Activities this Month

Semester Calendar

Upcoming Semester Calendar

Testing Calendar

Warner Hall 308
Pittsburgh PA 15213-3890
Phone: (412) 268-4979
email: eslhelp@andrew.cmu.edu

Language Support Check-in: Getting Started with ICC Support

Students need to attend a brief language support check-in to get recommendations for appropriate work and be added to our contact-list. Note: students should bring TOEFL scores, including sub-scores (an official copy is not required, but is useful).

Students who missed the scheduled check-in sessions at the beginning of the summer semester can stop in the ICC office for an informal check-in.

Talking the Talk

Talking the Talk is a series of seminars which focus on the language and cultural strategies NNES need in informal situations (e.g., job interviews, conferences, talking with clients and funders, departmental receptions, etc.).

• Small Talk
  June 4, 3:00pm - 5:00pm, Cyert Hall A50
  focuses on the underlying significance of social conversation and its culturally appropriate use in academic and professional situations (a challenge for many international students).


• Research Talk for PhDs
  June 7, 10:00am - 12:00pm, Cyert Hall A55
  helps participants learn to adapt the jargon of theirfield for a general academic audience, and to develop a concise and accurate overview of their own research projects in a brief talk. Because this seminar requires learners to talk about their own research, this seminar is intended for PhD students who have proposed or are actively pursuing independent research; participants must have substantial research experience.

Exploring Pittsburgh

June 5, 10:00am - 12:00pm, Cyert Hall A50

This seminar provides a basis to understand references, examples and analogies that students may encounter in their work at Carnegie Mellon.

Three Keys for Better Presentations

June 10, 10:00am - 12:00pm, Cyert Hall A55
June 27, 3:00pm - 5:00pm, Cyert Hall A55

This seminar helps students quickly improve the quality of their presentations and feel more confident as presenters by focusing on three key areas: audience, purpose and organization. Participants plan and then present on academic topics of their choice.

Building Fluency for Office Hours: a seminar for ITAs

June 13, 2:00pm - 4:00pm, Cyert Hall A55

This pilot seminar is intended for graduate ITAs who will work in office hours for graduate classes. The session will help ITAs recognize and begin to develop skills needed to be successful in office hours. Participants will become aware of key aspects of teaching fluency, work on aspects of pronunication crucial for communication with learners, and look at communication techniques needed in office hours.

Writing Academic Summaries

June 14, 1:00pm - 3:00pm, Cyert Hall A55

This seminar teaches students how to successfully write the various types of summaries that are required in many CM classes (reports, reviews, critiques, exams, etc.). Activities focus on identifying the key points in texts and summarizing these points in an accurate and concise way. Students will practice using their own words to condense material from outside sources.

Communicating Data Effectively

June 18, 10:00am - 12:00pm, Cyert Hall A55

This seminar teaches students how to describe and discuss graphs, figures, and tables when writing academic papers. The class focuses on techniques such as structuring a data commentary, summarizing findings, highlighting important information, and evaluating different data sets.

Revising for Clarity

June 19, 10:00am - 12:00pm, Cyert Hall A55

This seminar helps students improve the clarity of their writing by practicing how to structure sentences and paragraphs in a way that is consistent with the US academic style. Through examples and practice, students will learn how to compose their writing so that readers will interpret ideas as the writer intended.

Writing Successful Critiques

June 21, 1:00pm - 3:00pm, Cyert Hall A55

This seminar addresses common challenges that international students face when writing an evaluation or an analysis of another author's work. In this seminar, students will review and practice with the organizing structure and language typically used for critiques in the US academy.

Workshops Beginning in June

• Focus on Pronunciation
• Public Speaking Practicum