Leap-ing to better skills

Abiya Ahmad writes about the English language programme for high school students at the American University of Sharjah

Summers in the UAE can be a drag at times, but most students try to utilise the time in one way or another.

While some join summer camps or sports clubs, others prefer to take computer courses, learn a new language or brush up on the school curriculum in advance.

But a blend of academics and fun is what can really make the holidays worthwhile. And so they have been for 32 youngsters, who recently completed the Leap programme at the American University of Sharjah (AUS).

Leap, which stands for Learn English in an American Programme, is a four-week summer course offered to high school students entering either grade 11 or 12.

Instructors from the Intensive English Programme (IEP) division at AUS conduct the course, which involves five hours of class-time daily and regular outdoor activities.

Mark Algren, Director of IEP, told Notes that Leap is divided into four main components.

Core part

The first of these is the core class, where students spend two hours each day in language study, and learn grammar, listening, reading and speaking skills.

The other three modules are laboratories: the video laboratory, where students watch movies and answer questions related to them, the computer laboratory, where they learn basic computing skills and the reading laboratory, which is designed to give students extensive reading experience.

According to Algren, this is one of the most vital aspects of the course.

"A lot of students don't like to read, but they're made to sit quietly and read by themselves every day for 50 minutes," he said, "and this is important because many of them will eventually study in a university, and they need to be good readers for that."

The programme also familiarises students with what it's like to be in a university setting, which is "a little bit less structured than high school", said Algren.

Through Leap, which has now been running successfully for eight years, students are taught how to work independently on projects, as well as in groups.

Not work intensive

But the course is not all work and no play. Trips are scheduled in the afternoons and on weekends, which include both educational and leisure activities.

This summer, students made visits to the Sharjah Natural History Museum and Wildlife Park, the Mahatta Aviation Museum in Sharjah, the Dubai Museum, and Emirates Towers.

They also went on an abra (water ferry) ride on the Dubai Creek, participated in a 10-kilometre walk every Monday evening, and went bowling and ice-skating.

According to Brian Skelton, an IEP instructor who has been conducting LEAP since 1999, these activities are a key element because "they connect us as a community".

He added that the theory they learn in classes is undoubtedly important, but it's during these outings that students make an effort to communicate in English.

At the graduation ceremony, Hadef Al Daheri from Al Ain told Notes that the "activities were a lot of fun and helped me in making friends".

Greater comfort with language

The grade 12 student added that he felt more comfortable with his English skills and could now carry off a conversation in the language easily.

Indeed, self-confidence is a fundamental aim of the programme, noted Leo Schmitt, another IEP instructor. "At the end of the course students are more independent and feel they can use English confidently," he said.

Talal Al Took, a Saudi Arabian national grade 12 student who gave a speech on behalf of the graduating class, said: "The best part about Leap is the quality of education."

He thanked everyone involved in the programme, asserting that the experience was a memorable one.

"I recommend this programme to everyone," said Kawther Hani from Kuwait. "Brian's classes were so much fun, and I improved my reading habit during the course," she said.

A guide

Through the computer laboratory component, students have produced booklets with their pictures in it, a biography and interviews with the IEP instructors.

They also include information about activities and field trips, and each student will take one home as a souvenir.

IEP instructor Olivia Riordan, who supervised this project, said she was "very thankful" to have been a part of Leap, and delighted that students gain so much from the course.

Students from a variety of nationalities participated in Leap this year.

Commenting on cultural barriers, Skelton said that in earlier years, students would hardly mix with those from other countries, but now "the wall has definitely come down".

A significant number of Leap students enrol at AUS, said Algren. "It's a very positive experience, and students grow a lot not just in the confidence and knowledge of English, but in their own independence and self-reliance."

Asked what students should particularly concentrate on when developing their English skills, he smiled and said there is a one-word answer: "Read."

For more information, visit www.aus.edu/cas/leap.

The writer is a mass communications student and editor of the university newspaper at the American University of Sharjah