The course is offered as part of the College’s mission to provide customized, continuing educational and professional development opportunities in response to community needs.
The course will teach participants the fundamentals of the English language such as enunciation, pronunciation and dialogue. The course also aims to help participants understand and master grammatical concepts necessary for interactive skills development. Throughout the course, students will practice these concepts in oral dialogue and conversation exercises.
Additionally, the classes, which are designed to improve individual knowledge and specific skills, are geared around actual workforce needs and experiences based on course surveys, community needs assessments, and interviews with employers.
The August/September course schedule and fees are listed below.
English Language Development Course
Dates: August 14, 17, 19, 21, 24, 26, 28, 31 & September 2, 4, 11, 14, 16, 18, 21
Schedule: 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays)
Room: TBA
Fee: $300
It is recommended that all interested individuals register before the start of the first day of class. Certificates of attendance and competence will be awarded to registered students who complete all course requirements. Full payment is required for admission to a class. A discount price may also be awarded to partnering entities.
To register, or to obtain more information, visit the CDI Office in Building P at the NMC Campus in As Terlaje. You can also call 234-5498 ext. 1010/05/14/19/30, or e-mail John Manalo at [email protected].
GTC elementary school events
FOR PARENTS
• Enrollment: Enrollment at GTC is closed due to combined classes to accommodate construction. Enrollment is still open for Kindergarten students only.
• 3 Weeks of Summer School, August 10 through 28, 2009 from 7:30am to 12 noon in room D3.
• Special meeting, Thursday, August 13, 2009 at 5 p.m. at GTC
We are urging parents to attend this important meeting to discuss changes in class schedules to accommodate construction project.
• Public hearing on reprogramming of the Community Development Block Grant on Thursday, August 13, 2009 at 6pm at GTC.
The public is invited to provide written and oral comments on the proposed reprogramming. Written comments will be accepted no later than 4:30pm on August 7, 2009 at NMHC office in Garapan, PO Box 500514, Saipan, MP, 96950. Oral comments may be given to Zenie Mafnas at (670) 234-7670, 6866, 7689 or 9447. We highly encourage the GTC parents and the community to attend this public hearing.
• Kindergarten orientation on Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 5pm at GTC in Kindergarten Room, B4. All parents of kindergarten students are urged to attend this orientation with their child.
• First Day of School on Tuesday, September 8, 2009.
FOR TEACHERS
• Statewide Learning Community Training, August 17 through 21, 2009 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Saipan Southern High School (SSHS)
CCLHS and Language Arts LC: August 17-19, 2009
Science/Health LC: August 17-21, 2009
Social Studies LC: August 21, 2009
• Helping English Language Learners (K-12) Succeed in School PD, August 24 through 28, 2009 from 8am to 3pm at SSHS
• Teachers & Staff Reporting Day: August 31, 2009 at 7:30am.
Continental Airlines revolutionizes customer support with online virtual expert
HOUSTON — Continental Airlines today launched Virtual Expert technology, a new feature at continental.com, offering customers 24-hour support on the Web for all their travel needs. “Alex,” the airline’s Virtual Expert, interacts with customers to easily and effectively interpret requests and provide accurate answers to travel needs. Continental is the first network carrier to offer human emulation technology.
From booking a flight, to helping customers understand visa requirements for international travel, Alex allows Continental to provide the same high-touch service available within the call center environment, for customers on the Web.
“Continental.com is our one-stop shop for travel planning and information and Alex quickly and accurately guides our customers to the answers they’re looking for,” said Mark Bergsrud, senior vice president of marketing programs and distribution at Continental Airlines. “We are constantly looking for ways to improve our ability to deliver the best customer experience, and Alex will be an invaluable resource to our customers.”
Developed by Next IT, the new technology emulates not only the look and voice of a human, but also the ability to understand the intent of phrases and dialog, guiding customers to information and making continental.com a one-stop shop for travel planning and information.
Customers visiting continental.com can click the Alex icon to open a chat window where they can enter a question. Alex responds with both a written and spoken response. The customer is then automatically navigated to the specific place on continental.com that answers the question and provides other helpful links in the chat window.
Prior to launching the technology, Continental tested the product with 3,000 of the airline’s most frequent flyers and with reservations agents at Continental’s call center in Salt Lake City.
Reservations agents at Continental are using the Virtual Expert technology to answer customer questions and improve the customer experience during calls. The Virtual Expert helps agents locate information quickly.
Continental’s Virtual Expert is one of the many services that the airline has introduced to improve the overall customer travel experience. Continental was one of the first carriers to offer customer-driven technology that allows passengers to take control of the check-in process through kiosk self check-in. As a result, Continental customers enjoy one of the shortest line waits of any major airline and employees are better equipped to offer more personalized service. Continental’s paperless boarding pass program allows travelers to receive boarding passes electronically on cell phones or PDAs when traveling from more than a dozen airports throughout its system, its EliteAccess program provides qualified customers priority check-in, security screening, boarding and baggage handling, and its corps of more than 300 specially selected and trained concierges provide individualized pre-and post-flight services for its BusinessFirst customers worldwide.
(NMC) — The Northern Marianas College will be hosting a FREE all-day information session this Thursday, August 6 at the NMC Student Center in Building J at the NMC As Terlaje campus. Individuals can attend the all-day event at anytime between 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.
Those interested in furthering their education and advancing their professional careers are encouraged to attend the event and meet with representatives from the different degree and certificate programs, who will be available to answer questions.
In addition, counseling, financial aid, admissions, and other NMC staff will be available to answer questions and to assist in the admissions and financial aid process.
The College offers several degree and certificate programs, including a bachelor of science degree in elementary education, associate degrees in business, liberal arts, nursing, natural resource management, criminal justice, hospitality management, and more. Moreover, it offers short-term certificate programs in different vocational, academic, and professional areas.
Those who attend the event qualify to have their application fee and their placement test fees WAIVED for the upcoming Fall 2009 semester—a savings of about $75.00. In addition, after speaking with NMC staff and receiving their fee waivers individuals can take placement tests on that same day.
This free information session is open to everyone, including high school graduates, high school students and their parents, government and private sector employees, international students, and members of the general public who are interested in learning more about the programs at NMC.
For more information, contact the Office of Admissions and Records at 234-5498 ext. 1528, or log on to www.nmcnet.edu.
