Interview with:
Exchange programs:
successful person ‘the famous photograph ‘Omar Safouane :
EARTH DAY
IRC Got talent:
T
at reaching cross cultural relationship between Algeria and USA based on mutual understanding, exchange and love. It started as a writing project by talented, ambitious young people who met in the IRC and aspire at producing something beautiful to IRC members in particular, and to all readers in general. The BRIDGE has a cultural, educational, and sociological perspective. Our goal is to strengthen the liaison between the Algerians and the Americans through introducing these two nations to each other. In addition, we aim to emphasize the wonderful similarities between Algeria and the US, whether in
be able to climb the scale of development with an open mind and a clear vision. You may wonder from where we get to call it so. Actually, we were looking for a label that describes Algeria as well the USA, and in the meanwhile expresses the tendency of the magazine. Thanks to an inspiring reading to Malek Hadad and Ahlam Mustghanmi, famous Algerian novelists, who mentioned many times the bridges in their writing as a notion symbolizing Algeria, and their bond to their country, we thought about calling it the bridge. Finally, the presence of this word in so many American writings such as Hart Cran, The bridge 1930 , got us to arrive at agreeing on the title. The Bridge is a work of talented young people who have experience in the journalistic work, whether as writers, designers, photographers, or translators. However, we are not that professional but trying to be so to deliver worth reading materials. The Bridge is an initiation undertaken by us, The BRIDGE family, that is the sort of a personal effort produced out of inspiration and creativity. Earth day is the selected as the main theme of this number . As we understand the importance of iniof protecting the environment was all around Algeria this year. Several initiatives had been taken in the honor of our mother, Earth. The trash hero was one of the best initiatives the US Embassy sponsored. The reaction of the Algerian people was great. Some of them participated and the rest of them encouraged and supported the idea.We are thankful to the communication service of the Embassy for allowing us to use IRC event as themes of The Bridge, and to IRC stuff for their help and support. We promise you to meet your optimistic expectations. On behalf of the Bridge Family. The coeditors of the BRIDGE: Chelabi Ilhem Zouaghi Sabrina.
Table of Contents Rubric IRC : Conversation Café American state with Mike Let’s Chat Teaching Art Irc book club Cocktail Discussion Let’s start Poetry Club Lyric and Songs Teaching Webinar Cooking class IRC Got talent My Experience in the IRC
Rubric society Intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding Earth Day: Eco-green Interview with successful person ‘the famous photograph ‘Omar Safouane Photos of the bridge’s photographer ‘KARIM’ Algerian American successful person Doctor Elias ZERHOUNI Rubric culture : Education in the USA Exchange programs The Us Algeria Strategies Short story 02 tom My experience teaching English TED conferences
Rubric culture : Education in the USA Exchange programs The Us Algeria Strategies Short story 02 tom My experience teaching English TED conferences
IRC is a space where students, workers, and persons of different social classes can meet and exchange ideas. The common points between all IRC members are the deep love for the English language, the American culture, traditions, and history. This place is from the IRC members to the IRC members. Therefore, anyone can easily feel the gentle atmosphere of brotherhood and love. The IRCies (IRC members) spend hours and hours approaching various topic, arguing out in exciting debates, participating in friendly conversations by giving different opinions, and exchanging information. The member’s initiatives are warmly welcomed and their ideas are quickly programmed in the form of activities
Conversation CafĂŠ:
American state with Mike :
is aTopic- discussion activity led by me, Soumati Karim, whereby We treat all kind of topics, Whether global issues or local ones, for example : political matters , social problems , health care , communication, body language techniques...etc. The most important thing in Conversation cafe is to create a good atmosphere, to communicate, to exchange ideas and arguments in a funny way, and to take our shyness away. We try also to learn how we can use smartness and critical thinking to solve problems. In the same time we practice our English and we correct each other’s mistakes .Personally, I advise each person who wants to learn English in short period of time to join the IRC group. He will never regret it. S.K is a cultural activity presented by Mr. Mike Murfy along with an American guest from the discussed state. Mike displays a video about a particular state to the audience. The discussion would run between the audience , the guest and Mike. The audience has the opportunity to ask different questions about the state and all what they are curious about. It introduces the members to the historical background of the fifty two states and how America arrived to be the united states of America, its traditions, customs, and accents. It is a trip that each IRC member enjoys taking with Mike to the heart of the USA.
Let’s Chat : is a discussion based activity with an honor guest, usually an American VIP. In the let’s chat activity, IRC members enjoy the opportunity of exchanging their ideas with the guest and tackling different global matters via asking and answering questions.
Teaching Art : is a series of topics about teaching English as a second languages. IT addresses the members who are English language students or interested in the field of teaching. It tackled five major themes in TEFL, teaching English as a foreign language. The themes are: learning styles and strategies, motivation in the classroom, instructional communication, and contextualization. The topics were presented in a special way, where the audience would be exposed to different technics themselves without realizing it. It was organized in the form of activitie. I concluded by a workshop, the theme of the workshop was design a warm up activity for a lesson. The guest of honor of the workshop was Mr. Mike murphy who was generous enough to serve us with his ideas and teaching experience. The audience designed warm up activities according to the four skills; speaking, writing, reading and listening. Teaching Art will be held again next year.
Irc book club : is a reading club where IRC members (ircbookers) can meet and discuss a reading theme. The aim of the club is invoking the habit of reading and in the same time the ability to read in English. It aims as well to address serious topic to raise awareness and enlarge one’s culture. In addition to that, reading in English helps improving the language. The club is not like the ordinary reading clubs, the members enjoy multiple reading activities and they practice visualized reading i.e.: the members are up to draw what they imagined symbolically during reading. The system of the club is simple and interesting. All the members are welcome to join us. The members read a topic than discuss it and eventually present it in front of the audience. The first reading topic was “letter from Birmingham jail” written by Martin Luther King which was read and discussed by IRCBOOKERS than they presented it to the audience.
Cocktail Discussion : is one of the IRC's activities organized by a fellow volunteer (me) Mehdi Zerara. It is a suitable activity for those who are interested in discussing their ideas in English. Every week numerous people come to talk about a specific topic and acquire anew vocabulary. Its positive atmosphere that is connecting its diverse members characterizes this conversation. Whether a person's English level is excellent or less, there is always a seat available. After tackling a specific topic, we try to take actions in field by organizing a volunteering outing.
Let’s start : The activity is a list of questions regarding world wide music. We participate by answering the questions, expand to a friendly conversation by giving different opinions, and exchanged information about musical styles, famous singers and musical instruments. ISHAK DJELMANE
Poetry Club: Does Ms. Delia Dunlup lead a literal club. This teaches the members some technics of writing poems and enjoy the trip to the world of fine expression through the different work of famous American poets,. The members as well try to produce their own artistical work along with Delia.
Lyric and Songs: Is musical activity led by Mike Murfy who introduces the members to a son. Than the members try to discuss its lyric togather. Its main aim is to acquire more English vocabulary in the less tensed way. Irc members enjoy listening to the song and the music, and Sometimes they sing together.
Teaching Webinar : Is an online activity focusing on teaching field , the methods , procedures and the materials. The session are held every fifteen days in the Irc. The Irc members join the computer seats and start their tutoring sessions online interacting with others in the world. The activity online is presented by professors for two hours. The attendance of the activity is certified after the member register his / her presence at least four times out of six.
Cooking class: Is a cooking activity led by Houssem through which the members learn new cooking skills and recipes. They practice the art of cooking in the kitchen of the Embassy where they cook the recipe learnt in the session and enjoy eating the meal all together in a warm , family environment. The Activity shows food variety and differences between the American cuisine and the Algerian one.
IRC Got talent: IRC got talent is an entertaining contest organized by IRC, whereby, IRC members (IRCies) had the chance to demonstrate their capacities and perform their talents live to the audience. Fourteen members enjoyed the lights on the stage; their shows were variable; individual and bond singing, playing a musical instrument, acting comedy, sport, poetry and a story telling. .Suellen Reece animated it along with The IRC member, Sabrina Zouaghi. IRC got talent had the honor of the presence of the Ambassador Mrs. Polechesk along with other diplomats of the US Embassy, and IRC stuff. The talents were evaluated by the Honor Jury which was composed of the following personage: Mike Murfy, Sellami HamdI.The winners were Djeddi Sarah, Kerassi Mustafa, Zeghmati Sami, Tighilt Amina, Salhi Khalifa, and Hadad Zakaria. They will compete in the fall with the other winners in American centers in Algeria. It is true that it was a competition but the spirit of family and friendship was all over the place, forming a lovable atmosphere full of amusement and laughter. The IRC got talent was the first of its type in IRC, and hopefully not the last.
My Experience in the IRC: As a brief starter, I am Hanaa, and I am a 16 year old girl. I was born and raised in America, and spent my entire childhood living there, so I am familiar with the American culture and way of life, despite the fact that my parents are Algerian. Anyways, my purpose in this article is to tell you, the cunning reader, about my experience ere in the IRC in the American Embassy of Algiers. I can not really remember the date of my first day, but I think it was somewhere around March. I pushed open the heavy door for the first time and I walked in, awkwardly. I was a bit shy. Frankly, I was extremely shy. There were a plethora of unknown faces and eyes just looking at me. I did not know whether I was to greet these people, or just wait until someone would try to get to know me. Well, I chose the second option. I sat there stupidly, I hoping that no one would come and talk to me since everyone was way older than me and would think of me as an immature little pipsqueak, which is what I actually am compared to everyone there. Well, my prayer seemingly was not accept, and I had a few people talk to me. Shocked, they were all extremely friendly towards me. Why was I shocked? Well because I did not have that much pleasing experience talking with adults here in Algeria, since they address the youth as not mature as much as they are. I conversed with people who were much older than me and I felt really comfortable talking to them. This had encouraged me to come again another time, and this kind of came as a shock to my parents because I don’t usually go to places like that. As I started to attend the IRC more often, I met more and more people and became familiar with the people there. Now, thankfully, I have made a lot of new friends there and I go there to visit them and meet others that I still haven’t met. Overall, I am extremely thankful to have had attended the IRC and I hope that I will stay there with my friends for a long time.
Intercultural dialogue mutual understanding:
and
communities is no longer regarded as an evil that threatens the unity of the nation. On the contrary, in a developed society, it is considered as a value added, a wealth, a source of innovation, and even as a guarantor of the sustainability of its power. Exchange, diversity, cultural and social pluralism is increasingly felt in contemporary societies. In societies marked by conflicts and lack of communication, dialogue and mutual understanding among individuals, and religions are a crucial need to improve their present’s situation and to be less anxious about the future of next generations. Diversity should be seen as a precious source of richness and advancement in order to avoid the spread of fanaticism and hatred.
Social Phobia, More Stomach Butterflies:
than
Have you ever felt embarrassed when eating or drinking in public? Do you usually get stressed when talking with important people or authority figures? Are you that kind of person who hates being the center of attention? If the answer is YES, then you probably suffer from Social Phobia. What is Social Phobia? Social Phobia or social anxiety disorder is a chronic mental health condition. It involves a tendency of fear of social situations in which you may be surrounded by people or judged by them. When thinking about these situations, you may feel frightened to the point of trying to find any possible way to avoid these social interactions. How is it diagnosed? Feeling shy or uncomfortable in some situations is not really a sign of social phobia because it is normal to feel nervous in some social situations such as having a job interview or giving a presentation. However, the symptoms of this phenomenon may be wider than that little shyness. Actually, psychologists have divided those symptoms into emotional and behavioral signs and physical signs.
Emotional and behavioral signs are diverse, yet they can include a continual feeling of fear that others will notice. It will be very obvious that you are anxious. /personal assessment of your performance or interaction with people/ Non-stop concern that you will offend someone is also included. The other sort of symptoms that occurs with social disorder sufferers is physical which may include fast heart beats, upset stomach, blushing, trouble catching your breath, and dizziness. If you start fearing daily social situations and interactions because they may cause discomfort, worry, or panic, you really should see a doctor or a mental health provider for this type of anxiety because they will disrupt your life, cause stress, and affect your daily activities. How can Social Phobia be treated? Social anxiety disorder is commonly treated by either psychotherapy or certain types of medication. However, some people may find relief through trying some self-help techniques. Psychotherapy is a very effective method of treatment specifically speaking cognitive behavioral treatments CBTs. Most CBTs are administrated within 16 sessions. At the end of the treatment, anxiety symptoms are greatly reduced or even disappeared in some cases. There are also other psychological treatments which have shown a remarkable effectiveness. These treatments include social training alone, relaxation exercises, and some other types of practiced forms of psychotherapy. In addition to psychotherapy treatment, medical treatment also plays a huge role to remedy social anxiety disorder. The primary class of drugs used to treat this phobia is called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors SSRIs. These drugs were first developed to treat depression, so they are often known as antidepressants. However, they have been found effective in the treatment of a wider range of disorders including social anxiety disorder. These medications generality take 6 to 8 weeks in order to start feeling the full therapeutic effects of them. Self-help techniques are also beneficial since they require neither psychotherapy sessions nor medical treatments. These techniques are used so as to control the concerned disorder. Though these techniques are adopted from CBTs, they are practiced outside of formal psychotherapy. Practicing self-breathing exercises, taking baby steps forward, and listening to your self-talk or inner voice are believed to be the most common self-help techniques which received a perspicuous success in controlling social phobia.
EARTH DAY
Earth Day: Earth Day is a day dedicated to the environmental health of our planet. It is celebrated in the United States and many other countries around the world with programs designed to educate people about Earth’s environment and threats cause by human toward the environment. Activities intended to improve the environment also take place. This Day is most often held on April 22, but some people start the celebration on March 21, the first day of spring. Activities surrounding Earth Day continue for weeks or months. Its historical background goes back to 1970 when the Senator Gaylord Nelson thought of establishing a nationwide demonstration in support of Earth’s environment. Nelson, therefore, is considered as the founder of Earth Day. On the first Earth Day in 1970 as many as 20 million Americans in schools and communities across the country participated in rallies and demonstrations on behalf of theEarth. In New York City, Mayor John Lindsay closed Fifth Avenue to automobile traffic, and thousands of people attended a fair on ecology in Central Parkrated. Algeria as well celebrated Earth day by launching a competition in association with The United State Embassy, Trash Hero, where, young people from different wilya went
out cleaning public style and using the trash to make artistic pieces . The competition was the first of its type in Algeria.The initiation was inspiring to the youth, and many groups participated and created artistic works.
The information resource center in The U.S. Embassy hosted The Ambassador Jon Poltchesk for Let’s Chat activity. The Ambassador introduced Earth day to the members discussing the importance of protecting the environment and the different measurement that the individual can take to save it clean and healthy. The Irc members had the pleasure of offering a tree to be plant in the Embassy symbolizing Growth and development. They enjoyed the Company of the Ambassador and her enlightening ideas
Eco-green : Echo technology is a new applied science that seeks to cover man’s need with minimal damages to the environment. In other word, it is the scientific trial to minimize the negative side of the use of technology or find other harmless alternatives. This later is considered as Green Technology or eco-friendly technology such as using solar panels, or intoxicated gas, recycling…etc This field is at progress with the innovative ideas some people are coming up with, for instance: shoes generating energy from walking!” During Eco technics '95 - International Symposium on Ecological Engineering in Östersund, Sweden, the participants agreed on the definition: “Eco technics is defined as the method of designing future societies within ecological frames.” Wikipedia. It is true that Echo technology is a specialty and an entire study to take however it doesn’t spare people-us- from going friendly( green) with our environment. We do not need to invent smart tools to keep the nature clean and safe. All what we need is to environmentlize! (New verb for the context) our behavior and attitude toward our mother Earth. Keeping the garbage in the basket, using non plastic package, planting trees, doing awareness companies are simple ideas that may change our lives.Green technology is newly born field which must be elaborated more with the same pace of other fields. I invite Algerian youth and innovators to work more on this scope. So, let’s go green.
Interview with successful person ‘the famous photograph ‘Omar Safouane :
1) Who is Omar Sefouane : Omar Sefoune is an Algerian photographer. He lived a wonderful story with camera for 25 years .And throughout this period of time, photography gave him all what he aspired at; still offering the best to this carrier. 2) Who is Omar Sefoune away from photography: Besides photography,Omar Sefouane has another passion for cooking and as he said: “ I consider cooking as my second passion after photography, and if you asked my friends who is in charge of cooking they will definitely tell you that Omar is our guy”
3) Where did Omar Sefouane start his story with photography? A lot of people do not know that Omar is’ a self-made’ photographer as a travelling photographer .initially, I started selling my photos and trying to improve my skills in this field. It was hard to start this career in the nineteen’s since it was a sensitive era in the history of Algeria, which made it difficult to advance in the field of Journalism whether as a Reporter or as Photographer. 4) With whom did Omar Sefouane work? Like the majority of photographers, I started working with newspapers by selling my photos and with time, I was solicited by international press. I meet important figures like: Bonehem , Pele. I published my photos in Paris match; actually I am the reporter of Jeune Afrique Magazine and famous personalities in the world. I covered the most important events in Algeria. Now, I am working for Ooredoo. I work as well with so many important companies who trust me, for instance one of the biggest in the world which is General Electric. 5) What was your first camera? Oh my God, it was Practica camera, it was very hard to use it because all the adjustments were manual and we used the film. But after getting new device (digital device) I find it easy to handle the work. However, the old device has a special feeling when you use it. No matter the quality of the device is, the most important in photography is the view of each photographer that tells a special story and a unique one to the photographer. 6) Can we say that Omar Sefouane is one of the most successful photographer? No never! For me the photography is an endless discovery. You always need to calculate the speed, the diaphragm, flash, and how to combine between these adjustments. A good photographer needs to be smart and fast in his/her reactions. 7) What does success mean to you? Success to me is to accomplish your mission and to make your client - I don’t like this word client but I prefer your partner- ha ppy and satisfied of the result depending on what he/ she prefer. 8) What is the event that effected in Omar Sefouane ? The first was Bab El Ouad’s Natural catastrophe in 2001. We stayed during eight days with sinister to cover the event; we were highly touched by the solidarity spirit between people while trying to help each other survive. The second one was the qualification of world cup 2010. It was a great joy for the Algerians who suffered, and I saw an amount of tears I have never seen in my life. I even shed some. These happy moments gave hope to people. 9) Did you participate in Photography expositions? Yes, I did like every ambitious photographer. Each one of us (photographers) needs to compete to assess his level, I had won the second award in the Algerian press competition as an independent, and it was an honor for me. And in 2005 - 2006 I won the first prize of photography from Mr. Ambassador and Mrs. Erdmann. When you win these awards you need to keep modest and do not be arrogant. You need to keep your feet on the ground.
10) What kind of obstacles can a photographer face during his / her career? Look, as a photographer you need to avoid the sensitive sectors like security places and the army area. You can not take a picture everywhere especially when it is related to the government. Personnaly, I was arrested so many times because I took pictures in places in which it was forbidden even though I did not know that. 11) What about the Algerian people who do not like you to take their pictures in street? Nobody can give you the photo. you need to snatch it. we are not taking the picture of people, but we are taking situations. if you want to take permission of each individual, than, where is the spontaneity of the moment. A real photographer takes the picture that immortalizes the moment, this is for the unexpected moment. If you do not do that, you will never go forward, but for the advertising shooting you need to respect the production rules. 12) What about the people’s reaction, did Omar Sefouane consider these reactions as an obstacle? We need to remember that the Algerians crossed a black decade, and people do not smile because of the consequences of this period, but recently the situation changed and people started to be open on the photography and they appreciate the photographer’s work especially with the social networks 13) Are the photographer’s right protected in Algeria? Sorry sir, but we still do not have any right, because when someone uses a photo that you are the owner and your signature is on it, he will never ask you or pay you.This is due to the anarchy and the absence of any code in the Algerian law protecting the photographer. Thanks to god there are people who respect the photographers and deal with us in a professional way. 14) What is the criterion of a good photographer? The first thing that proves the level of the photographer is the thought and his point of view because he is telling a story through the picture. Therefore, if someone hears news, he will start imagine the events , he will look for them and he saws the photographer’s photo. He needs to imagine what happened, and to read it, because we judge the photos depend on the content , not the contrast or the light or the saturation. The people need to see it in spite of the fact that the photo is blurred. The photo’s compositions and the rarity of the moment are the most important things. The photographer is the person who tells a story through his picture. 15) The last word of Omar Sefouane? I wanted to thank you and all THE BRIGDE team for the invitation, and it is a pleasure to know that the young Algerians are creating a magazine as THE BRIDGE to move Algeria closer to the US. I know that in my country , we have potentials and I think that the young generation will take Algeria to the next level between the other countries. My last advice is not only for photographers but for the young Algerians: make effort, express you self, believe in your capacities, do not give up because when you want it you will get it
Algerian American successful person Doctor Elias ZERHOUNI: The story of Elias ZERHOUNI is a story like many others that proves how successful the Algerians are in the USA. This story gives us the courage to dream and go after our ambitions because the next Elias ZERHONI can be me, you, or any one that dare to dream big. I invite you to come and discover the story of this icon in the field of medicine in The USA. Elias ZERHOUNI was born in Algeria, 1951. He passed the Algerian and French baccalaureate, and he chose to study medicine at Algiers University. He got his degree in Medicine. Then, he decided to specialize in radiology, but his professors told him that he was wasting his time because radiology requires very expensive equipment. His professors advised him to finish his studies abroad. ZERHOUNI took an equivalence test and passed to become the first Algerian to ever pass this exam. He applied to Johns Hopkins University and got accepted. At the age of 24 years old, Elias immigrated to the USA to pursue a higher education. Then Elias ZERHOUNI’s career had known success after success. His academic career was spent at the renowned Johns Hopkins University and Hospital where he is currently professor of Radiology and Biomedical engineering and senior adviser for Johns Hopkins Medecine. He served as Chair of the Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology Sciences, Vice Dean for Research and Executive Vice Dean of the School of Medecine from 1996 to 2002 before his appointment as Director of the National Institutes of Health of the United States of America. Elias today is the image of Algerian characterized with a high level of integrity in the American community. He holds prominent position on prestigious Boards that should make us very proud of him. His accomplishments should also push us to fellow our dreams and never give up.
Education in the USA :
Socrates said he was not an Athenian or a Greek, but a citizen of the world. A citizen of the world is truly who we are despite our differences and borders. To cross these borders and meet the differences with mutual understanding, accept and respect, the exchange programs were found. Beside their ultimate goal, creating the citizen of the world, they invoke creativity, leadership, democracy and human development. The United State of America established programs to study in the USA. Algerian Students, nowadays, and through US Embassy in Algeria have the access to these programs.
The bureau of Educational and cultural Affairs in US Embassy set a range of programs that suits everyone aspiration and plan. The programs vary in time and content but meet one purpose, which is to create bridge between Algeria and the USA. The exchange programs address secondary school pupils as well as college students; in addition to that, it provides different opportunities to scholars. US Embassy is responsible on paying the fee of the programs, including air tickets, accommodation, traveling, food and books. It is also responsible on health insurance and on any accident might happen during the program. The candidates will get student visa that lasts till the end of the study, hence, the student must return after the expiration of the visa. Any participant enrolled in a specific program will enjoy different activities such as workshops, presentations held by professors, volunteer work and traveling in USA. These activities are set to improve the skills of the candidates, broaden their culture and foster the characteristics of leaders consequently; they will get by the end of the programs honor certificate. In general, the exchange programs can be divided into graduate and undergraduate ones. The former is considered with the candidates who have not finished their studies at university and want to enroll in short course program, for example, Mepi student leader, the susi, coca cola. The latter is concerned with the graduate students who got their bachelor degree, for instance, FULBRIGHT master degree, Fulbright teaching training, and Democracy leader fellowship. These programs run from six to twenty-four months. In addition to previously mentioned ones, there is secondary school program, English language programs, fellowships and full scholarship in one of the American universities in Lebanon or Egypt. The question that anyone would ask is how to participate? The process is simple, after choosing a program; the candidate must fill an application than submit it via net accompanied with required documents and CV. If the candidate were selected, they will be called for interview in the Embassy.
Exchange programs: Eventually, US Embassy in Algeria provides multiple chances to everybody. Its main aim is to develop a frame between the two countries to exchange culture and ideas. It hopes at rising open-minded generation who eventually would face the different challenges of our age. Creating abroad persons who can understand, respect, and accept the differences found in any culture. The embassy organizes all around the year many educational programs and proposes founding for students who are looking for a chance to study in the US. It is becoming more and more competitive. People-to-people diplomacy is the most effective means for Americans and Algerians to learn about each other. Exchange programs funded by the U.S. Department of State enable these connections to be made. The Cultural Affairs Office offers academic and citizen exchanges for qualified American scholars and Algerian scholars, professionals, university students, and youth. During the past few years, American scholars have come to teach American literature, photojournalism, and biology in Algerian universities under the Fulbright Visiting Scholar program. Algerian professionals have spent a year in a Masters-level program at American universities under the Hubert Humphrey Fellows Program. Similarly, Algerian English teachers have taught Arabic language courses to knowledge-hungry American university students while improving their own teaching skills and taking advanced English teaching courses. Algerian high school students have also had life-changing experiences attending American high schools for an academic year, becoming involved in American teenage life as well as improving their English language skills. The International Visitor Leadership Program also sends Algerian professionals to the United States to confer with their counterparts and learn about the country firsthand.
A beautiful white and black butterfly lands down quietly on the yellow bed of flowers, performing all a silent scene that speaks nature’s beauty and the divine power. PS: to take this picture, I was obliged to follow the butterfly for more than 30 minutes and people in the park thought I was crazy. Indeed, I am. Beautiful work deserve some sacrifices.
Contained by a light fog, as a white veil all over the bride head. The sun spreads its light to celebrate her, the bride city.
the eye to the eye Stairing but peacfuly, as if they are compeleting unfinished talk , yet their silent is questionable, is it the start of a war or the end of it?
A wide blue sky , colored lights, a high tree, slices of melt snow squatter on earth and a man trying to stand great as if he belongs to them, another element of the picture’s beauty. What makes man great except the greatness of nature‌?
Short story tom: Until this moment while holding the mauve flower, Tom was not brave or sure about himself. “Mom have you packed my lunch?” the answer of the mother came in amaze: “yes tom, I have.” looking to him with eyes full of tears: “are you sure you want to go to school?” tom looked to his mother smiling:” mom it is school I have to go; no more hiding.” It was a fine day, no, it was a wonderful day in the middle of that cold winter; the sun set the center of the sky warm with a gentle heat, fresh breeze , and an exotic fragrance coming from nowhere. The boys went out playing, hitting each other , shouting out loud grasping all what the heat have brought to them, joy and freedom ,breaking the silence of the heavy shadows, those boys know exactly how to absorb life and take it out, how could they do that to little tom? The mothers spread out their laundry, the fathers went out to their business. It was a day out except for tom. Tom was eight years; at the third grade, a skinny bit tall with a reddish hair and sad hazel eyes. Tom was inside of the house that day and as usual, he could not go out and play with his relatives, he even dropped school. “Tom gets down here, it is a lovely day what about calling Dan to hang out with?” after a moment of silence: “even Dan called me a pasta boy!” he answered. Tom could not enjoy that day or another day since his relatives start bullying him because of the color of his hair that was too red to be called a pasta boy. Tom’s mother was so worried about him getting troubled about this silly issue.
She was wondering how these helpless creatures could be so mean to the point that they can destroy an innocent, brilliant child as her son without even realizing that. Tom’s mother tried to convince him that there is no wrong with him just his hair is red, but her trials were In vain each time tom coming back from school covered with tomato sauce, holding his anger inside and closing on himself in his room. One-day tom’s mother thought to dry his hair with a fair color so he would look like the other boys blond but the result was even more chocking to tom. “Great job mom, orange hair, now I can be called a head of carrot; another name of vegets added to the list!” The mother remained silent since she made things worse. Tom was getting more shy and isolated, suffering from nightmares while sleeping; he even dropped school and decided to take his lessons at home. He was convinced more than ever that there is something wrong with him ; not only different as his mother said but abnormal, he even thought that he was an alien coming from another planet. That fine day was gone and the winter gone with it, and tom did not leave the house except under a hat in sneaky way. The garden was as far as he could go and feel safe. Once, tom was in the garden of the house playing he noticed a bed of flowers,” they all look alike; apparently are from the same species” said tom to himself. They were all purple in color except one that was mauve but still looked like the others. This made tom think about his situation, about himself.« having a red hair it does not make me an alien, I still look like them ; a human as much as they are, I a mot an outsider; I am just like the mauve flower in the middle of the purples.”, “ what does make the red color the different one? Why not the black or the fair color? Who set the normal and the normal not? A little children!” This moment of insight arouse inside of tom unexpected confidence, that mauve flower gave him the needed doze of awareness to pick up his courage, get out of the house and go to school.
English Spoken Language: (ESL) is an activity, which has a successive flow of a related practice of different activities. Its goals are to enable the participants to speak freely, and learn how to speak clearly .It started with phonetics from the basic lessons of how to pronounce correctly the words by using the right application of some syllabic rules. Enter alia; this activity includes a wide range of activities. Participants will be able to answer correctly by the end of each lesson. Among other things, it fostered the birth of another activity, which contains present day topics .The participants should read the articles and give their different stands-points applying the correct rules of word and sentence stress. So far, it is dealing with Business English. In each lesson, participants learn top twenty vocabulary for specific topic.
My experience teaching English ‘TAHAR’: Studying English at university in Algeria was not that exciting idea for my parents, as well as for some of my close friends .for them, it sounded like an unpromising adventure as long as my future professional career is at stake, but at last; they were happy to watch me enjoy what I was doing, learning how to be a future English teacher. As an English teacher in Algeria, I can proudly say that English is safe here. It is safe thanks to the great efforts made by teachers who are doing their best not only to teach English, but also to build good relationships with their students and with the whole academic team. I have been teaching English for almost one year, and that is exciting. In fact, my life would have no meaning without my job now. In a small private school down the city of Algiers, I work every day. My colleagues are lovely people, and the students are literally amazing! You might say I am exaggerating, but in fact I am not. Students show a great interest in learning the language; and that motivates me a lot. Together we built-up very strong relationships. Now, they are really attached to me and so am I. And I guess this is what is good about being an English teacher. my students realized that English is a very important language and that mastering this language means exploring the world. Indeed, many of them need it for their jobs while some of them think it is fun to learn English especially that the Anglo-Saxon culture has a great impact on our lifestyle. In my humble experience, I am used to work with two different textbooks that develop important life skills students need for success. « Open mind » and « Interchange » are two books that I use to teach my students, and they are efficient. As a young teacher, I enjoy every moment teaching English in Algeria that is owe to social relationships I made as well as the motivating work conditions. I am very optimistic about the future of English in Algeria. I can see that on the face of every student.
My experience teaching English ‘SABRINA’: I never thought that teaching would make me excited and happy. The experience of teaching is unique in its genre. My students and I built a very strong bound between us. Our classroom became our home where everyone of us felt at ease. The most surprising thing I discovered when I was teaching English in Algeria was how willing the Algerian students are toward learning English. In the beginning, I thought that they were coming to the classroom because of some external pressures such as pressure from the parent or the boss to get promoted in their jobs. Fortunately, it was not the case. The reasons I suggested were secondary for some or not applicable for the rest of them. Algerian had understood that English is an international language. And therefore, they set learning English as a goal. They know that all new researches are made in English. In airport, English is the spoken language, and even their favorite movies or games were in English. Algeria will no more be francophone country. English is taking over French. It is more and more spoken. I am very happy to see that Algerians are no more ashamed to speak English outside. Three years ago, People speaking in English were seen as weird people, but now English is accepted in our society. I personally speak English outside with my friends. For me, it is a privilege to be able to speak English as a third language.
TED conferences TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) is a global set of conferences run by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, under the slogan "Ideas worth Spreading”. TED was founded in 1984 as a one-off event. TED's early emphasis was technology and design, but it has since broadened its focus to include talks on many scientific, cultural, and academic topics.
TED activity The TED activity is an activity presented by Sabrina Zouaghi in the IRC. It consists of broadcasting a TED talk every Tuesday and discusses it. The member leading the activity chooses talks about all different subjects such as success, happiness, inventions, self-confidence...etc. The aim of the activity is to make our members better persons by spreading worthy ideas in the IRC, and, of course, to teach them English by listening to native speakers with a variety of accents and backgrounds. I, as a leader of the activity, personally believe that Spreading such worthy ideas will change the attitudes, lives, and ultimately the world.
20 hours to learn any new skill – find out the four technics to learn anything you want (It only takes 20 hours. Have fun.-Josh Kaufman-) Josh Kaufman, the speaker of this TED talk, helps people make more money, get more done, and have more fun in your day-to-day life. If you want to want to be healthy, wealthy, wise, and happy, you will find his research quite useful. Every day, he conducts research in the following areas: business fundamentals, solo entrepreneurship, rapid skill acquisition, optimal decision-making, core human skills, and personal science. Whether you want to learn cooking, dancing, playing the ukulele, speaking English, or any other skill you might think of Josh Kaufman has found the solution for you. In his TED talk, he gives you all the techniques and tips you need to learn anything you want in a very short amount of time: 20 hours only. 20 hours are not that bad. In fact, 20 hours are very easy to accumulate. If you practice for 45 minutes every day for a month, you will have practiced for 20 hours. Josh as all human beings has an urge o discover new things. Actually, the thing that he enjoys the most is getting curious, diving in, learning, and eventually becoming good at something. Everybody wants to keep learning new things because learning is growing, but life is too busy. That is why our TED speaker gives us four strategies to invest in our 20 hours of practice to go from being grossly bad at something to being reasonably good at it. Want you to learn a language? Want o learn how to draw? If you put 20 hours of focused deliberated practice into it, you will be astounded at how good you will be. Here are the strategies: English. Algeria will no more be francophone country. English is taking over French. It is more and more spoken. I am very happy to see that Algerians are no more ashamed to speak English outside. Three years ago, People speaking in English were seen as weird people, but now English is accepted in our society. I personally speak English outside with my friends. For me, it is a privilege to be able to speak English as a third language.
Deconstructing the skill: In other words, decide exactly what you want o be able to do after your 20 hours of learning. If you want to learn how to dance, decide which kind of dance you would like to learn, For example, salsa. After that, look into the skill, and break it down into smaller pieces. The more you break apart the skill the more you can what parts of the skills are the most important. Then, you can practice those first, such as the basic steps for the salsa. By practicing the most important things first, you will be able to improve your performance in the least amount of time.
Learn enough to self-correct: Get three to five (3-5) resources about what you are trying to learn. It could be books, DVDs, websites, or any resources you can think of. The goal is to learn enough so that you can practice and self- correct or self-edit in the same time. Learning becomes getting better at noticing when you are doing a mistake.
Remove practice barriers: You have to remove any distraction that gets in the of you sitting down and doing the work such as interne, television‌etc. The frustration is also a huge barrier to overcome because nobody wants to feel stupid and incompetent. We tempt to forget that everyone who is now an expert in his field was once a beginner.
Practice for at least 20 hours: One of the reasons that causes people to fail in learning new thing is quitting the practice and the process of learning. It is true that feeling stupid does not feel good, but you need to hung on and never quieting. The ultimate solution for this frustration is recommitting to practice the thing you want to learn for twenty (20) hours. Josh Kaufman has always wanted to learn how to play the Ukulele. Therefore, he decided to apply his theory of the 20 hours in learning the ukulele, and in his TED talk, he plays the ukulele on stage. By that, he proved that the 20 hours rule really works. So, what do you want to learn? Remember the major barriers to a skill’s acquisition is not intellectual it is emotional (we do not like to feel stupid). Put 20 hours in anything you want to learn.
To you my friend. We live the days meant to us. We become attached to our beloveds as one unbreakable whole, but when we are separated, the pain of lost and the suffer of resistance last. It is the law of death and it is the trials of survival. Everything remained me of you, the memories , the pictures, the laughter’s, the smiles, the occasions and the intimate moments we had together, by all of that, by me. You are being revived. You are living in me. I feel you here, everywhere. I have never considered you as a father only, No, you were to me, the best friend, the companion, the tutor, and the coach. The one whom I shared with my happiness and success, the one who I confided to my agony and secrets. Elhadj or Elhadji, as I used to call you. Although your name resembles of that of the prophet “Solomon”, ‘’slimane’’, you preferred to be called so. The way you used to look to me- bright eyes full of joy, of pride-made the happiest man in the world. The smile that always accompanied your face revealed the purity of your soul. It revealed how good hearted you were. (I miss you, ALhadj.) I must confess that am fortunate having you as a father- a rare pearl- in time when the meaning of family is lost. I have always tried to satisfy you by all the means I could. I tried to be happy, trying so, because my happiness meant a lot to you. Know that I am happy and proud having you as a father, my friend, as you were proud of me as a son. You were always concerned with my future, my life. You never hesitated showing me the right way. You were the rainbow that brought colors to my life, the light that broke the grey shadows, the sparkling raindrops. You were the beautiful nature. You assured that I be always on the right path, the one by which you brought me up and made me the man I am today.
I love you Elhadj, I have never felt shy telling it to you, looking at you right in the eyes, whispering it to you in the ears. I heard you replying to me with your gestures , caring attitude, with your warm bright eyes. I heard your heart saying: “ love you son”, all my 26 years I lived with you. Suddenly, you are not here. The front I used to kiss every morning flamed a way. Your voice is no longer echoing in the corner of the house, but it still does in the corner of my ears. Your place in my heart cannot be replaced. No one will fill this emptiness, and this hollow inside of me now, and no one can heal my ill broken heart. You are a divine gift, a precious present from God. Even though you are absent ,I promise that I will continue living as you taught me .It was God’s will that we be held a part after 26 year. They were like 26 seconds,but full of love, sharing and joy. I am grateful having the chance sharing my youth with a man like you, a father like you, my dear friend. I hope one day I will be for my kids the father you were to me, raising them in the way you did .I will tell them about you, their grandpa. The reason of my life, my pride and honor. Your kind facial features reveals how good hearted man you are, how special you are and how lucky I am having you as a father, my dear friend Always remembering you, praying for you. May Allah gather us all in paradise. I love you For God we belong and for him we shall return You are a story to be told. Your son, your best friend, karim.
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