About the program...

The Yale Summer Academic Language Program has been specially designed to help incoming PhD students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The program seeks to prepare incoming students for life in the US, New Haven, and Yale. The program is an intensive one, with a wide range of activities, including classes, conversation sessions with senior graduate students, and directed self-study modules.

Students will be oriented to life at Yale through language classes (Speaking/Listening, Reading/Writing/Vocabulary, and Pronunciation), daily conversation sessions, presentations, discussions, and debates. Students will have many opportunities to speak in small classes and conversation groups, with topics ranging from practical necessities to cultural issues. During the program, students will also be introduced to Carnegie Speech, Pronunciation software designed to assess students' specific pronunciation difficulties and provide opportunities for correction and practice. Additionally, library staff will conduct weekly sessions introducing students to library resources, citation guides, and responsible scholarship.

Students will enjoy a range of activities including trips to New York, the Yale Outdoor Center, as well as theater and musical events. The program will also offer a range of sports/recreational activities including canoeing, kayaking, BBQ, baseball, volleyball, and basketball.

Beginning a Ph.D. program in a foreign country is no easy task. Our goal is to help students acclimate and adjust quickly to their new lives as scholars in the Unites States.