BBDO Advertising Agency.

He had vacationed in California two years ago and thought San Diego would be a perfect place to study.

“We lacked digital and internet skills in the Middle East,” Sassine said. “I decided to resign and go study English to improve my content and writing skills in parallel with the technical. I needed to write English every minute. I wanted to improve myself, which is what I believe in.”

He discovered SDSU and the ALI through a Google search.

“I like the entire family of SDSU,” he said. “You can go to the pool, watch kids play basketball, play football (soccer), or go to the gymnasium. It’s not only an educational institution, it’s a lifestyle.”

After finishing his education in San Diego, Sassine will have the option of either going back to any of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries or Lebanon.

“As a digital marketer, there are a lot of opportunities,” he said. “Generally, whatever you learn and bring from the West can be an added value to any local or international corporate place.

Sassine said he really enjoys the mild weather in San Diego compared to the “microwave” of Kuwait. He also likes American food such as hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries, ice cream, and chocolate.

Most of all, he’s happy to be learning skills necessary to the higher-management level.

“You should always learn and improve yourself, regardless of your age,” he said. “Life can change quickly.”