News release Public Information Office   SLU 10880   Hammond, LA 70402   phone: 985-549-2341   fax: 985-549-2061 publicinfo@selu.edu     www.selu.edu/news Contact: Rene Abadie Date: 2/28/03   Click on image for publication quality photo Catarina Uribe of Bogata proudly accepts her diploma upon completing a seven-week program on English as a Second Language from Southeastern Louisiana University President Randy Moffett. Uribe was one of 36 Latin American professionals who completed the program at Southeastern. LATIN AMERICAN STUDENTS GRADUATE IN ESL TRAINING PROGRAM       HAMMOND – It was a relatively small commencement ceremony by the standards of Southeastern Louisiana University where the usual number of graduates each semester numbers above 1,000.       But the 36 Latin American students beamed with just as much pride as any other graduate on the campus. They had just received their diplomas after completing a seven-week intensive course in English as a Second Language (ESL)       The students – 35 from Colombia and one from Costa Rica – were busy trying out their new language skills following the ceremony Tuesday afternoon at the university’s Alumni Center. Their 345 hours of study included working in the new digital foreign language laboratory, participating in other courses and programs and interacting with their U.S. student counterparts at a number of social events on campus.       “You have enriched our lives and those of our students, just as we hope we have enriched yours,” said Southeastern President Randy Moffett prior to handing out the diplomas. “You have helped open our eyes to your part of the world. While we share many common values, we have different language, cultures and tradition. Your presence here has helped bridge those cultural divides.”       Moffett said the training program is the first of what the university anticipates will be many more ESL programs for students throughout the world.       “These students are all professionals – medical doctors, lawyers, engineers, journalists, elected officials – who are seeking to gain a level of proficiency in English,” explained Aristides R. Baraya, director of Southeastern’s Center for Latin American Business and Development Initiatives.       The program was sponsored by the Southeastern International Initiatives Office and the Division of Continuing Education in cooperation with the University of Cundinamaraca, the largest university in Colombia. It was another in a series of educational cooperative ventures between Southeastern and Latin American countries. The university has previously provided business and commerce training for young Colombian business leaders and marketing programs for Kuna Indian artisans from Panama.       “Before I came here, the only English I knew was ‘1-2-3-4-5’ and no more,” said Catarina Uribe of Bogata, as she counted the numbers off her fingers.        A managing editor with Bogata’s El Tiempo newspaper, Uribe said she found the students and staff at Southeastern to be very friendly and open to her and her Latin American colleagues. “We visited most with the Spanish Club; we practiced our English and they practiced Spanish.”       “We did not know each other when we came here, and we did not know any English; but the teachers were very … patient,” she said, searching briefly for the proper word. “We will go back to our country and continue to develop our English.”       During their stay in the country, many of the students took side trips to Houston, New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Orlando, Fla. Uribe said her group visited the NASA space center in Houston and Disney World in Florida.       Baraya, a native of Colombia himself, said the Latin American students also attended several classes in business and other fields at Southeastern. “It was a rich cultural experience for them as well as for the many Southeastern students and faculty who interacted with them.”       He said the visiting students rated the university highly on evaluations that asked about the campus, their living conditions, and quality of instruction.       In addition to the International Initiatives Office, others assisting in the program were the Department of Foreign Languages and the Office of International Admissions.       Southeastern’s growing international program includes educational partnerships with foreign universities and specially designed training programs for international groups, often with the assistance of agencies such as the Inter-American Development Bank and the Organization of American States. In addition, Southeastern offers a wide variety of study abroad opportunities in a number of Latin American and European countries. Return to News Releases