English Language Development Support

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CTL English Language Development Support (ELDS) aims to help students communicate more effectively for their academic needs, and to equip students with strategies and tools to participate actively and confidently in the academic community. Our programs are suitable for both native and non-native English-speaking students, as we have resources designed to advance all students’ Academic English skills and unique supports for multilingual students who are learning English during their time at UTSC.

ELDS Offers

Academic English Health Check (AEHC) is a quick and confidential diagnostic tool that helps you understand your level of Academic English and recommends ELDS resources to help you achieve your academic goals.

Please visit https://uoft.me/AEHC.

Reading and Writing Excellence (RWE) pairs you with an expert writing instructor for support in developing active reading, critical thinking and reflective writing skills. This four-week personalized program will help you understand and meet university-level expectations in a warm, supportive and collegial environment. To learn more about the RWE program, including how to register, please visit https://uoft.me/RWE. Read our RWE bonus info sheet

Academic Language and Communication Workshops

If you would like to improve your English language and academic communication skills in our one-hour workshops (in-person or online), attend the Centre for Teaching and Learning’s Academic Language and Communication (ALC) workshops, consisting of four workshop series (i.e., Reading for Academic Success, Grammar, Academic Communication, and Academic Integrity), covering a range of topics, such as note-taking, mind-mapping, outlining strategies, critical thinking skills, paraphrasing and summarizing, common grammatical error patterns, how to communicate with professors, APA style, etc. Sign up for these sessions this semester by following the event links below!
Tip: Log into CLNx before clicking the registration links below. 

Academic Communication Workshop Series

What is the Academic Communication Workshop (ACW) Series?

The Academic Communication Workshop (ACW) Series is composed of two independent one-hour sessions to train students’ academic communication skills by introducing effective strategies for communicating with professors, participating in class discussions, delivering good presentations, and building professional networking.

Who is the ACW series for?

The ACW series is mainly designed for students who want to improve their communication techniques for academic success at the university level. Anyone who is interested is welcome to join our ACW series.

WINTER 2024 SCHEDULE: 

Session Title Date Time Format (In-Person/Online) Registration Link (CLNx)
How to Communicate with your Professors Effectively Monday, January 15, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ONLINE (Zoom) CLICK HERE
How to Communicate with your Professors Effectively Wednesday, January 17, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM IN-PERSON (AC221) CLICK HERE
Effective Skills for Presentations and Class Discussions Monday, January 22, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ONLINE (Zoom) CLICK HERE
Effective Skills for Presentations and Class Discussions Wednesday, January 24, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM IN-PERSON (AC221) CLICK HERE

Reading Skills for Academic Success Workshops Series

The Reading Skills for Academic Success (RSAS) series is made up of four independent one-hour interactive sessions focused on developing academic vocabulary, techniques for organizing and retaining information, and critical reading and thinking skills. Students are welcome to attend all four sessions, or to choose any combination of sessions most relevant to their individual needs and goals. The goal of each session is to help foster a smooth transition from high school to university by introducing students to effective strategies for vocabulary expansion, close reading, and information processing skills necessary for academic success at university.

What can students expect to learn in the RSAS workshops?

RSAS workshops empower students by demonstrating techniques for effective active reading strategies, vocabulary expansion, reading comprehension, critical thinking, and advanced organizational skills such as note-taking, mind-mapping, and conceptual outlining. Together, these skills are a vital component of academic success at university.

WINTER 2024 SCHEDULE:

Session Title Date Time Format (In-Person/Online) Registration Link (CLNx)
Key Strategies to Expand Your Vocabulary for Academic Reading Monday, January 29, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM  ONLINE (Zoom) CLICK HERE
Key Strategies to Expand Your Vocabulary for Academic Reading Wednesday, January 31, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM IN-PERSON (AC221) CLICK HERE
Improve your Notetaking Skills Monday, February 5, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ONLINE (Zoom) CLICK HERE
Improve your Notetaking Skills Wednesday, February 7, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM IN-PERSON (AC221) CLICK HERE
Effective Mind-Mapping and Outlining Strategies Monday, February 12, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ONLINE (Zoom) CLICK HERE
Effective Mind-Mapping and Outlining Strategies Wednesday, February 14, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM IN-PERSON (AC221) CLICK HERE
Enhancing Your Critical Thinking and Critical Reading Abilities Monday, February 26, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ONLINE (Zoom) CLICK HERE
Enhancing Your Critical Thinking and Critical Reading Abilities Wednesday, February 28, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM IN-PERSON (AC221) CLICK HERE

Grammar for Academic Writing Workshop Series

The Grammar for Academic Writing (GAW) workshop series emphasizes the centrality of grammar and editing skills in university-level writing, exploring these skills at both the sentence and paragraph levels. This workshop series aims to facilitate a smooth, nurturing transition from high school writing skills to the expectations of undergraduate academic composition. This is achieved by providing students training and active opportunities to practice academic English grammar, effective editing, and the revising strategies necessary for academic success at the university level.

Who will benefit from this grammar workshop series?

Any students who wish to improve their grammatical and editing skills will benefit from the GAW workshop series. Multilingual students and/or students with limited familiarity of grammatical rules and best practices in the context of written academic English will find these workshops a welcoming space to advance their skills in these areas.

WINTER 2024 SCHEDULE: 

Session Title Date Time Format (In-Person/Online) Registration Link (CLNx)
Avoiding Common Grammatical Errors Monday, March 4, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ONLINE (Zoom) CLICK HERE
Avoiding Common Grammatical Errors Wednesday, March 6, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM IN-PERSON (AC221) CLICK HERE
Editing and Revising Monday, March 11, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ONLINE (Zoom) CLICK HERE
Editing and Revising Wednesday, March 13, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM IN-PERSON (AC221) CLICK HERE

Academic Integrity Workshop Series

What is the Academic Integrity Workshop (AIW) Series?

The Academic Integrity Workshop (AIW) series is composed of three independent one-hour sessions to help students make a smooth transition from high school to university, by discussing the importance of academic integrity, strategies for crediting original authors, representing others’ work properly, integrating the ideas of others into writing, and using quotes, paraphrases, and summaries effectively. 

Who is the AIW series for?

The AIW is mainly designed for students who aim to raise their awareness of academic integrity and need to learn how to use evidence and cite sources properly. Anyone who is interested is welcome to attend the AIW series.

WINTER 2024 SCHEDULE: 

Session Title Date Time Format (In-Person/Online) Registration Link (CLNx)
Academic Integrity: Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing Monday, March 18, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ONLINE (Zoom) CLICK HERE
Academic Integrity: Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing Wednesday, March 20, 2024 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM IN-PERSON (AC221) CLICK HERE
Citing Properly: APA Style Monday, March 25, 2024 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM ONLINE (Zoom) CLICK HERE
Citing Properly: APA Style Wednesday, March 27, 2024 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM IN-PERSON (AC221) CLICK HERE

ELD consultations are confidential one-on-one meetings with a supportive instructor who can provide guidance, support, and resource recommendations to help you maximize your Academic English language skills. We love meeting our students and learning how to best meet your needs, and you are free to discuss your specific language support needs, ask questions and explore which supports best suit you and your learning style. ELD Consults can be booked on WCONLINE or you may reach out to Dr. Xiangying Huo or eld.utsc@utoronto.ca if you have any questions. 

Review the attached instructions on how to book an appointment: How to Book a WCONLINE Appointment (use the drop down menu on WCONLINE to select ELD Consultations).

Communication consultations are confidential one-on-one meetings with a supportive instructor who can provide guidance, support and feedback on a wide range of communication issues that crop up in academic interactions. The student and instructor can discuss how to tackle oral presentations, practise having conversations about an academic subject or work on pronunciation. Anything that involves using language to speak in a university setting is a welcome topic of conversation. 

During the appointments, the student presents the topic they wish to discuss, receives guidance from the instructor and then they work together before wrapping up with key takeaways and next steps. 

Appointments are available in person on Wednesdays from 10-11 a.m. in AC313 and online on Mondays from 10-11 a.m. through WCONLINE from Monday, Jan. 31 until Wednesday, March 27. If additional support is required after this date, please reach out to Velta Douglas at: velta.douglas@utoronto.ca.

Review the attached instructions on how to book an appointment: How to Book a WCONLINE Appointment (use the drop down menu on WCONLINE to select Communication Consultations).

Communication Cafés

Communication Cafés are welcoming, dynamic workshops with games and interactive activities specially designed to help you improve your academic and oral communication skills.

Winter 2024 Schedule Coming Soon

Tip: Log into CLNx before clicking the registration links below. 

Café Topic Date Time Registration Link
       

Click here to access CTL Student Resources, including the following ELD resources:

  • Academic Reading resources for English Language Learners
  • Academic Vocabulary and Grammar resources
English Language Development Support
Get equipped with strategies and tools to participate actively and confidently in the academic community.