A Saudi scholarship student in the United States is helping to develop a program to help new students improve their English by organizing chat sessions with retired academics and employees of his university.
Ali Al-Shihri, a master's student in microbiology and immunology at Wright State University, was asked to contact Robert Wiggly, a retired professor, to have conversations with him for 60 to 90 minutes a week, the paper said.
Al-Shihri said his English improved substantially by having the interaction with the Wiggly family. He spoke to them about the Kingdom and showed them photographs and videos, while they gave him an introduction to European and American society, he said.
The Wiggly family reportedly showed great interest in Saudi Arabia and praised Wright State University for allowing them to get involved in the new linguistics program.
The new program is part of the intensive English Language Teaching Program being offered by the university for new students. It is aimed at improving their linguistic and academic skills and promoting social interaction.
Saudi student helps develop English skills program
