Advanced language proficiency is not easy to come by, but is essential for success at Yale. It is a prerequisite for being given a Teaching Fellowship (usually beginning in the second year). It is also an essential part of being an active scholar and researcher in one’s field, and for being successful in the job market upon graduation. It also takes time. Our program is designed to give students an early start on this process.
The Yale ELP Summer Academic Language Program has been specially designed to help incoming PhD students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The program prepares incoming students for life in the US, New Haven, and Yale. The program is an intensive one, with a wide range of activities, including classes and conversation sessions with senior graduate students.
Instruction/Projects
Students will be oriented to life at Yale through language classes, presentations, discussions, and debates. Students will have many opportunities to speak in small classes and conversation groups, with topics ranging from practical necessities to cultural issues. Additionally, library staff will conduct weekly sessions introducing students to library resources, citation guides, and responsible scholarship.
Students will enjoy a range of activities including trips to New York and the Yale Outdoor Center.
Beginning a PhD program in a foreign country is no easy task. Our goal is to help students acclimate quickly to their new lives as scholars in the Unites States.