English Language Center

Texas Global

Global Summer Institute Flourishes with International Faculty

People gather in a park filled with green grass with a beautiful view of the Austin City Skyline in the background on a blue sky day

GSI participants view the city of Austin skyline

In 2024, the Texas Global English Language Center (ELC) launched the Global Summer Institute (GSI), an innovative pilot program focused on experiential learning and cultural exploration.

Demonstrating the University’s commitment to hands-on learning and cross-cultural dialogue, GSI offers a rigorous four-week academic session with course options taught by UT Austin and visiting faculty members from around the world.

In addition to students from the United States, the GSI welcomed 155 international students from 57 institutions in China, England, Mexico, Thailand, and Taiwan to the Forty Acres.

Participants enrolled in courses taught by seven UT Austin professors, four faculty members from nearby universities, and four visiting faculty from universities in Mexico and Argentina. This faculty cohort provided diverse academic and cultural insights that deeply enriched the program.

Program participants select two from among 14 content courses across the fields of business, history, communications, engineering, computer science, and psychology. Additional English language courses, taught by ELC instructors, hone language skills including oral communication, reading, vocabulary development, note-taking, and academic writing.

Students gain hands-on experience in their selected fields of study by networking with faculty members and industry experts, immersing themselves in the U.S. academic language and culture and receiving instruction on the country’s university admissions process. Participants also attain opportunities to explore UT Austin’s world-class research facilities via campus tours.

GSI visiting faculty benefit from their own participation as well, experiencing hands-on engagement with the U.S. higher education system and academic culture. They teach courses in their academic specialties while networking with UT Austin and fellow international scholars and enjoy access to the University’s world-renowned research facilities and campus libraries. Read More

“In the inaugural year of the Global Summer Institute, we were thrilled to witness students and professors connecting intellectually, culturally, and individually. GSI truly exemplifies UT’s slogan: What starts here changes the world.”

— Michael Smith, Director, English Language Center

School of Information
Texas Global

Columbian Scholar Embraces Career and Culture

After completing undergraduate studies in computer science and software engineering in South America, Colombian graduate student Maria (they/them, first name only by request) wanted to pursue a master’s degree in the United States, but the process felt daunting, and culture shock seemed a certainty.

Fortunately, they learned about UT Austin’s resources to help international students and scholars navigate the U.S. higher education system, including the Academic English Program (AEP) run by UT Austin’s English Language Center (ELC). The center offers numerous English language programs and social events to help international students and scholars reach desired proficiency levels and find community across campus.

The Academic English Program is a full-time, intensive track designed to enhance students’ academic vocabulary. Besides English reading, writing, speaking, and grammar, students learn essential skills for achieving success in graduate school, such as formatting scholarly papers and giving technical presentations.

After finishing the AEP course, Maria enrolled in the ELC’s advanced-level English Language Program, which focuses on preparing students for work and daily life in the United States. They subsequently enrolled in UT Austin’s School of Information and are currently working on a master’s degree in data science. Read More

Close up UX developer and UI designer brainstorming about interface wireframe design on table with customer brief and color code at modern office

BY THE NUMBERS
(2022-2024)

1,467

PARTICIPANTS

COUNTRIES

AVERAGE TEACHER TENURE (YEARS)

McCombs School of Business
Texas Global

Japanese Student Discovers Passion for the English Language

In 2022, Hinako Nakayama and nine other Japanese students participated in a 13-week collaboration between Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) and UT Austin’s English Language Center (ELC). In Austin, they took English classes, audited University courses, and worked at internships with campus and community organizations.

As Nakayama took English classes in speaking, listening, writing, and grammar, she appreciated the hands-on ways the ELC taught vocabulary through context. When the class finished a unit on law, for example, the professor took students to a courthouse to watch a trial in action. These methods struck a chord for her.

Internship placements offered an avenue for APU students to build relationships, experience a taste of U.S. work life, and develop their language and cultural skills on the job. Nakayama began to understand American workplace norms while working with the University’s event planning department.

Social interactions provided further context and community. When Nakayama introduced herself to the class in her audited course, an American student learning Japanese offered to help her with the classwork. They began meeting to study outside of class.

Nakayama embarked on her study abroad experience with three goals: to improve her English skills, immerse herself in American work culture, and explore all that Austin has to offer. She finished with not only a new worldview, but also a deeper understanding of herself and a newfound passion for English language learning. Read More

“It is my team’s job to make [visiting students] feel at home through these experiences ... The more they get comfortable with that during the semester, the more I see them develop in other ways. They come out of their shell.”

— Rachelle Bumgardner, Special Programs Coordinator, English Language Center

Japanese ELC student Hinako Nakayama poses with a friend during a Longhorn football game at the stadium

Japanese ELC student Hinako Nakayama in a group shot with fellow ELC students wearing Texas Longhorns shirts in front of the Texas Global flag Longhorn

Japanese ELC student Hinako Nakayama poses with decorative western boots

Japanese ELC student Hinako Nakayama in a group shot with friends

Texas Global

Students Embrace Service-Learning in Puerto Rico

A group of Saudi Arabian ELC students pose for a photo in front of colorful buildings while on their cultural immersion trip in Puerto Rico. — A group of Saudi Arabian ELC SABIC students pose for a photo in front of colorful buildings while on their cultural immersion trip in Puerto Rico.

For a group of eight Saudi Arabian students, a week in Puerto Rico helping rebuild a community devastated by a hurricane became the highlight of a year of cultural immersion and academic exploration. The lessons they learned on the island made it the most transformative time of their lives.

“It was one of the most beautiful places on Earth,” said participant Abdulmalik Al Qahtani. “I loved that trip to Puerto Rico because it showed us how this culture works and how our help could change the lives of the Puerto Ricans affected by the storms.”

The SABIC Foundation Year Program provides scholarships for high-achieving recent high school graduates in Saudi Arabia to study at a university in the United States for 10 months, gaining skills that support college preparedness, leadership, and public service. The students then complete bachelor’s degree programs in the U.S. before returning home to work for five years at Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC), one of the world’s largest petrochemical manufacturers.

UT Austin has been a key partner for SABIC since 2010, via the University’s English Language Center. During the 2022-2023 academic year, coursework focused on STEM topics taught by UT Austin professors, as well as college readiness practices and English language learning, augmented by the service-learning project in Puerto Rico. Read More

“Being in a group where everybody does their job collectively has a big impact on the lives of others.”

— Abdulmalik Al Qahtani, Participant, SABIC Foundation Year Program