CIBU wants to invite current students and faculty to the International Cuisine Day Potluck on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM in the Paris classroom. Come eat a good meal to help get you through midterms.

Come meet other CIBU students from all over the world. Bring a dish from your own country to share a piece of your culture.

Please make sure to let us know if you will be coming to the potluck and what dish you plan on bringing in your attendance comment.

To sign up please visit this link.

See you there!

Calling all San Diego businesses including: finance, communication, event management and marketing companies!

California International Business University is looking for companies for students to intern with for 80 hours over 10 weeks (or a minimum of 1 day a week) from now until the end of May.

These internships will be unpaid, as the students will be receiving class credit.

To find out more information please contact Robin Heckler at robin.heckler@cibu.edu or call (619) 702-9400 with the name of your company and what you do.

At CIBU we pride ourselves on being multicultural, so we wanted to help everyone learn a little bit more about the different cultures we have here at CIBU by spotlighting a new country every month. Make sure to view our previous countries of the month.

Here is a few English terms to try and learn:

• Velkommen – Welcome
• Hej – Hello
• Rart at møde dig – Pleased to meet you
• Farvel – Goodbye
• Det forstår jeg ikke – I don’t understand

Area: 2,220,093 km2 (1,370,000 sq miles )

Population: 5,671,050

Capital: Copenhagen

Major Cities: Copenhagen Aarhus, Odense

Monetary unit: Danish krone (DKK)

Official Language: Danish

National Day: No official National Day, but they celebrate Constitution Day on June 5th which commemorates the signing of the Danish constitution in 1849.

Religions: Lutheran, Christian, and Muslim

Ethnicities: Scandinavian, Inuit, Faroese, German, Turkish, Iranian, Somali

Major Exports: machinery, animals, chemicals, oil and gas

Busiest airport: Kastrup – Copenhagen Airport – the largest airport in Scandinavia

Climate: Denmark’s climate is never too cold with lows being around 0.0 °C and temperatures around 15.7 °C in the summer.

Highest point: Møllehøj 171 m

Lowest point: Lammefjord -7 m

Popular Food: “Smørrebrød” is the famous Danish open-faced half-sandwich. Other popular food items are Frikadeller (meatballs), Hakkebøf (chopped meat patties), Pølser (sausages).

Sports: Soccer, handball, cycling, sailing, ice hockey, and swimming

BY MEGUMI RATLIFF

What did you do today? Whether you file papers, cut grass, or wait on tables, everyone should take a break from their regular routine at least once in their lives. Teaching English abroad is a great way to step out and see the world.  Here are several reasons why you might consider teaching English abroad:

• The U.S. Economy: As everyone knows, the American economy has seen better days.  One of the most attractive things about teaching abroad is that it can be much easier to find a stable, well-paying job in another country than in the U.S.  Not only is it easier, but you can also have a rewarding experience where you are able to make a difference in other people’s lives.

• Only ONE year: What could be more fun and exciting than packing your bags and jet-setting off to another country for a year?  Everything that you are doing at the moment can be put on pause; you can always pick up where you left off. The great thing about being a TESOL teacher is that many teaching contracts are one year at a time, so if the thought of being away from your home or loved ones for too long is holding you back, it’s okay.  You will be back from your adventure before you know it; and you will be returning with a new perspective and a second home.

• Taxes: For the first two to four years, in many countries, TESOL teachers do not have to pay income tax.  You can put all of that extra money away in your traveling piggybank.

• Travel/Adventure: When you are living in another country, everyday is a mini adventure within itself.  You are constantly having new and different experiences; mostly good, sometimes challenging, but always memorable. Whether you teach abroad for one year or for ten, you will always think of your time abroad as a separate lifetime where you were able to step outside of your everyday life and do something for yourself.

• Working with Kids/Students: One of the most gratifying aspects of being a TESOL teacher is the relationships you create with your students.  If you are teaching kids, you have this amazing opportunity to impact their lives and help shape their futures in a positive direction. Whether you end up teaching kids, adults, or both, I guarantee you will learn just as much from them as they will from you.

• Happiness: Sometimes life will place you directly in front of two paths.  You might think the easier thing is to stay where you are.  But what if you took a chance and tried something new? Sometimes the things that seem the scariest and most impossible are the things in your life that turn out to be the most worthwhile.  By taking chances and stepping out of your comfort zone, you learn more about yourself and the world around you. These are the experiences that lead to the happiest moments of your life.

The Sejong Institute* of Language and Culture’s January 2012 Event – Understanding of the Korean Culture, Language and Multiculturalism by Professor Paul Park of Kunsan National University, South Korea.

On January 18, 2012, students, faculty and friends gathered at CIBU to listen to Dr. Park’s presentation on Korean Culture, Language and Multiculturalism.  The hour-long presentation showed the history of modern Korean culture including the introduction of the Western culture to Korea, the showcasing of South Korea during the 1988 Olympics and the popularization of Taekwondo and KPOP (such as Girls’ Generation) throughout the world.  He played a clip of the 1988 Olympics opening song by Koreana called “Hand in Hand” which expounded on mutual cooperation for a better world.

He went on to discuss the differences in the Korean language and English and how the Korean language has the opposite sentence structure to English which makes either language difficult to learn.  He also added that the Korean language has developed three distinct dialects namely South Korean, North Korean and Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture of China.

As for multiculturalism in South Korea, he stated that while the country remains largely homogeneous, over 2% of the population are of different ethnicity and the movement and acceptance towards a more multi-cultural populace is picking up speed.  As a matter of fact, Korean as a second language is gaining increasing popularity within South Korea as well as on a global basis.

The audience had an opportunity to ask questions and opened up several lively discussions including the desire to learn Korean in relation to the popularity of Korean dramas and movies.

*The focus of the Sejong Institute is Korean and American students and faculty working together with a common goal of research and scholarly cultural exchange. Please check back for our next event or visit the Sejong Institute of Language and Culture Events page to view all of the past events!