Two Fathers and Tian: The ELI Experience

By Doug House B.A., M.Div., adjunct professor ELI

Professor House, Tianbo Zhang, Fr. Grzegorz Kordek, and ELI instructor K. L. Howling

During this past summer, international students once again joined the University of Bridgeport’s English Language Institute (ELI) to work on strengthening their English language skills. ELI serves in assisting with reading, writing, and speaking, and this summer the program hosted two participants: Tianbo Zhang from China, and Fr. Grzegorz Kordek, a Franciscan friar from Poland.

I have worked with the ELI program for four years, and I have come to enjoy the teaching experience in so many ways. Over the years, ELI has hosted international students from various countries for the opportunities that the program offers. This summer, the two students and I discovered that there were cultural elements that brought us close together while digging into the study of English.  We each had come from different parts of the world, having shared in different life experiences, and yet so much happened throughout the semester that united us in more than just the study of English.

During a casual conversation, I asked if either of the two played a musical instrument. They both indicated that they played the guitar, although they confessed that they were limited in their ability. I am a guitar player as well, so on two occasions we worked on studying the English language while the three of us played and sang songs by Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and The Grateful Dead, as well as other American music icons. Through music, and specifically through the lyrics we sang, discussions evolved about American history, the Vietnam War, and the Civil Rights movements of the 1960’s as well as current events. The students were using their English to learn about American culture, this time through the gift of music.

Zhang and Kordek with their certificates from UB's English Language Institute

On another occasion, I had prepared a lesson plan for a certain morning which was never used. As the three of us gathered together that day, a discussion evolved about religion. As Fr. Greg arrived for class daily in his “habit,” the usual clothing of a Franciscan friar, questions arose about the rope he wore around his waist. He explained that the three knots represented the three vows he had taken to become a friar. That conversation gave rise to yet another: the differences and similarities between Roman Catholics and Protestants. As I am a Protestant clergyman and I teach World Religion at the university, I was thrilled to share in these particular conversations with a Roman Catholic friar and a Chinese student whose knowledge of religion was somewhat limited. Through it all, the two were using English to ask questions, express opinions, and enhance their verbal ability.

Over the years, I have come to appreciate the fact that students learn in different ways. Throughout this past summer’s ELI experience, two students and one instructor came to learn from and about each other. In the final analysis, the use of the English language was enhanced, friendships were kindled, and just perhaps the world came to be a bit smaller for all three of us.

Professor House

I joined the University of Bridgeport in the fall of 1998, having been hired to teach Public Speaking. Since then, I have taught numerous Mass Communication courses as well as courses in Western Religion, Sociology, and English. In recent years, I began working with international students enrolled in the ELI program. Over the years, I have enjoyed working with the students and faculty of UB. I've discovered that teaching here has opened many doors for me. On three different occasions, for instance, the university has sent me to teach at Wuhan University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China. It has always been a joy to enter the classrooms at UB, because the truth is that teaching here each day continues to offer something new.