The Language Institute can offer customized courses, workshops, and coaching for your department upon request. If you have a group of international students that could benefit from Language Institute instruction, let us know. We would be happy to develop a course or workshop that can meet your needs.
Below are some of the courses or workshops that we have offered in the past and can be tailored to your group.
If you have questions our custom course offerings, feel free to email us.
Courses
Scientific Writing for International Graduate Students [24 hours]
In this course, students will learn how to notice the ways in which experienced writers accomplish academic writing in the desired field. They will learn how to see academic research articles from a writer’s point of view rather than only seeing them as texts that they read to acquire content knowledge. They will develop an understanding of the three structural levels through which the content of an academic research article is delivered learn how to decipher the organizational patterns followed at each structural level.
Students will develop an understanding of how flow operates and is achieved through linguistic devices at each structural level. They will identify some specific phrasing and grammar constructions that are commonly used in academic research articles in the desired field.
They will also review the concept of plagiarism and strategies for avoiding it. As they learn to notice the features of writing in the desired field, they will also practice integrating those features into their own writing. They will engage in peer editing as a way to develop their ability to notice how the writing of novices differs from that of experienced writers like professors and as a way to develop their own ability to edit their writing before it is submitted to their professors.
Improving Presentation Skills [12 hours]
In this class, students will work on refining and practicing their oral presentation skills. They will work on fluency, accuracy, and appropriateness in spoken communication while giving a self-introduction, introducing colleagues, and giving short presentations. Students will learn to organize and present various types of presentations using visual aids appropriately and effectively and demonstrate effective and natural nonverbal language and establish better clarity in pronunciation and language use. They will also learn how to develop rapport with listeners and field audience questions.
Workshops
Using Improvisation for Improving Oral Skills: A Series of Workshops for International Graduate Students
Workshop #1: Activating Your Kinesthetic Imagination to Build Communication Confidence
This workshop introduces participants to improvisational activities geared to increase their overall confidence and comfort speaking English in situations they face in their academic and professional lives. Participants will learn how to expand their speaking styles and create rapport with their listeners. As they “embody” English through dynamic exercises, participants will learn how to engage more meaningfully, listen more effectively, and use body language and nonverbal cues to create connection.
Workshop #2 Accessing the Passionate Storyteller behind the Science
This workshop builds on accessing kinesthetic imagination and using the rhythm and intonation of the English to communicate participants’ knowledge of field specific content in dynamic ways. The workshop will expand participants’ abilities to communicate by playing around with both physical and vocal range. Participants will learn to relax more and fear less.
Workshop #3 Taking the Lead as a Science Communicator
This workshop will help participants create rapport with colleagues/listeners/audience. They will continue accessing their kinesthetic imagination and applying the rhythm and intonation of English. Participants will experience what “high” and “low” status are and how it impacts the communication of information and relationships. They will learn to relate status to a range of presentation behaviors in different environments such as networking, interviews, and presentations.
One-on-One Coaching
The Language Institute will provide one-on-one writing and oral skills coaching to students in your department. Departments can set up the number of sessions they would like to have available for their students, and the Language Institute will make appointments available for the students. Recently, ME, ECE, CEE, ChBE, MSE students have had appointments available.
If your department is interested in setting up coaching sessions for its students, please email us.