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These 19 Indonesian students, dressed in traditional attire, are studying English at ISU.

AMES, Iowa –Indonesian students studying English and American culture this summer at Iowa State University will present a form of Indonesian culture for the Ames community on July 16. The 19 students from ISU’s Intensive English and Orientation Program (IEOP) will perform dances in traditional Indonesian clothing at Ames Public Library.

IEOP helps students improve their abilities to read, write, speak, and understand English. Barbara Schwarte, associate professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ Department of English, directs IEOP.

The 19 students are part of a third cohort of Indonesian students to participate in IEOP, however, this is the first time the students will present a live performance for the Ames community, said Alyssa Xiong, IEOP lecturer and Indonesian coordinator.

For eight weeks this summer, the Indonesian students have studied English through reading, writing, oral communication, TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) and IELTS (International English Language Test System) preparation, and special topics such as cooking, photography, autobiography and public speaking. They are sponsored through the International Institute of Education in New York City.

After the eight weeks conclude on July 28, the juniors and seniors will return to Indonesia to finish their undergraduate studies. Xiong said the opportunity to learn English at an American campus will open doors for these students, whose majors range from international relations to architecture.

“They are so happy to be here,” Xiong said. “Many of them have never been out of Indonesia before. One goal of the program is for some students to come back through the Fulbright scholarship to study in America.”

Xiong said of the approximately 1,000 Indonesian applicants to the International Institute of Education, only about 80 are chosen to study in the U.S. for each session.

The Indonesian Dance Performance on Monday, July 16, begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Farwell T. Brown Auditorium at Ames Public Library, 515 Douglas Avenue. It is free and open to the public. See the flyer.

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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (www.las.iastate.edu)
Iowa State University

Contacts:
Alyssa Xiong, Intensive English and Orientation Program, (515) 294-3568 (axiong@iastate.edu)
Laura Wille, Liberal Arts & Sciences Communications, (515) 294-7742 (lge@iastate.edu)