Reflection: Institute for Academic and Professional Studies (IAPS)
I was at the ELP for the IAPS summer session. I always wanted to have an experience studying in the United States, mainly to improve my English skills, but also to have a cultural and academic experience.
"This experience has been extremely relevant to my personal growth."
After reviewing several options, I was quite interested in what the ELP had to offer. It was not only an English program, but also offered different electives in various academic fields, as well as different cultural and social activities. This made me decide to join the program.
During the development of the IAPS, we were able to learn about the importance of American values and understand the history and culture of a city as important as Philadelphia. The different activities organized by the ELP helped me and the people in the program to understand more about the United States.
In addition to the field trips and other activities organized by ELP, being able to share with people from different parts of the world was also beneficial, both in and out of the classroom. Through the different activities and group tasks, I was able to deepen my English skills, which is why I consider that today I can communicate more naturally and fluently in this language.
My favorite experience was the afternoon activities, where we visited different places in Philadelphia, such as the Liberty Bell, Benjamin Franklin Museum, watching a baseball game or even visiting Washington DC for the day. All these experiences helped me to learn more about the American culture, as well as to get to know several classmates and teachers.
This experience has been extremely relevant to my personal growth, as I have been able to develop my English skills, explore various academic branches, and above all, meet a great group of people like my classmates and ELP teachers, who really showed concern and professionalism during the program.
I really recommend the different programs that ELP offers to grow and increase one's abilities, not only in English, but also professionally, socially, and academically.
