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An excellent preparation for your first year at the Graduate School.

• -Intensive four-week language program focusing on American culture

• -Introduction to the American classroom

• -No cost to participants

• -Guaranteed housing in a Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Residence Hall

• -Opportunities to meet fellow students and GSAS faculty

How long does the program last?

The program begins Sunday, July 26 and ends Thursday, August 20, 2009.

How much will the program cost me?

Tuition for the program is paid for by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS). Housing in a GSAS residence hall and some meals will also be provided free of charge. Program participants will need to provide for the rest of their meals plus other living expenses such as clothing, telephone calls, and entertainment.

How many hours a day will I attend classes?

Classes will be from 9 a.m. until 12 noon and again from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. There will also be homework expected of you in the evenings.

Will there be time to take care of important tasks such as apartment hunting?

While classwork will be intensive, accommodations will be made to allow students time to take care of important tasks outside of class.

What will I learn in the program?

The program will provide an excellent opportunity to improve your English skills before courses begin in September. It will also provide an introduction to American culture, and is especially designed for those students without much previous extensive exposure to the United States.

In addition, it will address issues related to being a student and a teacher in the American classroom - academic expectations, cultural norms, etc.  This preparation will be particularly helpful if you are scheduled to teach early in your program.

I have already had a lot of English classes. How will this one help me?

This program is designed to emphasize the use of English in a variety of situations, ranging from the academic to day-to-day conversation. The course will also highlight the four skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

How many students will attend the program?

We expect that there will be approximately 45 - 50 students in the program, with 15 students per section.

Who will the other students in the program be?

The others in the program will be like you, students enrolled in PhD programs who have not had much direct exposure to American culture or the English language and who wish to get an early start on their studies at Harvard. GSAS enrolls students from more than 50 different countries, so we expect the participants to have a wide variety of geographic backgrounds.

Who will teach the course?

Instructors from the Harvard Institute for English Language Programs (IEL) will staff the program. These instructors all have strong academic backgrounds. The curriculum for the course has been developed by the IEL, the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, and a GSAS advisory committee of faculty and students.

Whom else might I meet during the program?

You will have the opportunity to meet and hear from continuing GSAS students, both international and American, as well as undergraduate students, and Harvard faculty members.

Where will I live during the program?

We have made arrangements to house all the program participants in a GSAS residence hall.

How much will housing cost me?

Housing in the GSAS residence hall for the four-week program is free.

When can I move into my room?

You can arrive as early as Friday, July 24, and you should have moved in to your room in the residence halls by Saturday, July 25.

Will I have a roommate?

No. All the rooms are singles. There is a shared, single-sex bathroom, a lounge, and a kitchen on each floor.

I can't come to the first couple of weeks of the program. May I arrive late?

No. You must be able to attend the full four-week program.

What if I will be living off-campus or in Harvard-affiliated housing? Can I still live there and attend the program?
Yes. Students are not required to live in the GSAS residence hall during the program. However, GSAS will only pay for accommodations in a GSAS residence hall.

My spouse/family is planning on accompanying me to Harvard. Can they live in a residence hall during the program?

Unfortunately, we are only able to house program participants in a GSAS residence hall.

I intend to live in a GSAS residence hall during the academic year. Will I be able to move into the room I'll be living in during the academic year when I arrive in late July?

Probably not. The program participants will be housed together in Richards Hall and it is unlikely that you will have the same room in the academic year that you will live in during the summer.

What about food?

Some lunches will be provided during the program. In addition, you will be given some financial credit on your Harvard identification card that will allow you to purchase meals at a campus restaurant. Evening and weekend meals will not be covered. However, the residence hall where you will be living is equipped with kitchens for your use.

Do I need to do anything different about my visa?

You should have already received from the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid information about financial certification for applying for your visa. If you decide to participate in this program, we will send you a second financial certification packet.

Will I be covered by health insurance?

Yes. You will receive full coverage under the Harvard University Health Services, as well as by Blue Cross/Blue Shield medical insurance from the day you arrive at Harvard.

Why was I chosen for this program?

GSAS asked departments to recommend students whom they believed could most benefit from an early introduction to American culture and English language practice.

My department expects me to work in a lab and/or do lab rotations in July and August. How can I do that and attend the program?

Participating departments have recognized the long-term educational benefits of this program and will allow students to devote the necessary time and attention to the program.

I'm in the natural sciences and I expect to receive a stipend from my department. Will it start at the end of July?

Those students in the natural sciences who are due stipends will receive them as soon as they register for the ELP.

Will this program help me to prepare for the English Language proficiency requirement?

English language proficiency will be determined by scores on the Speaking section of the TOEFL IBT exam.  Students who are not proficient will be required to take an Institute of English Language (IEL) course sometime during their first or second year.  The ELP classes are taught by IEL instructors.  These classes will assist all participants in improving their oral and written skills.  For those students who are not proficient, the summer classes will provide an introduction to IEL and will serve as a foundation for additional courses taken in the future.

Whom can I contact if I have any questions about the program?

You can call either Phoebe McKinnell or Rise Shepsle at 617-495-1814 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Eastern Time. They can also be reached via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Comments from past participants in the program

"The English Language Program to me was much more than just a language program. It's a cultural immersion, a great opportunity to make new friends (especially with those newcomers to the United States just like me), and above all, an excellent form of entertainment."
Student in Division of Medical Sciences, China.

"When I was trying to decide on joining the program, my biggest concern was its timing. Joining it meant having to come to Cambridge a month earlier than everybody. It sounded bad from back home, but once I was here I knew that it was really worth it."
Student in Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Turkey.

 
"When we came here in August we were all foreigners willing to integrate and make friends. Meeting every day with colleagues from the ELP provided an opportunity to socialize and make real friends. Later, during the regular term we didn't have enough time to do it and most new relationships were rather superficial, while the old friends from ELP are still in touch!"
Student in Earth and Planetary Sciences, Poland.

"I would never have gotten used to life here, both in Boston and Harvard, so quickly without taking the ELP. In this program you will learn a lot of things such as the language, American customs and culture and how to be a good Teaching Fellow."
Student in Chemistry, China.
"It was obvious, throughout the entire course, that a lot of time, resources and effort were invested in trying to establish something valuable. And it was a big success. It gave me a great opportunity to be here with a "clear mind"; to get to know Cambridge and Harvard, and to make new friends from various disciplines, before the academic year begins."
Student in Middle Eastern Studies, Israel.

"Studying successfully at Harvard is a challenging task. The ELP prepared us in an efficient way, not only by improving our language skills, but more importantly by providing us with information on American society and classroom culture. Furthermore, it was a unique opportunity to learn more about unrelated fields, from Archeology to Zoology."
Student in Division of Medical Sciences, Germany.

"ELP helped me to begin adjusting to a new culture, make friends from different departments, know where and who I can ask for help, and learn living skills in a new environment with a group of excellent students and teachers. It is a wonderful transition!"
Student in Division of Medical Sciences, China.

"Adjusting to a new place is not an easy task, especially in a foreign country. Studying at Harvard is challenging and it takes all your time. However, by the beginning of the fall term, I had already passed through the hardest stage of my adaptation. It was not as much about language as about another culture, even a different academic culture. It was also about making friends and becoming part of a very diverse and busy community. I am grateful to the ELP program for an informal and helpful environment that was created and maintained so that incoming students would organize their life here, feel a flavor of Boston and Cambridge, and learn what to expect from the graduate school and what the school would expect from them."
Student in Anthropology, Russia.