Welcome and Welcome Back.

Greetings, new and returning students, as well as all Planet IEP readers. It's official. UCA classes begin today, Thursday, August 21. Planet IEP webmistress, Freddie Bowles, and fellow planetary associates, would like to welcome you to the University of Central Arkansas and to the Intensive English Program.

Day One.

Your first day of classes will begin with the standard "Rules and Regulations" of the IEP and of UCA from 9:25-10:40. At 11:00 you will have an E-mail workshop to set up and practice using your UCA E-mail account. The university communicates with you about important dates and announcemnts using your "cub" account, so it is important that you check it on a regular basis. In the afternoon, you will follow your class schedule.

More Information.

You will also receive some information about the Conversation Partners Program. You have the opportunity to practice English with a native speaker by participating in this program. Another important activity is the Language Lab Orientation. Your pronunciation teacher will take you to the language lab in Irby for a tour and orientation. The lab has several new computers along with cassette and video players, so please take advantage of this facility to help you improve your English skills.

Former Students
Send News from Afar.

Planet IEP has received news from several "graduates." It's always nice to hear from students who have moved to another state or country or have returned home. Maggie Velazquez is still in Conway and at UCA and sent a message about her promotion to Co-manager at Cato's. Congratulations, Maggie! Rachid Bagana checked in from Alabama. He's studying at a community college as he prepares to transfer to Auburn and study for his Bachelors in Social Work. Susanna Tristancho is back in Spain and working at her university in the marketing department. Dr. Souidi Anasse graduated from the University of Arkansas Medical System in Little Rock this spring. Congratulations, Doc! Anastacia Khomenko is back home in Russia and says she misses UCA a lot, but she will take her final exams at the University of Moscow this year. Good luck, Anastacia! Shoichiro Yamaguchi is about to go on a bike holiday and then go on to visit another IEP student, Juyoung Park, in Korea. Sibila Groueva is now married and just had a birthday party for her one-year old son, Sydney. Many of you have read Yukiko Hayata's stories on Planet IEP. Yuki is a UCA graduate student in music and is currently working on another story about Japanese high school for the website.

A Wedding in Japan.

Check out Dispatch from Afar for a new story by Level Three IEP student Ryohei Tanaka. He recounts the trip he made in the spring to attend a wedding (no, not his!). Former IEP student and present graduate student in music, Yuki Hayata, is currently writing a story about the secondary education system in Japan. Looks like the Japanese students are taking the lead in writing about their homeland. Anyone else want to tell our readers about their country? Email the webmistress with any news or stories at freddieb@mail.uca.edu.

Got Boredom?
Check Out the Important Dates.

If you are getting cabin fever (boredom), then read the Important Dates information below. Several opportunities are offered on campus for students to get involved and beat the ennui.

Important Dates

Fall Semester 2003!

The University of Central Arkansas begins classes.

Thursday, August 21.

Conway.

UCA Fall semester finishes on December 12.

First Holiday!

The university will dismiss classes for the traditional Labor Day holiday.

Monday, September 1.

United States and Canada.

Honor to all those who labor!

How Good
Is Your Grammar?

Thanks to one of Corndancer's contributors, Mr. Darbo, for sending us a link to test our grammar knowledge. Just for fun, try it yourselves at http://encarta.msn.com/quiz/quiz.asp?quizid=51. You get instant results.

What Did She Say?

I just looked up this site to find the words to a U2 song. You might want to find the words to one of your favorite songs, too, at http://www.lyrics.com.

Planet IEP is a world of words for students and anyone else who is interested in English as a Second Language.

First and foremost, this site serves international students in the Intensive English Program (IEP) at the University of Central Arkansas. Planet IEP provides lesson plans, reminders, comments and musings on classroom projects. It serves as a venue for students to ask questions or make comments about any matter that concerns language or culture.

Let me begin with a traditional greeting: "Welcome to Planet IEP." The first step in using this site is to decide what you want to read. Look at the "links" (connections) on the left side of this page. You have several places to go.

If you are a student of Freddie Bowles, click on your class level to find information about class activities, homework, and most importantly, the Bonus Point Challenge.

The Dispatch from Afar is written by IEP students and staff from their home countries and travels afar.

If you want to see if there are any articles for you to read, click on Reading Room. Be sure and take a look at the Photo Gallery. Your picture might be on there!

Under International Links, you will find links to information from different countries. Do you want to read the news from home? Look under International Links to find a site that offers news from your home or from a classmate's home.

When you decide what site you want to visit, click on the icon, and the site will open. Within the site there will be other links for you to visit if you so choose. If you want to return to the beginning, click on Planet IEP Home and you will return to the homepage.

If you have any links
for the International Links page,
email me at freddieb@mail.uca.edu
Good luck as you travel on Planet IEP!