This year ISU’s international student population rose to 12 percent of the student population.

The students of Iowa State come from all over the world. Studying abroad appeals to many students, but language can cause problems for those interested in leaving their native country.

International students who come here don’t always have the proficiency with the English language to be able to attend regular classes. Fortunately, there are options for those students with little to no knowledge of English who want to attend Iowa State.

“We want to set students up for success,” said Barbara Schwarte, director of the Intensive English and Orientation Program. “Language shouldn’t be a barrier.”

IEOP currently helps more than 200 students learn English so they can get into regular classes as quickly as possible.

“Depending on the English proficiency of each individual student, the process of getting students through the program takes about two semesters, on average,” Schwarte said. “Some students come in with enough knowledge that they don’t need that much time, others need longer. Our classes are small enough that each student can get the personalized attention they need to be successful.”

IEOP teaches a variety of classes to help students learn English including grammar, writing and reading, speaking and pronunciation. There are six levels of every class, so the individual student’s classes are as catered to them as possible.

“Starting next semester, we’re going to be doing an experiment and offer an American government class specifically catered to IEOP students,” Schwarte said. “Part of knowing the language is knowing how the country works. Hopefully this will help give international students a more catered understanding of our government.”

It’s not always as simple as attending some classes for international students to learn such a complex language. Fortunately, there’s the Conversation Club.

There are two conversation clubs — one through the IEOP and the other through International Student Scholars.

“Every Wednesday at 3 [p.m.], our Conversation Club goes out to places all over Ames, both on and off campus,” Schwarte said. “They go to coffee shops, the City Hall and all sorts of other public places around Ames. It really helps the students learn outside the classroom as well as get to know our culture in a more casual environment.”

IEOP is also trying to make arrangements with the Chinese government to work with universities like Iowa State to help create more opportunities for international students.

“Most of our international students are from China, and if this comes to fruition, everyone will benefit by the collaboration of both sides,” Schwarte said. “It’s a global world. If there are things we can be doing to help bridge the gaps, more power to us.”