Special Programs

Special Programs

The intensive English program has been involved for many years in developing special programs for groups of participants with special interests and needs. Because of the rich resources available here at West Virginia University, as well as the willingness of many departments on campus to collaborate with us in offering programs to international students, we feel confident that we can tailor specialized programs for almost any group's interests, during any part of the year, and at the beginning, intermediate, or advanced levels.

Those who complete a special program will be awarded certificates of completion from the Intensive English Program at West Virginia University. In addition, each participant will receive detailed individual evaluations of their progress in the acquisition of English language skills.

Past Programs: The following special programs have been administered in the past:

Programs for Youth: Language Immersion Camps for High School Students

· For several years, high school students from Latin America participated in structured English classes in the morning and recreational activities and conversation classes in the afternoon. Volunteers from the community and the state helped participants practice their English in a social setting.

Chinese Business Executive Program

· For more than four years, visiting executives from Tianjin and Shanghai have undertaken a special program to develop their English proficiency, while attending courses in the College of Business and Economics. Their English courses have included one-on-one tutoring, American Culture, Communication Skills, Pronunciation, and Business English.

Korean English Teachers' Professional Development Program

· For two consecutive years this month-long program assisted in the professional development of groups of forty high school and middle school teachers from Korea.

Thai Scholars' Program

· For several summers, Thai scholarship students took academic English courses in a six-week program before transferring to other universities to begin their graduate programs.

Latin American Executives and Professionals Program

· This four-week summer Business English program focused on teaching English to professionals and executives from Central and South America. The program integrated English courses with presentations by guest speakers from the College of Business and Economics. Participants also had opportunities for interacting with the local business community.

Middle Eastern Women's Program

· This integrated skills class is multi-level and individualized. The women work individually with their teachers on reading and writing, but practice listening, speaking, and pronunciation together. The content of the course includes special work on practical concerns about life in Morgantown.

ESL Literacy Tutor Training

· Eighteen-hour workshops are given to prepare community members to become literacy tutors for ESL learners.

Intercultural Awareness Workshops

· For those who work in an intercultural environment, these special workshops of varying length provide tools to increase intercultural communication competence.

Aichi Shukutoku University Fall and Spring Programs

· The IEP has had, for several years, a special partnership with Aichi Shukutoku University in Japan. Each semester, the IEP has hosted 20-40 ASU students four four or five week programs.

Kansai Gaidai University Semester Program

· Another of the IEP's special partners, Japan's Kansai Gaidi University sends 12-15 students each year to spend the fall semester taking courses in the IEP

Japan College of Foreign Languages

· Each summer, 6-12 students from Japan College of Foreign Languages study English in the IEP before transferring into West Virginia University to complete their degree programs.

Other programs can be arranged as required.

To request more information about our special programs, please contact Helen Huntly, IEP Director, at hhuntley@mail.wvu.edu or write her at the following address:

Intensive English Program
P.O. Box 6279 Eiesland Hall
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV 26506-6297

Telephone: (304) 293-3604
Fax: (304)293-8642