Language Thread - An Innovative English Immersion Program to Advance Oral Proficiency

Language Thread – An Innovative English Immersion Program to Advance Oral Proficiency.

Dorly Piske
Colleen Craig-Davis

We describe the intensive English Immersion program, organized between 2016 and 2019 by a team of U.S. language professionals invited by the State University Goiás (UEG), as part of a more cost-effective institutional initiative for internationalization at home.

A group of faculty members from various UEG campuses across the state of Goiás
was brought together with a group of U.S. English speakers for a week long program, in the city of Pirenóplis GO, to establish connections amongst themselves and with US native speakers in a dynamic, participatory experience. Participants engaged full-time in creative, open-ended activities and meaningful conversations with the U.S. facilitators in a non-traditional, retreat-style setting and enjoyed a personal cross-cultural experience that fosters lasting relationships. In this environment, participants build confidence to express themselves in English, enhance their comprehension of spoken English, expand vocabulary and improve oral grammar.

In this presentation, we will provide an overview of the structure of the program, such as typical daily schedule and examples of activities, and discuss program outcomes. These include feedback from both the U.S. facilitators and the UEG participants.

The program is reproducible and, by its flexible nature, also adaptable to meet the needs and interests of other institutions. Presenters will make available information for other institutions to access this resource.