Graduate Language Intensive

Offered each summer, our optional, one-credit language intensive offers incoming multilingual and international grad students with a vital linguistic, cultural and academic foundation for advanced study in the US. Learn more about it below.

Graduate Language Intensive (GLI) will help you expand your English-language skills in preparation for writing, critique, presentations, understanding lectures and advanced readings and other grad-school communication work. 

This is not a traditional language class—we draw all course materials from academic fields and interests surrounding your graduate study at RISD. The course is taught by RISD’s Center for Arts and Language, and will be offered both virtually and in person.

The virtual option runs July 8–August 2 and consists of twice-weekly live Zoom sessions, individual meetings with the instructor and coursework via Canvas, our course management platform. The weekly time commitment is approximately 10 hours.

The in-person option runs August 19–23 at the Center for Arts & Language’s office in the Fleet Library. It consists of five immersive days of lessons, daily assignments, meetings with the instructor and introductions to resources on campus.

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Two people are engaging in a peer tutoring session at a desk in the Center for Arts & Language.
Center for Arts & Language

Working with peer tutors and the center’s professional staff, you’ll gain confidence and skills in written, spoken and visual communication.