ESOL Program
Activities
ESOL Resource Area
ESOL students have individual goals for improving their English. To support these goals, the University of Rochester Multimedia Center offers a comfortable resource area that is well-stocked with ESOL and other materials. Students will find
- ESOL texts, including juvenile fiction and resources for English language study, such as TOEFL/TOEIC test preparation, grammar, and writing materials;
- computers equipped with printers, internet connections, and language-learning software;
- a wide array of popular movies (American and international), TV programs, audio CDs, subtitled DVDs, videotapes, and ESOL listening materials; and
- a message board for ESOL students’ memos, advertisements, photos, and drawings.
The Multimedia Center staff provides an introduction to the facilities. Students with a current University of Rochester ID may check out books, DVDs or videocassettes; use viewing or listening materials in the center; or relax and read for a while.
For more information about the Multimedia Center, please visit
Multimedia Center.
Rochester International Council
We know that being separated from one’s family and hometown can be an intimidating prospect. To help students feel at home in the Rochester Community, the Rochester International Council matches families in the Rochester area with two or three ESOL students. These volunteer families host students throughout their stay at the University of Rochester, and families and their students meet once a semester for a potluck dinner. Host families are an excellent resource for learning about the city, transportation, and shopping. They’ll even invite students over for home-cooked meals!
- Students with an interest may volunteer to be hosted by a Rochester family. Rochester families will meet on occasion for dinners, museum visits, and/or local sightseeing tours.
- All Rochester host families and their hosted students will meet once a semester for a potluck dinner hosted by the Rochester International Council at the University of Rochester.
- The goal of this program is to share culture and advance ESOL students’ integration into the larger Rochester-area community.
For more information about the Rochester International Council, please visit
Rochester International Council.
Student Organizations
A Rochester education extends well beyond the classroom and involves a wide range of social activities. The ESOL program strongly encourages students to participate in their new community, and the best way to do this is to join one (or more) of the 249 student organizations, attend one of the many community events or international cultural events, or participate in the ESOL program social activities.
Student Organizations
For more information about the student organizations offered at the University of Rochester, please visit Student Clubs.
Campus Events
For more information about UR campus events, please visit
Hot Spots for Spring 2012
ESOL Program Social Activities
The ESOL program hosts free, monthly social activities that introduce students to American or University of Rochester culture and enable them to use their English in a comfortable, social setting. Conversation and classroom partners will also be invited to these activities.
For more information about upcoming ESOL Program social activities, please visit News and Announcements.
Workshops
Want to know more about American culture? Need help writing your resume or interviewing for a job? Workshops geared toward ESOL students are offered on occasion by the ESOL program and other departments on campus.
- The ESOL Program leads periodic workshops on academic and professional writing and speaking needs for ESOL students.
- The International Services Office (ISO) leads periodic workshops on American and University of Rochester culture for international students.
For more information about when and where these workshops are offered, please visit ISO Events and Workshops.