The English Lounge located at the Ewha Campus Complex (ECC), has settled down with a new coordinator, professor Thomas Webster (English Program Office), and been reorganized as the “ELounge” starting from this semester.
The ELounge, which is serviced by a team of English Program Office (EPO) professors, offers opportunities to talk with English native speakers or fellow students in a relaxing environment. Providing snacks, music, discussion groups and other chances to develop conversation skills, the English Lounge has won affection from students.
On top of this, the new ELounge has ambitiously refurbished events to publicize the Lounge.
One of the major changes is the free tutoring program for Ewha students. Full-time instructors from the EPO will be tutoring English for 15 minute intervals. Students can sign up for any available time through the end of the semester by choosing a tutor and or time on the tutoring board. Receiving advice on English classes from the instructors is also possible.
“I wanted to practice for the TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) speaking section. My friend signed up too, so I think I will be coming here more often,” Lee Soo-hyun (Korean, 4) said.
Lunch time concerts are another new program that will be taking place. According to Webster, the ELounge is open to any musicians who would like to play a short 15 to 30 minute set, including music major students or professors.
ELounge is also organizing an “Art Wall” inside, which will be displaying works made by students currently attending Ewha.
“I think it’s great because there are rarely any opportunities for students to get works exhibited in public,” said Qi Ting-yu (Art, 2), an exchange student from Fudan University in China.
The ELounge is also arranging informal debate clubs to use the lounge for debates on Thursdays.
“We have opened up the ELounge for clubs of almost any kind to have their meetings here,” Webster said. “The only restriction is that they must speak in English and cannot be activities which disturb others.”
To reach out to students, the ELounge is bringing life back to the online club (http://club.cyworld.com/ewhalounge) and Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/elounge).
“We hope that our new programs and look will inspire students to take advantage of the ELounge as it is one of the only non-commercial spaces in the ECC for general student use”, Webster said.