The current program guidelines were established by the Graduate Council in 1988. Each semester Academic Spoken English trains some 50-80 students from graduate programs across the University of Florida. Method Most ASE students have had considerable previous language study but little opportunity to communicate with English speakers. For example, students practice pronunciation using high-frequency words from their fields of study. Class work consists of actively practicing the public speaking and interpersonal communication techniques which learners will need to be successful as graduate students, teaching assistants, and researchers.
Small classes facilitate individualized diagnosis and practice.
In each course, this practice is based on different speaking situations. Courses also focus on cultural information, especially in the ways in which culture is reflected in language. ASE teaches strategies for learning from the English-speaking environment. To combat the cultural and linguistic isolation which many internationals experience during demanding graduate studies and research, students are given tasks which force them to interact with native speakers. They learn to relate to English speakers in culturally appropriate ways.