International Students Give English Language Program Mixed Reviews

After coming through the gauntlet of midterms and spending much of spring break in a state of acute relief and recovery, it occurred to me that, as challenging as being a full-time Columbia student is, the task would be much more difficult were I not a fluent English speaker. While a lot has been said about Columbia’s position as an international university reaching out to the wider world, what about those students from the wider world who come here, to Columbia?

This column is certainly not long enough to begin to address the wider question of what it means to come abroad to study at Columbia. However, a percentage of international students from non-English-speaking countries are still in the process of mastering English when they arrive. The question of what their experience entails, and what programs exist at the University to help these students, seems to be an important aspect of Columbia’s position as an international institution.

The American Language Program, tucked away on the top floor of Lewisohn Hall, is one of the oldest programs offering English instruction to international students. All international students arriving at Columbia are required to take the APL English Placement Test, and those who score below a 10 must take either one or two semesters of English language classes during their first year at Columbia. According to David Quinn, a senior lecturer in the APL, the program serves about 200 students per semester, drawn from the undergraduate and graduate schools.

But students who have come out of the program have expressed mixed opinions about its assistance with their English mastery.

“We didn’t have active discussion, active uses of English. ... We inertly listened to her [the professor] during the class,” said GS student Almaz Ayupov, who took the APL class last fall during his first semester at Columbia.

Almost all students have studied English for years before coming to Columbia—all applicants are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language—and they arrive to the APL with different levels of experience. Several students said they felt that the classes were poorly organized, and the wide range of student abilities made learning more difficult.

“I know that it’s not really possible to separate the different groups, but they should really consider where the students come from,” said Allessandra di Croce, a graduate student in art history.

Liliya Lohinska, GS, who took English classes at the APL in 2004, expressed that the APL was a poor introduction to the school.

“For international students going through [it], this program gives the wrong impression of what Columbia is all about,” she said.

In contrast, others felt that the program created a good entry point into the University. Tomomi Matsuhashi, GS, said that the APL course gave her more time to adjust to the new environment. But she also confessed that “in terms of my English, it was not as helpful as I thought it would be.”

In contrast, Francesco Fumarola, a graduate student in physics who went through the International Teaching Fellows course, said that the program was very helpful. Mingmin Shen, a graduate student in the math department, said that the program gave him basic English speaking skills. But he added, “The most important thing is to try to practice, to speak in real life.”

Several students said they had hoped for more continued speaking practice. Ayupov wished that there were more support for students after they had gone through the class.

“I need to fix my spoken language,” he explained.

Attaining mastery of English is something that these students must make a continual part of their lives at Columbia. As Fumarola said, “It’s not difficult to acquire the skills to talk to people, but to go from there to becoming a fluent speaker, it might take years.”
But balancing English speaking with their own course loads presents difficulties for some international students. “Students are under a lot of pressure to keep up with their own coursework,” Quinn said, “So it’s hard.”

chloe.smith@columbiaspectator.com