This page contains content from the 2008–09 academic year. For current information, visit the Harvard Extension School website at www.extension.harvard.edu.
Overview of English Language Study
A Student-Centered Approach to Learning
In Institute for English Language (IEL) courses, instructors guide you in building better learning skills. In class you have many opportunities to use the language as you lead discussions, make oral presentations, critique fellow classmates, and write and revise papers.
A Common Foundation
Every course begins with a common reading that establishes the theme for the term. Novels and other texts read for class build on the theme for the term. You examine educational, political, and environmental issues, and this in-depth study offers numerous opportunities to use English in an intellectually challenging, culturally enlightening environment.
Learning from Each Other
IEL students come from myriad cultures and backgrounds. In striving to discuss multicultural and global issues clearly in English, you and your classmates are encouraged to consider various perspectives, develop an appreciation for each other’s differences, and arrive at measured conclusions.
Program Resources
As an IEL student, you have access to several campus computer facilities and the Grossman Library, as well as a variety of materials at the Harvard Language Resource Center. At the lower levels of proficiency, conversational practice is offered with members of the Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement (HILR). Each term, IEL students compete for scholarships and book prizes awarded by the Emanuel and Lilly Shinagel Essay Prize Fund, and they also nominate instructors for awards in excellence in teaching and the promotion of IEL’s mission.