English Language Proficiency Services

Syracuse University enrolls approximately 1,400 international graduate students from 130 countries .  As an international graduate student you may serve as  a teaching assistant during the course of your graduate program. Your role as a graders, course and laboratory instructor, and recitation and review session leader is integral to our community, helping prepare American undergraduates to think globally, adding immeasurably to the value and relevance of their education.

Recognizing that you may not be a native speaker of English and may have limited experience with American classroom dynamics and communication styles, the Graduate School provides a number of services to help you succeed as a students and international teaching assistant (ITA).

  • Language assessment: Once appointed as an ITA, you will be required to undergo the Graduate School’s English-language-assessment process. This consists of a 20-minute standardized test of spoken English and one or more interviews. You will be assigned a score based on a 4-point scale of English language proficiency. Most assessments take place during the TA Orientation Program in August.
  • English courses for ITAs: Three zero-credit courses, offered in conjunction with the ESOL Program, support ITAs whose assessment results indicate a need for help with English for instructional and conversational purposes. These are:
  • English Conversation Partners: As an international graduate student you are eligible to request hour-long weekly meetings with native or near-native English speaking fellow student for one-on-one practice in English conversation. To use this free service, submit an online Conversation Partner Request form.
  • ENL 600: Research Writing: ENL 600 focuses on improving learners’ academic writing. You will learn strategies to improve grammar, analyze and produce genres used in your discipline, and develop documents for academic job searches. During the course, you will be able to work on in-progress course papers, theses, dissertations, or job documents.

For more information visit the Graduate School at 304 Lyman Hall or email Shawn Loner.