Japanese students study English language and culture at ACU

Thirty Japanese high school students and two adult sponsors arrived on the Abilene Christian University campus July 13 to learn about American culture and language. For three weeks, the selected Junior-level students from Ibaraki Christian High School (ICHS) will live and learn in West Texas.

These students have been attending classes on Advanced Conversation, American Culture and American composition skills. The classes demonstrate the differences between the organizational styles in American and Japan.

ACU students are also participating in the learning experience for the Japanese students. The college students not only tutor the high school students, they accompany them on organized extracurricular activities such as museum visits, horse back riding, miniature golf, shopping and other West Texas experiences.

In 1995, Dr. Jeff Haseltine, associate professor in the Department of Foreign Language and assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at ACU, and Randy Voss, ICHS program sponsor and English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher who has lived in Ibaraki for many years, began this program.

"The impact of the program over the years has been life-changing for the Japanese students who come here, as well as for the ACU students who work with them," said Haseltine. "A good number of ICHS students who come here for the three-week summer program return a year or two later as full-time students at ACU in a broad range of majors."

On July 18, a special tree dedication ceremony was held honoring one of the first students who participated in the program. This ICHS student had a strong desire to return to ACU when she graduated, but died in her last year of high school, said Haseltine. A Japanese Maple was planted on the east side of the Campus Center as a symbol of the program partnership and the special ties that join the two schools.

If you are a member of the media who would like more information about this release, please contact ACU's Public Relations Office or call (325) 674-2696.