Graduate students who are required to take the ESLAT test should enroll in the recommended ESL course in their first semester based on the recommendation given. Successful completion of the recommended course will fulfill the ESL requirement for most students.
Graduate students who wish to work further on their language skills may also enroll in 300 level ESL courses without taking the MSN-ESLAT.
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ESL 343 — ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS
Practice in formal and informal communication skills, including listening comprehension, pronunciation, and conversational and presentation skills useful in an academic setting.
Enroll Info: Not open to auditors
3 credits.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Identify main ideas in a lecture and the details that support those ideas.
- Explain their opinions about a variety of specific topics.
- Develop speaking skills and use websites that can help them to improve their pronunciation.
- Distinguish between the differences in sounds and intonation.
ESL 344 — ACADEMIC PRESENTATIONS AND DISCUSSION
Develop oral communication and presentation skills essential for teaching and for participation in class discussions, seminars, conferences, and other academic and professional settings.
Enroll Info: Not open to auditors
2 credits.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Engage the audience appropriately.
- Organize content logically and use effective transitions.
- Demonstrate effective verbal (volume, pace, pronunciation) communication skills.
- Demonstrate effective nonverbal (gestures, eye contact, posture) communication skills.
- Create and utilize visual aids effectively.
- Lead question and answer sessions and to respond to questions appropriately.
ESL 345 — AMERICAN ENGLISH PRONUNCIATION
Techniques for improvement of the pronunciation of American English for non-native speakers of English.
Enroll Info: Not open to auditors
1 credit, 8 weeks only.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Identify and practice areas of pronunciation most in need of improvement.
- Become aware of ways to correct and compensate for pronunciation problems.
- Incorporate corrected sounds and patterns into their daily conversations.
- Review the key features of English pronunciation: individual vowel and consonant sounds, stress, rhythm and intonation.
ESL 349 — ACADEMIC WRITING FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS
Overview of graduate-level English academic writing.
Students examine the discourse features of their own disciplines and complete short writing assignments on topics within their field. The course covers key aspects of academic writing, including data presentation, summarizing, critical analysis, and crafting effective results and discussion sections. Instruction also emphasizes general writing, grammar, and editing skills.
Enroll Info: Not open to auditors
Requisites: Graduate/professional standing
3 credits.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Critically analyze the discourse conventions of their chosen discipline and apply those insights to craft effective academic writing that meets professional and scholarly standards.
- Gain the ability to manage the writing process to suit specific tasks and contexts, including more advanced skills in planning, drafting, editing and revising.
- Produce a range of academic genres, including summaries, critiques, data commentaries, and problem-solution texts, demonstrating versatility in adapting structure, tone, and purpose to meet disciplinary expectation.
ESL 350 — PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC WRITING SKILLS
Designed primarily for advanced Master’s or PhD students.
Advanced workshop-style course that builds on the graduate-level research writing foundations introduced in ESL 349. Students focus on a major writing project in their own field, such as a literature review, master’s thesis, dissertation chapter, research report, or article for publication, while refining clarity, organization, and academic style. The course also addresses proper documentation and genre-specific conventions. Throughout the semester, students receive individualized feedback from the instructor on their ongoing projects, including thesis and dissertation chapters and articles intended for publication.
This course is intended for students who have completed ESL 349 or have prior experience with graduate-level research writing AND who are currently working on a major writing project in their field.
Enroll Info: Not open to auditors
Requisites: Graduate/professional standing
2 credits.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Apply the academic writing conventions of their particular field in their work.
- Identify and be able to produce the IMRD (introduction, methods, results, discussion) structure of a standard academic research article.
- Identify and analyze the structure of each of the four major IMRD sections.
- Refine their understanding of and ability to incorporate academic English in their writing.
ESL 352 — ENGLISH FOR LAWYERS
Opportunities to express ideas through oral presentations and formal written work. Focus on specific topics in law.
Enroll Info: Not open to auditors
Requisites: Consent of instructor
3 credits.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Improve their speaking and presentation skills by participating in oral presentations, panel discussions and debates.
- Practice their listening and note-taking skills by attending lectures given by guest speakers.
- Improve their academic writing skills by writing summaries, business letters, legal memos and reports.
- Improve their reading skills by reading articles on current issues of legal interest.
ESL 370 — INTERNATIONAL TA TRAINING
The ITA Training Course helps non-native English-speaking TAs and potential TAs to improve their oral communication and classroom teaching skills.
- Pronunciation and Communication Skills: Language practice to make classroom speech more clear and effective.
- Presentation Skills: Recorded teaching presentations, tutorials and peer feedback.
- Cultural Background: Discussion of the TA’s role, undergraduates’ expectations of a TA and the unique aspects of the US educational system.
Enroll Info: Not open to auditors
Requisites: Graduate/professional standing
2 credits
LEARNING OUTCOMES
- Practice and improve their teaching skills by making 4 thematically unified filmed presentations representative of materials taught in TA sections in their discipline.
- View and evaluate their filmed presentations and meet with the instructor to discuss and analyze their teaching.
- Build their confidence to be able to teach effectively in an American college classroom.
- Become aware of their pronunciation strengths and weaknesses and resources for helping them improve their speech.
- Develop their communication skills.
CLASS SCHEDULE (10-week course)
- M/W 4:00-5:30 pm OR T/Th 4:00-5:30 pm