International graduate students have many options to improve their communication skills in English. These options range from semester-long courses for credit to workshops given campus wide or through your department. Please review the options below to find the best option to meet your need and your time availability. If you are not sure what option would work best for you, please let us know. We are happy to provide you guidance in finding what would help you reach your goals.
Courses for all Georgia Tech Graduate Students
Short Courses (Non-Credit) |
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Strategic Reading for International Graduate Students
September 9-October 9
MW 9:30-11:00 AM
Location to be determined
One of the most difficult challenges of graduate school is the workload. In many programs, a great deal of the work you are expected to do involves reading. You may be asked to read more in one semester of graduate school than you read in one year of undergraduate studies.
Strategic Reading for International Graduate Students will help you meet the extensive reading demands of your program. The 12-hour non-credit short course will provide you with information, ideas, and strategies related to graduate academic reading to help you develop your own personalized approach to graduate academic reading.
Short Course Topics
- understanding graduate academic text types
- understanding and applying a variety of reading strategies to improve comprehension and speed
- identifying the purposes of graduate academic reading and selecting approaches to reading that match purposes
- effectively managing personal obstacles to reading
- understanding and applying a variety of note-taking strategies while reading
Course Expectations
- attendance and full participation during class
- completion of 1 hour of assigned "practice" before each class meeting
Students will receive a pass/fail grade based on class participation and attendance. If you pass the course, you will receive 1.2 CEUs (Continuing Education Units).
Cost and Registration
- $195
- Apply early. Limit seats available.
Academic Research Writing for International Students (Online course)
September 9-October 11
To be eligible for this course, you must be a graduate student of Georgia Tech. This course may be especially helpful for PhD students who are in the beginning stages of working on their proposals and/or dissertations as it provides an overview of the overall structures and strategies of the academic research writing process.
PhD students who are already well into writing their dissertations may also benefit, particularly if they have found that there are some gaps in their fundamental understanding of how to meet the expectations of their readers. However, PhD students who are already well into their writing and have an advanced understanding of the research writing process would be better served by taking CETL 8723 Academic Writing for International Graduate Students in the spring, summer or fall semesters. You may register for CETL 8723 through www.oscar.gatech.edu.
Course Description
In this course, you will learn how to notice the ways in which experienced writers accomplish academic writing in a variety of different fields. You will learn how to see academic research articles from a writer’s point of view rather than only seeing them as texts that you read to acquire content knowledge. You will develop an understanding of the three structural levels through which the content of an academic research article is delivered, and you will learn how to decipher the organizational patterns followed at each structural level.
This course seeks to improve your writing by focusing on three interrelated primary goals:
- helping you develop autonomy (i.e., the ability to be self-directed) in your approach to learning about writing;
- providing you with a fundamental understanding of the basic principles of academic research writing;
- demonstrating how you can apply a specific strategic approach to published writing to improve your own writing.
Course Delivery & Structure
Online, Asynchronous
- CANVAS Platform of Georgia Tech Professional Education (GTPE)
- No scheduled meeting times. Complete the modules & assessments whenever you wish within the designated start and end dates of the course.
Course Outline
- Introductory Activities + 4 Modules
- 3-6 brief video lessons per module
- Most video lessons include electronically scored self-assessments.
- Estimated time for completing each module (lessons and assessments) 2-4 hours depending on the individual
- Electronically scored Comprehensive Assessment at the end of the course
- Open access to lessons and assessments until the course closes on November 6
- Repeat lessons and assessments including the Comprehensive Assessment as many times as you wish until the course closes
Grades
You will receive a grade of “P” (Pass) or “S” (Satisfactory) or “UE” (Unsatisfactory) based on your participation and scores on assessments in this course.
- If you complete all assessments including the comprehensive final exam and have an average of at least 75%, you will receive a grade of “P.” You will receive 2.5 continuing education credits (CEUs) and an official certificate of completion for the course from the Language Institute.
- If you complete 75% of the assessments and have an average of at least 75% on those assessments, you will receive a grade of “S.” You will receive 2.5 continuing education credits (CEUs), but you will not receive an official certificate of completion.
- If you complete less than 75% of the assessments and/or you have an average of less than 75%, you will receive a grade of “UE.” You will not receive any CEUs.
Cost and Registration
- $75
- The course will open on September 9. Participants will receive an e-mail on September 9 explaining how to get started in the course.
Semester Courses for Credit |
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Every semester, the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and the Language Institute offer credit courses to help non-native English speaking graduate students improve their communication skills in English. These courses are a semester-long combination of in-class instruction and individual one-on-one meetings with the instructor.
Fall 2019
CETL 8723: Academic Writing for International Graduate Students
CETL 8723-C TR 3:00-3:50 PM
CETL 8723-D MW 3:00-3:50 PM
In this class, students learn the cultural aspects of academic and technical writing, as well as the principles of organizing ideas clearly, completely, and cohesively. In addition, students will analyze common errors in both non-native and native advanced academic writing. Students will practice independent proofreading, editing, and also meet one-on-one with the instructor. Students will write biographies, perfect their resume, learn American-style email correspondence, and have the option to write acknowledgements, teaching and research statements, and journal paper reviews.
CETL 8796: Presentation Skills for International Graduate Students
CETL 8796-A W 10:10 AM-12:05 PM
In this advanced oral presentation skills class, students will improve their presentation skills in order to be more successful in spoken interactions in academic and professional situations. Students in this class are required to attend an assessment/planning meeting and are also provided opportunities for individual tutorials throughout the semester.
CETL 8797: Oral Communication for International Graduate Students
CETL 8797-A W 3:00-4:55 PM
This 2-credit class is designed to help graduate students become more accurate and fluent in both verbal and nonverbal English communication. The course is designed for students to work on fluency, accuracy, and appropriateness of spoken communication in order to help them participate more effectively and confidently in personal, academic, and professional situations.
How to Register for Semester Courses for Credit |
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Students can register for these classes like they do all other credit courses on the GT OSCAR website and search by semester and then by subject code CTL (Center for Teaching and Learning).
Support for International Teaching Assistants (ITA)
Observations/Consultations
Upon request, one of our instructors will come to observe an international teaching assistant in action. After the observation, the instructor will meet with the ITA for a one-on-one individual consultation to discuss teaching assistant strengths, identify areas for growth, and explore new strategies.
If you are interested in this option, contact Katherine Samford at katherine.samford@pe.gatech.edu to arrange the observation.
One-on-One Coaching
Language Institute language professionals are also available for teaching assistant coaching. An ITA may schedule a one-hour one-to-one coaching session to explore issues and resolve challenges in teaching assistant responsibilities
Screenings
Our Language Institute instructors can conduct a screening assessment to help international teaching assistants find appropriate support services.
If you would like to schedule a screening, please contact Karen Tucker at karen.tucker@pe.gatech.edu.
Questions?