English Language for University Studies Welcomes Record Number of Students
Professor Silvia Ammary and a group of ENLUS students
John Cabot University’s English Language for University Studies (ENLUS) welcomed a record number of students for Fall 2017, a total of 77 students in three different levels. The latest ENLUS class is also the most diverse to date, with students hailing from 15 countries: Spain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Cameroon, Qatar, Albania, Poland, Russia, Italy, Philippines, Ethiopia, Peru, Ukraine, and Gambia.
Director of the English Language for University Studies program Professor Silvia Ammary commented on the uniqueness of the program.
What distinguishes ENLUS from other English language courses in Rome?
Three main factors make ENLUS special: the academic focus of the course, its intensive nature, and the amount of individual feedback that students get from their instructors.
Can you describe the teaching methods you employ?
ENLUS uses the most up-to-date methods and materials to teach the various language skills. We use the communicative approach which puts the student at the center of the learning experience. In addition, students enhance their learning through music, literature, newspaper articles, films, debates, oral presentations, and a lot of guided in and out-of-class assignments.
What are the challenges of teaching such a diverse group, with so many different native languages?
Of course, there are many challenges when teaching a multicultural class, mainly in attempting to create a sense of understanding and empathy among students from different parts of the world. We always try to bring the students’ differences and experiences to the classroom, so that students understand each other and learn from their differences. It is also very important to explain to them how the American educational system works, and how they can use their cultural diversity as a strength. From my experience in teaching ENLUS multicultural classes, prejudices that exist in the outside world are virtually non-existent in the classroom, which is quite reassuring.
Are most of the students in ENLUS planning to apply to JCU?
Generally, most of the students take ENLUS because they want to pursue an education at JCU. However, we have students who take ENLUS because they want to improve their English for professional or personal reasons. We can say that ENLUS is open to anyone who wants to take a quality leap in their academic English.
