Columbia University American Language Program

Columbia University’s American Language Program is based in Lewisohn Hall on the university’s Broadway campus in upper Manhattan. Its Intensive Academic English Program is designed around sustained use of English across several skills at once. Rather than dividing every activity into a separate grammar or reading exercise, teachers can return to a topic through discussion, a text and an extended written response.

What team teaching looks like

Columbia describes two or three instructors working together on each intensive course. They choose themes and materials appropriate for the group and use those materials to develop vocabulary, pronunciation and accuracy. At suitable levels the material can include lectures, plays, films, newspaper articles and longer reading. Pair and group tasks allow students to test their understanding against other interpretations before working independently.

The programme expects work beyond class, including projects and assignments. It also describes frequent feedback on spoken and written English. Those details are especially relevant to a student preparing for an academic environment in which presenting an argument matters as much as understanding a lecture. Activities and workshops provide opportunities to meet other learners outside class. A prospective student planning to visit the programme office should arrange an appointment and use Lewisohn Hall as the campus destination.