In its commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive academic community, and smooth transitions into academic life at U of T, Academic Success created a series of workshops and events dedicated to empowering international students and those using English as an additional language (EAL).
The workshop Overcoming the Messaging that Your English ‘Isn’t Good Enough’ has been instrumental, providing resources both centrally and within the International Foundations Program. The workshop, Strategies for Expressing Your Ideas in Group Discussions, addresses challenges such as nervousness and perfectionism, offering practical strategies applicable to classroom and lab activities. This programming is led by Yaseen Ali.
Student feedback:
“A lot of the data was new to me [about] Lingua Franca English and Englishes. I like that the chat was used for discussion.”
“[What I found most valuable] were the tips (i.e., how to move conversation, dealing with discomfort, slowing down talking speed, practicing material, etc.) [The] supportiveness of facilitators.”
“All the workshops are beneficial to me. Especially the one about English speaking. It releases my stress”