The Culture and Language Bridge (CLB) program offers international students a chance to brush up on their English skills and, through a partnership with KSUB, offers the rest of us a chance to listen in.

The CLB program has been a part of international students' experience at Seattle University since the mid-90s, but only since 2003 has it been broadcasting on KSUB.

Here's how it works:

Any non-native speaker of English is obliged to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) to gain entry into the university. If they score at a certain level, they're admitted normally. However, if they score within a certain range, they can be admitted as long as they enroll in English language classes.

These classes usually comprise two quarters during freshman year, and possibly a third quarter during junior year to strengthen their skills.

One new dimension to the CLB program, however, is their collaboration with KSUB.

Two types of broadcast are performed. The first, which began in 2003, is a capstone to the freshman communication class. The students write interview questions which they then answer on-air in order to build their confidence and skill with the English language.

"The questions relate to themselves, why they came to SU, where they're from, what they're studying. And then they also relate to what kinds of music they listen to, and then they bring in a song, and it's supposed to reflect in some way something about their culture," said Heidi Beck, interim director of the Culture and Language Bridge program.

Music plays a large role in the interviews because it's something that they can talk about enthusiastically.

"It gives them a chance to share something about themselves," said instructor Anne Hepfer, who teaches both classes. "That doesn't mean it has to be a traditional folk song, it could be some metal band they like. But almost always the song is in their first language or a different [non-English] language."

The second type of broadcast, performed by the junior class, is a language lesson.

"They do a little introductory, like how to go shopping in Jakarta, and they do the vocabulary," Beck said.

In a Japanese lesson performed last quarter by Ayaka Miyoshi Eureka Kobayashi, the topics of instruction even included "how to approach Japanese girls by using Japanese expressions, such as inviting the girl [to go out] somewhere or confessing your love to the girl."

The lessons must also include a grammatical difference, such as the distinction of plurals, between the native speaker's language and English.

Beck and others involved with the CLB hope to expand both the number and the variety of shows broadcast.

"A goal I've had but haven't been able to proceed with is to get international students is to maybe take one show and do a bilingual program. So they could broadcast the music they like and talk in their first language, and also talk in English."

"We've had international students who have gone on to be DJs," Hepfer said.

The broadcasts can be heard Friday morning from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., but because they are daunting assignments, tend to come at the end of the quarter. Feb. 10 will be the first informal Bilingual Music Show. The junior class language lessons will begin Feb. 24 and continue on March 2, while the freshmen interviews will air during the last Friday of the quarter, March 9.

Though the experience is usually a positive one for students, speaking live before an unseen audience can be nerve-wracking.

"They're very nervous, but they do really well, and it's great to watch the actual transformation from before they walk into the booth and then out," Beck said.

The lessons are all recorded, and can be found at www.SeattleU.edu/KSUB.

Daniel may be reached at dbentson@su-spectator.com