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Transcript (176 KB)
Description
Zuzana Tomas is an ESL and TESOL professor at Eastern Michigan University who also facilitates the Academic Service-Learning (AS-L) courses. In this interview, Tomas recounts growing up in Slovakia, developing an interest in English and American culture, and her decision to study abroad in the United States. Tomas discusses adjusting to life in the US, getting involved in ESL and TESOL, and how she decided to work at EMU after completing her PhD. Tomas describes her experience helping refugees gain literacy, becoming involved in AS-L, and her classes collaborations with Jewish Family Services. Tomas also explores her AS-L students decision to put on a cooking demonstration led by Afghan women and their children, the logistics of preparing for the the demonstration over Zoom, the importance of acknowledging refugees skills and what they bring to the table, and projects she hopes to work on in the future.
Interview Date
Winter 2-28-2024
Keywords
Zuzana Tomas, Slovakia, English, ESL, TESOL, Academic Service-Learning, cooking class, Afghan refugees, Eastern Michigan University, Jewish Family Services
Permission to Use
Permission to quote from this oral history should be requested from the University Archives (lib_archives@emich.edu).
Copyright
Copyright to the audio resource and its transcript is held by the content creator, author, artist or other entity, and is provided here for educational purposes only. It may not be reproduced or distributed in any other format without written permission of the copyright owner, Eastern Michigan University Archives (lib_archives@emich.edu).
Recommended Citation
Vincent-Fix, Finn, "Zuzana Tomas, Oral History Interview, 2024" (2024). Oral Histories. 161.
https://commons.emich.edu/oral_histories/161