Language and Cross-cultural Support

More than 60% of graduate students at Carnegie Mellon are international students, and others are nonnative speakers of English who have attended high school or undergraduate programs in the US. Many of these students want to hone their language and cross-cultural skills for academic and professional success. Students can choose from sessions on

• how to give a strong presentation
• writing academic emails
• expectations and strategies for clear academic writing
• how to talk about yourself as a professional in the U.S.
• developing clearer pronunciation
• using accurate grammar
• building fluency, and more

Make an appointment with a Language Development Specialist to get individualized coaching on language or cross-cultural issues.

ITA Certification

The Student Academic Success Center (SASC) is also charged with certifying the language of International Teaching Assistants (ITAs), ensuring that nonnative English speakers have the language proficiency needed to succeed as teaching assistants in the Carnegie Mellon classroom. Students preparing to do an ITA Certification should plan to meet with a member of the language support team from the beginning of their first semester.

You can start by completing the ITA Language Certification Application.