Courses 2024-25: English as a Second Language

This course focuses on preparing non-native speakers of English with the communication skills necessary to organize, present or exchange information in a clear, concise manner to a variety of audiences. ESL 101 a will provide instruction on the development of pronunciation, intonation patterns and stress, grammar and verb tense, listening comprehension, and fluency in speaking. Aspects of American culture as well as come current events will be discussed. ESL 101 b is a continuation of ESL 101 a, and covers a variety of oral presentation skills. Students will be asked to paraphrase, summarize, and synthesize information from a journal article or in-class discussions and communicate ideas to the class. The class will discuss information from readings and other media sources in small groups to collect and organize ideas for discussion. ESL 101 ab is open to all first-year graduate students and may be required for some students designated by the ESL interview process during Orientation. A passing grade will satisfy the Institute English proficiency requirement for candidacy. Graded pass/fail. Open to international graduate students only.

This course aims to provide a strong scientific writing foundation for multilingual or international graduate students through guided instruction in academic STEM writing. More specifically, it teaches graduate students about composing texts in scientific English for various audiences, focusing on issues of clarity, as well as grammar and usage. It helps familiarize writers with the features of clear and effective STEM writing, and it teaches writers about the style and genres of U.S. academic STEM writing, helping them learn to read and write about the work of others in their field. Students are encouraged to take ESL/Wr 107 in the first or second year of graduate school.