Contact Us
Texas Global English Language Center
2400 Nueces Street, Suite B
(512) 471-2480
elc@austin.utexas.edu
Courses for UT Graduate Students
We offer English courses for admitted international graduate students to improve their academic listening, speaking, and writing skills and to enhance students' English communication through a variety of functional areas.
Credit
All ESL courses are taken on a Credit/No Credit basis. They count as 3 credit hours for purposes of full-time enrollment but do not count toward students' degree requirements. Students are limited to one ESL course per semester.
Registration
Registration for ESL courses is done online through Texas One Stop registration. Students can register for these courses until the 5th class day. After 5th class day, email our office to be registered. We do not add students to ESL courses after 12th class day. These courses cannot be audited.
Courses for Oral Communication Improvement
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ESL 388S: Oral Communication (J-Hold Speaking Requirement)
Fall 2026 Sections
- Section 1: Fall 2026 TTH 11:00am - 12:30pm (Unique Number: 70730)
Section 2: Fall 2026 TTH 12:30pm - 2:00pm (Unique Number: 70735)
Requirement: This course is required for graduate students who did not pass the J-Hold English speaking screening within their first year of study.
Course Description: This course is designed to provide students with speaking skills they need to succeed in graduate school. These skills include the ability to deliver academic presentations in class and at conferences, to engage in meaningful discussions with professors and peers, and to communicate informally in and out of the classroom. Practice focuses on pronunciation, fluency, grammatical accuracy, and vocabulary development.
Eligibility: Any student who did not pass the J-Hold speaking screening is authorized to register for ESL 388S. Other interested international students should email our office at txglobal-jbar@austin.utexas.edu for permission to register.
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ESL 389S: Advanced Oral Communication
Fall 2026 Sections
Section 1: Fall 2026 TTH 2:00pm - 3:30pm (Unique Number: 70765)
Course Description: This course is designed for students who have completed 388S or want to further develop their oral English proficiency to help them thrive in their academic and professional careers. With guidance from the instructor, students set goals to sharpen oral communication skills. Practice focuses on skill development in pronunciation, fluency, grammar, and organization, tailored to students’ individual goals, with a particular focus on presenting academic research.
Eligibility: This course requires at minimum low-advanced English oral communication skills (CEFR C1 or higher). For questions about eligibility, email our office at elc@austin.utexas.edu.
Courses for Writing Improvement
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ESL 388W: Academic Writing (J-Hold Writing Requirement)
Fall 2026 Sections
- Section 1: Fall 2026 TTH 11:00am - 12:30pm (Unique Number: 70750)
Section 2: Fall 2026 TTH 12:30pm - 2:00pm (Unique Number: 70755)
Requirement: This course is required for graduate students who did not pass the J-Hold English writing screening within their first year of study.
Course Description: This course is designed to provide students with academic writing skills needed to succeed in graduate school. Students work on fluency, accuracy, vocabulary, organization, and style. Additional course topics include avoiding plagiarism and analyzing field-specific writing conventions.
Eligibility: Any student who did not pass the J-Hold writing screening is authorized to register for ESL 388W. Other interested international students should email our office at txglobal-jbar@austin.utexas.edu for permission to register.
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ESL 389W: Advanced Academic Writing
Fall 2026 Sections
Section 1: Fall 2026 TTH 2:00pm - 3:30pm (Unique Number: 70780)
Course Description: This course is for graduate students who have completed 388W or who want to further develop their written English proficiency to help them thrive in their academic and professional careers, especially those who are preparing academic papers for publication or are preparing to write their thesis or dissertation. Students analyze authentic academic texts from their fields to identify organizational patterns, stylistic features, and disciplinary conventions. They use these analyses to produce a significant piece of writing—such as a journal article, dissertation chapter, or literature review— tailored to their academic and professional goals. Course objectives include increasing control of grammar, syntax, and rhetorical structures by applying individualized instructor feedback, peer feedback, and self-evaluation to their academic writing.
Eligibility: This course requires at minimum low-advanced English writing skills (CEFR C1 or higher). For questions about eligibility, email our office at elc@austin.utexas.edu.
Courses for International Teaching Assistants (ITA)
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ESL 388T: Basic Speaking Skills
Fall 2026 Sections
Section 1: Fall 2026 TTH 9:30am - 11:00am (Unique Number: 70745)
Requirement: Graduate students who received a conditional pass (score 6.0 to 6.49) on the ITA English screening. Priority will be given to students who have active TA/AI appointments with student contact.
Course Description: This course is designed for international graduate students, particularly International Teaching Assistants (ITAs), who need to further develop their English-speaking skills before advancing to ESL 389T. This course focuses on improving fluency by strengthening foundational grammar, everyday vocabulary, and pronunciation. Through interactive activities and targeted practice, students gain confidence in their spoken English for both academic and professional settings.
Eligibility: Any student who received a conditional pass (score 6.0-6.49) on the ITA screening is authorized to register for ESL 388T. Other international students should email our office at txglobal-ita@austin.utexas.edu for permission to register.
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ESL 389T: Communication and Teaching
Fall 2026 Sections
- Section 1: Fall 2026 TTH 11:00am - 12:30pm (Unique Number: 70770)
Section 2: Fall 2026 MW 3:00pm - 4:30pm (Unique Number: 70775)
Requirement: Graduate students who received a conditional pass (score 6.5 to 6.99) on the ITA English screening. Priority will be given to students who have active TA/AI appointments with student contact.
Course Description: This course caters to international graduate students who have conditionally passed the ITA English assessment. Students engage in tasks such as discussions, recorded speech, and presentations and learn various strategies and tools to bolster their communication skills and confidence. Practice focuses on refining pronunciation, vocabulary, fluency, grammar, and overall communicative competence, tailored to students’ individual goals.
Eligibility: Any student who received a conditional pass (score 6.5-6.99) on the ITA screening is authorized to register for ESL 389T. Other international students should email our office at txglobal-ita@austin.utexas.edu for permission to register.