I've been wanting to share information about this fantastic NICE program offered at UH Manoa for a long time. The program is best explained by those diligently working to ensure its success, so I asked Shannon Mark, the Student Services Specialist of the program to write this piece.
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Aloha everyone! My name is Shannon Mark and I am the Student Services Specialist at the NICE program at UH Manoa. I have worked at NICE for seven years and have enjoyed working with everyone from our students, teachers, staff, and administration. I have learned so much over the years and I especially enjoy informing prospective students and people from the community about how the NICE program can and will benefit them. I have a passion for international education and recruiting international students. The information below contains information about the NICE program.

Photo credit: Richard Fassler

The New Intensive Courses in English (NICE) program is a unit of the International Programs of Outreach College, which has served international students and the international community living in Hawaii for nearly 35 years! NICE offers a wide array of course options available to international students and international people from the community with a unique emphasis on teaching oral communication.

The course options available at the NICE program include:

• Four (4) ten-week sessions throughout the year beginning in January, April, July, and October. Each student can choose a specific curriculum track with three tracks available: Academic, Business, and General Communication. Classes are available both in the morning and afternoon, Monday to Friday. Full time and part time study options available. Students on an F-1 student visa are required to study full time. People who are not on an F-1 student visa can study part time. Our July session will begin on July 10th, so register today or to find out more, go to:

http://nice.hawaii.edu/nice/10week.asp

• Two (2) short-term three-week English language and culture courses available in February and August. An F-1 student visa is not required for this course option. We still have room available for our upcoming three-week Summer NICE course, so register today. To find out more, please go to:

http://nice.hawaii.edu/nice/shortTerm.asp

• Day and nighttime part-time English courses are also available. These courses vary in number of weeks, number of hours a week, and what time of day or night the class will be held. This part time study option is ideal for your busy working professional, student, or member of the community. These classes will start up soon, so contact us today!

Some examples of previous day and nighttime English courses offered include: the institutional TOEFL class and test; institutional TOEIC class and test; English Pronunciation; Business Writing and Speaking; and Advanced Oral Fluency. To learn more about these great options available to you, please go to:

http://nice.hawaii.edu/nice/NICE_PartTime.asp

Finally, the International Programs of Outreach College also offers custom-designed English language and culture programs for groups and international seminars on a variety of subjects that can be conducted in the client’s native language or in English. To learn more, please go to:

http://nice.hawaii.edu/sep/default.asp

WHY STUDY AT NICE?

Many people choose to study at NICE for a variety of reasons, which include our

• OUTSTANDING REPUTATION for teaching English as a Second Language in the local, national, and international communities.

• ACCREDITATION with the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA)- NICE is the only English language program on the island of Oahu and the second in the state of Hawai’i to be accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA).

• LOCATION: Located in Hawaii and also centrally located on the University of Hawaii at Manoa campus.

• PROFESSIONAL, EXPERIENCED, and KNOWLEDGABLE teachers and staff.

• TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS: All of our ten-week intensive English program teachers have at a minimum a Masters degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL) and many years of teaching ESL and EFL (English as a Foreign Language).

• INTERCHANGE PROGRAM: NICE program students will be able to practice their oral English language skills with a University of Hawaii student. It is integrated into the Oral Production class. Interchange will enable the student to gain confidence in speaking English, as well as develop friendships with other students on campus.

Finally, the International Programs of Outreach College also offers custom-designed English language and culture programs for groups and international seminars on a variety of subjects that can be conducted in the client’s native language or in English.

Every term, NICE students will go off campus to apply what they learned in the classroom!

NICE program students engaging in “Interchange”. It gives NICE students the opportunity to practice their speaking with UH students.

NICE student giving a presentation on living in Hawaii

At the end of every term, a graduation is held to honor the students! Some students may even receive special recognition for their accomplishments

If you are interested in learning more about the NICE program or International Programs of Outreach College and what is available to you, please feel free to contact us through email ipinfo@hawaii.edu; phone: (808) 956-7753; or website: http://www.nice.hawaii.edu. We look forward to speaking with you soon!

Tags: NICE program, Shannon Mark

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