Stetson University has partnered with the ALLEX Foundation to establish new Asian language courses with a goal of expanding to intermediate language courses.
ALLEX Fellow, Stephanie Chung, joins Stetson University from Taiwan this year to offer Mandarin Chinese at Stetson University for the first time.
“I love reading, playing clarinet, and listening to stories about different cultures,” said Chung.
Stephanie Chung received a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.A. in music in Clarinet Performance from Indiana University.
For the second time, Stetson has attracted two Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistants (FLTAs).
As an FLTA, Heba Abou-Khalifa, of Egypt, will teach Arabic at Stetson during academic year 2016-2017. Abou-Khalifa will work remotely with Dr. Emad Hamdeh of Embry-Riddle University to teach Arabic class in a bimodal classroom.
“I have always dreamed of making the world a better place,” said Abou-Khalifa. “I am into social community work, thus, I have been a volunteer for different NGOs in Egypt, and I was responsible for raising people awareness regarding drugs and smoking drawbacks.”
Heba Abou-Khalifa earned a bachelor’s degree in Art and Education in TEFL from Alexandria University, Egypt and a TEFL Advanced Certificate from Eton University and Notting Hill College. She has taught English to young learners and adults and worked as a TOEFL trainer after receiving a Teacher Training Certificate from the American University in Cairo.
Ana Paula Spalenza Pereira from Brazil has joined Stetson in August to teach Portuguese. Pereira was born and raised in Espirito Santo, a state in the southeast region of Brazil. Pereira is working with Dr. Pamela Cappas-Toro’s to offer Portuguese 101 for the first time. The course is open to all students.
“From a young age, I have always been passionate and enthusiastic about different languages and cultures throughout the world, with a particular interest in American life,” said Pereira.
A self-motivated learner, she achieved a high level of proficiency in English language without any substantial formal education.
Pereira brings formal teaching experience in EFL/ESL, where she has taught numerous English language classes to learners of various ages.
“I am enthusiastic and eager to engage with students and hopefully instill within them the openness and cultural exchange that the Fulbright program stands for,” Pereira said.
Ana Paula Spalenza Pereira earned a bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from the Federal University of Espirito Santo – UFES.
For more information on the ALLEX and FLTA programs at Stetson University, contact [email protected].