Catalog of Courses for English as a Second Language
The Conversational English Program (CEP) for new international LLM students is a four-week online English language and culture summer program designed for students who want to strengthen those skills before arriving at UVA. The program includes online classes and small group sessions, staffed by a faculty instructor and student Instructional Assistants who individualize instruction and bring authentic language and cultural context to the class.
Participants learn and practice ways to improve oral and written communication in the workplace. Activities relate to the participant's work. Goals include improving fluency, accuracy, and comprehensibility. Learning and practicing vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar in work related contexts are an important part of the course. Participants will also learn about and discuss issues relating to workplace culture in North America.
Designed to help students already proficient in English to speak fluently, accurately, and with the rhythm and intonation patterns of American English. Students will learn phrasal verbs and review parts of speech through interactive tasks such as role-play, debate and discussion.
This course is designed for students who need work on controlling English syntax. Students review and practice important structures. Norms of organization and rhetorical expression are introduced. Writing tasks, which complement the work with structures, will be contextualized in the student's field of study.
Students focus on organization and rhetorical models of academic English. Sentence structure, grammar, and mechanics are reviewed as needed. Writing tasks, which complement the work with rhetorical models, will be contextualized in the student's field of study.
This course, for students whose first languages are not English, focuses on building oral and aural skills to successfully navigate interactions in the university and larger community. Instruction includes small group conversational practice as well as idiomatic vocabulary building and English pronunciation and discourse strategies.
Students will learn and practice strategies to enhance oral communication with colleagues, classmates, and professional contacts. They will gain skills in conversing with individuals and groups, in group problem solving, and in giving presentations. While pronunciation and listening skills are not the main focus of this course, recommendations for self-study in this area will be given. Vocabulary and structures will be addressed as needed.
ESL 909 is a course designed for students who need both to practice speaking in academic contexts and to develop their presentation skills. Course activities include discussing academic topics, summarizing texts, paraphrasing, reporting research, and organizing and giving oral presentations, particularly in a poster presentation. Pronunciation is addressed as needed.
Students who have a good command of English syntax and vocabulary, but who are being held back by pronunciation problems will be referred to this course. Enrollment is generally limited to prospective international teaching assistants. Other students may enroll as space allows.
This course addresses skills and strategies international graduate students need to carry out teaching responsibilities and provides practice for effective intercultural communication. These skills transfer to other settings. Students successfully complete the course by demonstrating their ability to convey content information from their field to either undergraduate students or to other audiences in a comprehensible and appropriate manner.
International Teaching Assistants (ITAs) receive assistance in improving spoken English proficiency and/or teaching skills, as individual needs require. A noncredit course, does not meet as a regular class; Student Teaching Consultants work individually with the ITAs.
This course is an advanced oral communication course designed for researchers, fellows, and visiting faculty at the University. Participants learn and practice strategies to enhance oral communication with colleagues and professional contacts, gaining skills in conversing with individuals & groups and giving presentations. Available in a one-on-one format, 2 hours/week plus one hour/week of structured practice for 6 weeks. Program fee required. Prerequisite: Instructor Permission
An advanced course for researchers, fellows,and visiting faculty at the University.Participants hone writing skills through analyzing models, writing up research and creating professional correspondence. Topics include effective argumentation, academic style, coherence, conciseness, and clarity,, strategic use of sentence structure, and vocabulary. Students receive feedback on writing assignments. One-on-one format, 2 hrs/wk. Program fee applies. Prerequisite: Instructor Permission
EAP is an intensive language and culture summer course designed for nonnative speakers of English admitted to a degree program at UVA or who are prospective research associates/visiting scholars. Participants fine-tune the language skills required for success in US higher education through exercises in academic writing, academic reading/vocabulary, listening comprehension/notetaking, classroom discussions, and presentations.
Oral communication course designed for researchers, fellows, and visiting faculty at the University as a continuation of the skills developed in ESL 913 and ESL 914, in which participants practice language negotiation strategies, gain skills in conversing with individuals and groups, and augment ability to give presentations. Available in a one-on-one format 2 hours/week or small group 2 hours/week plus one hour/week of structured practice for six weeks.
Students who have a good command of English syntax and vocabulary, but who are being held back by pronunciation problems will be referred to this course. Enrollment is generally limited to prospective international teaching assistants. Other students may enroll as space allows.