Consider Short-term Contract Learning

If your group, business, organization, or college would like English as a Second Language training to address a specific need, consider short-term contract learning at the University of Minnesota.

These programs are ideal for:

  • students who need to improve their English for academic studies
  • students who want to improve their intercultural communication skills
  • business and technical professionals
  • health professionals working in international settings
  • legal professionals working in international contexts
  • professionals working in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, & math)
  • teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL)

What We Offer

A Minnesota English Language Program representative will work with you to select the courses that meet your group's goals. Courses can be taught on campus or at your work site.

Core program components to choose from include:

  • Practice your reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills to help you be successful in your undergraduate or graduate studies.
  • Learn strategies to be an effective communicator in a US university.
  • Interact with faculty, staff, and students at the University of Minnesota.
  • Develop strategies to improve networking, teamwork, and written communication.
  • Practice giving business presentations and interacting in fast-paced meetings.
  • Meet students, faculty, and staff in business majors at the University of Minnesota.   
  • Build your communication skills to work effectively with coworkers, supervisors, and clients.
  • Develop technical language needed for industry-specific settings, such as manufacturing, food services, facilities management, and other contexts.
  • Enhance language skills needed to advance to supervisory positions.
  • Build your knowledge of healthcare vocabulary.
  • Develop your conversational English for patient care.  
  • Strengthen your intercultural communication skills for use with patients and other healthcare professionals.
  • Interact with students, faculty, and staff in health sciences majors at the University of Minnesota.
  • Develop your knowledge of the US legal system and important legal terminology.
  • Practice writing legal arguments, briefs, and memos.
  • Increase your fluency in spoken English for legal work such as presentations, negotiations, and mediations.
  • Network with law students and legal professionals at the University of Minnesota.
  • Increase your knowledge of STEM vocabulary.
  • Practice communicating about complex scientific concepts in your field.
  • Develop skills for technical writing and giving academic presentations.
  • Meet students, faculty, and staff in STEM majors at the University of Minnesota.
  • Explore US culture and cultural values 
  • Learn about and practice communication styles common in the US.
  • Develop confidence in using conversation strategies for small talk and networking in informal settings.
  • Participate in various cultural outings to experience US culture in Minneapolis.
  • Develop greater awareness of English language learner needs and best practices in language instruction.  
  • Practice various language teaching methods and get feedback from your peers. 
  • Network with language educators at the University of Minnesota.

Additional Options

Additional components that can be added include:

  • Extracurricular activities such as field trips and guest lectures
  • Cross-cultural training
  • Technology for teacher education
  • Teaching and learning in international settings
  • Experiencing American culture
  • Classroom observations
  • Test preparation for TOEFL or IELTS
  • Pronunciation improvement

Previous short-term programs include:

  • A six-week, winter term program for Japanese university students studying academic English and American culture
  • A fall semester academic English and American Culture program for students from Qingdao, China
  • A program training Chinese EFL teachers for teaching science and technology through English in Xi’an, China
  • Specialized business communication courses for various international and US-based businesses

“I wanted to learn more about speaking English, as well as American culture … [The program] will really help me as I work to a career in business and art.”  

Li Ning, Qingdao University, China, program participant