Instructional Programs
Program in English as a Second Language
The English Department's Program in English as a Second Language provides a variety of options for students to improve their language skills for academic or professional purposes. Offerings include Intensive English courses, Academic English courses, and a Summer English Language Institute. The International Teaching Assistant Training program helps non-native English speaking TAs (or potential TAs) improve oral communication and classroom teaching. English Language testing (ESLAT, SPEAK, MELAB) is also available. Graduate, undergraduate or Special students (who have completed an undergraduate degree) who wish to teach English as a foreign or second language may also take part in the popular Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Certificate program.
The Writing Center
Since its start as the Writing Laboratory in 1969, the Writing Center at Madison has helped literally tens of thousands of University of Wisconsin students, both undergraduate and graduate, learn more about writing and has helped them successfully complete course papers, theses, dissertations, and articles for publication. To provide this help, the Writing Center offers individual instruction, non-credit classes, and instructional materials.
The Writing Fellows Program
Writing Fellows are undergraduate students from a variety of majors, chosen in a carefully designed and highly competitive application process, trained as tutors in an intensive honors seminar, and assigned to Writing Intensive or Comm-B courses in which they work closely with professors as well as student writers. Fellows read and critique drafts of two formal papers; in addition to making marginal comments, they write extensive endnotes designed to identify and explain key areas for revision.
Writing Across the Curriculum
Writing Across the Curriculum provides resources and training to faculty and teaching assistants in all disciplines--at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and beyond--who want to find effective ways to use writing assignments in their content courses. The WAC web site includes hundreds of pages of advice and samples designed to help instructors create effective and innovative writing assignments, teach students about writing, coach students to succeed with assignments, or respond to student papers.
The Technology Fellows Program
The Technology Fellows Program promotes not only technological expertise but increased understanding of how this expertise can best be applied to different teaching situations in the English classroom. Through workshops, individual instruction, and the Technology Fellows Seminar, the program has helped department faculty and graduate students integrate technology into teaching and explore classroom uses of technology as possible ways of achieving pedagogical goals.
UW Odyssey Project
Since 2003, English Professor Emily Auerbach has directed the UW Odyssey Project, a two-semester six-credit evening program for adults in our community facing economic barriers to higher education. Students receive free tuition, books, and childcare through generous grant funding and private donations. As they explore great works of literature, philosophy, American history, and art history, students gain a new sense of empowerment and develop sharper writing and critical thinking skills. For many, the UW Odyssey Project becomes the gateway out of poverty and a chance to begin the journey toward college degrees.
(rev. 10/2007)
