– For Students

The world-renown, award-winning Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison supports undergraduate students working on all kinds of writing projects. Below are some quick links to program resources:

• Schedule in-person or remote appointments with consultants
• Get written feedback on your writing, register for in-person and asynchronous workshops
• Find online and in-person writing once- or bi-weekly mentorships
• Connect with writing groups
• Review the UW-Madison Writer’s Handbook
• Find a writing event
• Contact a writing specialist

The English as a Second Language (ESL) Program is here to help international students. We have developed several teacher training programs for ESL teachers in Italy, China, Korea and Turkey, and the ESL program has also collaborated with Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan and Universidad Tecnológica in Uruguay to develop a writing program for their undergraduate students. Our highly talented and dedicated instructors have many years of teaching experience here and abroad, and our teaching faculty help run the many programs and courses that we offer.

• International graduate students with a TOEFL score below 93 on the iBt or below 580 on the paper-based TOEFL must take the Madison ESL Assessment Test (MSN-ESLAT) upon arrival. Some departments require the MSN-ESLAT regardless of TOEFL score. Graduate students should enroll in the recommended ESL course in their first semester based on the recommendation determined by their MSN-ESLAT test. Taking the recommended course will fulfill the ESL requirement for most students. Students may wish to work further on their English. People who want to enroll in ESL 344 (Graduate Academic Presentations), 345 (Pronunciation for International Grad Students, 349 (Writing for International Grad Students) or 350 (Professional and Academic Writing Skills) may do so without taking the MSN-ESLAT. See Course Descriptions for Academic Classes to find out if one of these classes meets your needs.
• Find out about placement
• Read more about ESL courses offered and course learning outcomes
• Finding testing information (MSN-ESLAT, SPEAK, IELTS, TOEFL)
• Read about our teaching faculty
• Read about our senior lecturers
• Find a tutor
• Become a teacher (TESOL certification)
• Read frequently asked questions
• Visit the virtual front desk on Zoom
• Contact the program

The Who We Are – Voices in Our Community Program is award-winning program brings together children and youth experiencing homelessness with local educators and University of Wisconsin-Madison students to support the young people in sharing their stories in a supportive and caring environment.

Our affiliate program, the Language Institute maintains Languages at UW-Madison, a website devoted to undergraduate language study. The site provides information on languages that UW-Madison student can study, publicizes news and events of interest to undergraduate language students, hosts a growing set of alumni profiles, and illustrates the many ways that language study can enrich every student’s Wisconsin Experience.

The Language Institute also administers the Doctoral Program in Second Language Acquisition (SLA), an interdisciplinary program that prepares students to research and teach in a rapidly growing field that investigates second language learning and acquisition, bi- and multilingualism, second and foreign language teaching, and the relationship among language, culture, identity and thought in diverse social contexts.

Researchers should check out our CTRW fellowship opportunities.

Interested in teaching writing at the university? Contact us.

The world-renown, award-winning Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison supports undergraduate students working on all kinds of writing projects. Below are some quick links to program resources:

• Schedule in-person or remote appointments with consultants (see also E100 and ESL programs for consulting services)
• Get written feedback on your writing, register for in-person and asynchronous workshops
• Find online and in-person writing once- or bi-weekly mentorships
• Connect with writing groups
• Review the UW-Madison Writer’s Handbook
• Find a writing event
• Contact a writing specialist

English 100 Program

The English 100 Program (E100) offers students an introduction to college composition that helps them prepare for the demands of writing at UW-Madison and also helps them think about writing beyond the classroom. The course satisfies the Communication-A general education requirement for undergraduates.

• E100 is designed to build rhetorical awareness in both written and oral communication. Assignments engage questions of audience, purpose, genre, discourse conventions, and research methods. Students use narrative strategies to explore abstract concepts; summarize and synthesize information; engage in conversations with the ideas of others; and construct arguments through original research. The course views writing as an act of inquiry, a means of communication, and a process. With this in mind, instructors emphasize drafting, revising, and editing as critical practices.
• If you’re an E100 student, you have access to the E100 Tutorial Program.
• If you’re interested in publishing your writing, there are occasional opportunities for students to publish on the E100 CompPost Blog.
• For more in-depth information on E100, see also the open-access E100 Course Readings, which include not only a comprehensive description of E100, but also provide examples of award-winning writing from professionals and students alike.

English 201 Program

The English 201 Program (E201) is a an intermediate-level writing course that satisfies the university’s Communication-B requirement for enhancing students’ literacy skills. Enrollment in E201 assumes that a student has successfully completed or been exempted from the Communication-A requirement.

• This course is couched at an intermediate skill level and has more experienced students (not being open to freshmen and requiring 3 credits of introductory literature as a prerequisite) and more challenging assignments, typically involving sophisticated readings, complex writing tasks, and very high expectations for student inquiry.
• Each section of the course treats a single issue, problem, or theme (or set of issues, problems, or themes) in depth, giving students the opportunity not just to work on general processes of reading and writing but to be initiated into the complex discursive practices of a particular literate community struggling with particular intellectual, cultural, and practical problems.
• E201 sections will vary from teacher to teacher.

Do you have a passion for writing in your discipline? Are you interested in helping others with their writing? Thinking of getting into teaching and learning about pedagogy? The Writing Fellows Program might be a great fit for you. Writing Fellows represent a wide range of majors, including sociology, political science, English, philosophy, molecular biology, physics, and history, and the program is always on the lookout for fellows.

Writing Fellows enroll in English 403, a three-credit honors seminar in the fall semester on tutoring writing across the curriculum taught. In the course, Fellows study writing in both practical and theoretical terms, not just as a way of thinking, but also as a means of communicating with others and as a practice that varies across disciplines and across social and cultural conditions.

• Read more about the program
• Apply to become a Writing Fellow
• Find all the info you need to get started

The English as a Second Language (ESL) Program is here to help international students. We have developed several teacher training programs for ESL teachers in Italy, China, Korea and Turkey, and the ESL program has also collaborated with Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan and Universidad Tecnológica in Uruguay to develop a writing program for their undergraduate students. Our highly talented and dedicated instructors have many years of teaching experience here and abroad, and our teaching faculty help run the many programs and courses that we offer.

• Most new and transferring international undergrads are required to take the Madison ESL Assessment Test (MSN-ESLAT) and enroll in the recommended ESL courses until they have completed English 118. English 118 fulfills the Communication-A requirement for undergraduates. After a student has taken an ESL course, instructors re-evaluate the student’s English language proficiency and recommend further ESL courses as needed. It is not necessary to take all the courses in the ESL sequence of 114, 115, 116, 117 and 118. Students may move from 115 directly to 117, for example.
• Find out about placement
• Read more about ESL courses offered and course learning outcomes
• Finding testing information (MSN-ESLAT, SPEAK, IELTS, TOEFL)
• Read about our teaching faculty
• Read about our senior lecturers
• Find a tutor
• Become a teacher (TESOL certification)
• Read frequently asked questions
• Visit the virtual front desk on Zoom
• Contact the program

Our affiliate program, the Language Institute maintains Languages at UW-Madison, a website devoted to undergraduate language study. The site provides information on languages that UW-Madison student can study, publicizes news and events of interest to undergraduate language students, hosts a growing set of alumni profiles, and illustrates the many ways that language study can enrich every student’s Wisconsin Experience. There is also programming and academic and career advising for bi/multilingual students on campus to support them in connecting their language abilities with their personal, academic, and career goals

If you’re a majoring in business, our affiliate program, the Wisconsin School of Business has communication classes specifically devoted to professional communication:

• General Business 360 – Workplace Writing and Communication: GenBus360, a required course in communication for all BBA students; fulfills UW’s General Education Communication B requirement. Students in GenBus 360 learn general workplace communication skills and explore specific communication practices in their future careers through individual research. Students develop their writing skills during the semester through a workshop process, which provides opportunities for students to develop skills in giving, receiving, and incorporating constructive criticism, while continuously revising their own written work. Additionally, students receive guidance and practice developing listening skills throughout the course and deliver formal and informal presentations. Instructors collaborate on designing assignments, developing activities, and improving all aspects of the course. Sections share common assignments, course policies, major due dates, and learning outcomes, and use common rubrics. At the end of the semester, one third of each student’s final grade is determined through a blind grading process, where instructors grade portfolios submitted by students they did not teach. Blind portfolio grading mimics a common workplace situation where the ultimate audience for written work may be unknown. In addition, blind grading ensures that students are evaluated only on the basis of the assignment criteria. In general, blind grading is recognized as a fair process used extensively in U.S. law schools.
• General Business 320 – Intercultural Communication in Business: GenBus320, a popular elective focused on cross-cultural communication. Students in Intercultural Communication in Business develop stronger cultural competence by applying models of cross-cultural communication theory. This theory helps them become flexible, reflective, and strategic communicators who can work effectively with diverse groups and individuals. The course structure emphasizes case studies, simulations, written reflections, structured discussion and dialogue, short lectures, practical research assignments, and student-led presentations.

Our affiliate program, the Instructors in Technical Communication Program teaches the major communication courses for undergraduate students in the College of Engineering. The Engineering Communication course (InterEGR 397) meets the University’s General Education (Comm-B) requirement and several engineering departmental requirements. A second course in Technical Presentations (EPD 275) is required by some undergraduate programs. Beyond these requirements, engineering and other undergraduate students from all disciplines may choose to earn the Technical Communication Certificate, which functions like a minor and further enhances their professional communication skills. The mission and learning objectives for the full Technical Communication program may be found here.

Young Writers Camps are creative, inspiring, and supportive summer camps for young writers entering grades 3-8. Participants write daily led by GMWP Fellows and experienced teachers of writing. Camp ends with a celebration of writing!

High School Writers Camps are four-day camps for high school writers that support a creative and engaging writing experience. Engage in the writing process, meet guest writers, and contribute a group anthology! Camp ends with a celebration of writing for family and friends.

KaBOOM!!! If you love graphic novels — and are a motivated artist who wants to draw all week— then Graphic Novel Camp is for you! BAM!!! Draw your own characters that tell compelling stories with images to create your own graphic novel. OH YEAH, ZAP!!

Rise Up & Write is a youth advocacy writing summer camp for high school students. Rise Up & Write provides youth with the opportunity to use writing as a way to raise awareness and create change.

Calling all future journalists! Join the Youth Press Corps to learn from experienced journalists, cover issues that matter to you, and publish your story!