Graduate credit courses

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What's it like to take an English for Multilingual Speakers (EMLS) credit course? Reza Babaee, a University of Waterloo PhD student, shares his experiences taking EMLS credit courses for graduate students. 

English for Multilingual Speakers (EMLS) courses for graduate students

English Language Studies offers EMLS credit courses (formerly English as a Second Language (ESL) credit courses) for University of Waterloo graduate students whose dominant language is not English and who want to improve their English language skills.

  • All courses are four hours per week for 12 weeks.
  • No additional tuition fees are required.
  • Students are graded on a credit/non-credit basis. A numerical grade is not indicated on transcripts.
  • Times and locations of courses are listed on the Quest graduate schedule of classes.

Graduate EMLS Course Offerings

EMLS 601R: Speaking English for Professional Purposes

A focus on speaking, pronunciation, vocabulary, and listening skills helps second language speakers of English in both academic and professional contexts. The course targets pronunciation errors that prevent comprehensibility and develops delivery skills for teaching, presenting papers, and defending theses. It includes strategies for reducing errors in speech and improving listening comprehension.

EMLS 602R: Scholarly Writing in English

Designed specifically for graduate students for whom English is not the first language, English 602R introduces the skills and knowledge required to write a variety of informative and persuasive documents, both at university and at work. A primary goal is to enhance students' ability to write for readers with varying levels of technical knowledge. To that end, the course focuses not only on vocabulary building (including idioms) but also on clear, concise and correct communication.

EMLS 612R: Professional Writing for Engineers

Designed specifically for graduate students for whom English is not the first language, English 612R introduces the skills and knowledge required to write a variety of documents frequently required of engineers both at university and at work. The course goals are to teach the conventions of professional documents, increase vocabulary, and enhance the writer's ability to write clearly, concisely, and correctly.

EMLS 621R: Speaking Effectively About Your Research

Designed specifically for graduate students whose first language is not English, this course supports students in developing their communicative competence in oral assignments directly related to their graduate thesis work. Through oral-defense scenarios, students will receive extensive feedback on their speaking, listening, and paralinguistic skills to develop greater confidence in their thesis proposals, comprehensive exams, and thesis defenses.

EMLS 622R: Thesis Writing in English

This course develops the skills and knowledge required to write theses and journal articles. A guided analysis of academic texts clarifies disciplinary conventions. Written assignments are directly related to the student's research work, and feedback is customized. [It is recommended, but not required, that students take EMLS 602R: Scholarly Writing in English before they take EMLS 622R. It is recommended that students take EMLS 622R close to the time they write their theses.]