Starting a new school year can be frustrating. New classes, new roommates and new responsibilities can overwhelm anyone, but from an international student’s perspective, a new language and culture can accelerate stress fast.

Iowa State University has always encouraged international students to join its campus and works to ensure international students acclimate comfortably. 

James Dorsett, Director of International Students and Scholars, explains a few of the problems that international students regularly face.

“International students may potentially need to make use of the academic success center to help them continue to learn how to write papers in a more American style or the writing and media help center for the same sort of issues,” Dorsett said. “Or maybe the international student is taking a class and they don’t have the historical perspective or context to understand what’s going on in that class and they need a tutor to help them.”

Dorsett emphasizes that his job to assist international students with anything they need help with. If the student needs advice on their immigration status or how to renew their passport, they can go to the International Students and Scholars office located in the Memorial Union for any help, even for legal aid.

As a requirement to enter Iowa State University, all international students must pass a test to show they have some working knowledge of the English language. Each individual must meet the required minimum score for their English comprehension test. Dorset said the scores are averaged between areas like reading, writing and speaking, with an international student being knowledgeable in one area and lacking in another. 

“An international student might get here and have a very good ability to read English but it takes a longer time to get out what they mean to say,” Dorsett said. “And I have lived in other countries and have spoken other languages; I very well know that frustration of knowing what you want to say but you’re around intelligent people and you don’t want to sound stupid.”

Joan Chamberlin, senior lecturer of the English department, offers a solution with English Enrichment courses. Joan explains that there are two sessions offered during the fall semester. Session One focuses on presentation and discussion skills during the first half of the semester while Session Two, which starts on October 18, focuses on less formal discussion. The classes meet from 5 to 6:30 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All sessions are free of charge and are not worth class credit.

“[The English Enrichment course] is for international visiting scholars, staff, and graduate students who would like to improve spoken English skills,” Chamberlin said. “The goal of the classes is to enrich the participant’s ability to interact in English, whether at an academic conference, a departmental meeting, or a good old Iowa potluck.”

Chamberlin has taught the class for six years and enjoys meeting each student and hearing their stories.

“I have been enriching myself from knowing the individuals, learning about their research and hearing their perspectives on life in the American Midwest,” Chamberlin said.

Students who are interested in attending sessions for the English Enrichment Course can attend an informational meeting about both sessions Thursday, August 23, at 5 p.m. in Ross Hall in Room 406.