CHAMPAIGN, Ill. The Intensive English Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is hoping to recruit dozens of friendly local residents who would like to host visiting Japanese and Korean college students in Champaign-Urbana this summer.
Students from Korea Maritime University (Pusan) will be on campus for three weeks in July, and Japanese students from Konan (Kobe), Senshu and Dokkyo (Tokyo) universities will be in residence for four weeks in August while they study the English language and American culture at the institute.
Hosts, either families, couples or single people, are needed to spend a few hours a week with one or more of the students, so that the students can meet people outside the classroom and practice their English while sharing common, everyday activities, such as meals, shopping, sports, county and state fairs, or movies.
In the past, hosts have reported that they thoroughly enjoy spending time with the students and that the experience allows them to learn more about other countries and lifestyles.
Anyone interested in being a host should contact Stan Van Horn at the Intensive English Institute, at (217) 333-6598 or at svanhorn@staff.uiuc.edu.