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International student presenting in front of a class.

English Language Classes and Teaching Performance Services

English Language Classes

International graduate students who do not pass the English Language Certification Exam (ELCE) are given the opportunity to improve their language skills by attending language classes offered by the ELP-ii. The classes entail a program of performance training including ESL proficiency, accent modification, public speaking and presentation skills, classroom management and leadership skills, and cross-cultural training.

International graduate students who do not qualify to take the ELCE (those with a TOEFL speaking score below 23, IELTS speaking score below 7, or PTE speaking score below 65) are encouraged to take English language courses offered in the English Language Institute and/or the English for Academic and Professional Development Program.

Teaching Simulations

In order to help international graduate students prepare for the rigors of the classroom, the ELP-ii organizes a series of teaching simulations. These are actual classroom forums wherein the international graduate student prepares and presents a lesson to a class of select undergraduates. The goal of the teaching simulation is to provide the student "TA" with a comfortable, monitored teaching experience with an undergraduate community interested in teaching, culture, and language learning. The undergraduates listen to the lesson, participate when appropriate, and finally offer advice and suggestions about the performance of the prospective TA. This is particularly useful for international graduate students whose language is acceptable but who have trouble in other areas of teaching, such as communicative style.

Audio and Video Recording

International graduate students are audio and video recorded to help them better understand their language and teaching skills. The video recordings are then uploaded to the Teaching + Learning Common's private YouTube site for the student to track and review their performance in detail. Each student receives a private YouTube link to each recording.

Apprenticeship Teaching

This is a highly effective program designed by the ELP-ii to help provide international graduate students with a more practical and personal form of teaching instruction. International graduate students are assigned to more experienced TAs as apprentice teachers. These experienced TAs will help the international graduate students with their teaching by pointing out areas for development, suggesting alternatives, and above all by serving as positive role models. All assignments are coordinated and monitored by the ELP-ii in conjunction with the international graduate student's home department.

In-Class Language Assessment

The ELP-ii provides prospective TAs with extensive testing for language assessment, which includes the ELCE and in-class audio and video recording of students using both general and discipline-specific English. The assessments are designed to give a clear picture of an international student's strengths and weaknesses in speaking and understanding the English language. The results of the assessment are used in the development of an individualized language program so that the student can achieve at least the minimum language proficiency required to qualify for a teaching assistantship as soon as possible.