Students and faculty share how EIL program supports students academic adaptation
With 56% of BYUH students being international, those whose first language is not English are required to take an English proficiency test, according to BYUH International Student Services and Admissions websites. Based on their results, students may be placed in the English as an International Language Program for one to three semesters.
Nathasha Gillette, faculty supervisor for EIL tutoring program, said the program offers weekly one-on-one 30-minute sessions to support students’ language learning and academic adaptation.
As an assistant professor in the Faculty of Education & Social Work, Gillette explained that academic adaptation is more than language. It also includes study skills, classroom participation and personal support that affect academic performance. “Unlike an English school that focuses solely on test preparation, this is a university where we prepare students to graduate by integrating social and academic skills to succeed.”
Different types of academic adaptations, but not limited to:
Study Skills
- Time management
- Test preparation
- Critical thinking and analysis
- Navigating assignments and academic resources
Language Skills
- Academic reading and writing
- Academic listening strategies and vocabulary
- Oral presentation
Confidence and personal support
- Express ideas in English
- Be comfortable in making mistakes
- Adjust to culture shock, homesickness or stress that affect academics
Classroom culture
- Practice in discussion
- Ask questions
- Collaboration
- Adjusting to U.S. educational norms
Fresh start
Jinhyeok “Jayden” Kwon, a hospitality and tourism management (HTM) freshman from South Korea, said the tutoring program “is a blessing.” As someone who had never studied abroad before, he said he found EIL classes and tutoring not only improved his language proficiency but also supported his adaptation to the more collaborative U.S. academic culture. It helped him hone study habits, develop critical thinking, prepare for his major and understand pragmatics.
Kwon said his main challenge in his first semester at BYUH was using appropriate vocabulary for specific contexts. With only English reading and writing emphasized in South Korea, he said “the English I learned back home was different from what’s used here. In South Korea, I learned advanced vocabulary, but here people use conversational words.”
Kwon continued understanding new, unfamiliar concepts was also difficult because “I had to catch up with English while also processing new concepts in both languages.”
With the help of his well-organized and resourceful EIL tutor, Kwon said he managed to meet his professors’ academic expectations and develop language learning strategies. “My tutor separated all language skills and showed methods to improve each skill. With unfamiliar topics, she helped simplify concepts and explain them in clear words.” He added her approach addressed his needs and improved his language skills.
Kwon said the EIL program and tutoring also prepared him for his major. “HTM isn’t only hospitality—you must understand global factors, like economies and social dynamics. In EIL, the topic ranged from science to social life and economics, which broadened my perspective.” It sharpens his critical thinking, he said, by helping him form opinions from multiple angles.
Preparing to engage in worldwide professional discussion, Kwon said he can now understand a variety of English accents and perspectives—something he could not do at the start of his EIL classes. “Even though we all here speak English, when people share opinions influenced by their country or culture, I used to catch the words but miss the deeper meaning. Now, I can catch the nuance and context,” he said.
More than a source to improve academic English, Kwon said his EIL tutoring sessions and classes became an integral part of his overall learning at BYUH. “I also talked with my tutor about life lessons, questions of life and how to apply what I learned in class to real life. If I didn’t, my college degree would just be a piece of paper. I don’t want to waste my time.”
Total support
Gillette said tutors support students in ways faculty can’t. “Many tutors came through EIL themselves, so they understand time management and learning in another language.” Being peers in similar situations, she continued, tutors reduce stress by sympathizing and sharing relatable experiences to students personally.
Because most tutors are TESOL majors, Gillette said, they’re equipped with strategies to teach English learners. Tutors model learning strategies, reinforce expectations and provide accountability and encouragement outside of class which makes the program extend classroom instruction.
EIL tutor student supervisor Sawalee Saengchai from Thailand said the real purpose of the tutoring isn’t only to strengthen English skills but also to help peers overcome academic and personal challenges. “I see my tutees as peers, not just ‘students,’” she said. “That way, it’s about collaboration and two-way conversation, not a one-directional relationship.”
From her experience as both an EIL student and now a tutor, Saengchai said one of the most common struggles is building resilience and consistency. “Language learning isn’t something you see progress in right away,” she said. “It takes persistence to keep going even when improvement isn’t obvious, which can be frustrating.” Tutors, she explained, can suggest strategies, but ultimately students must take ownership of their learning.
I also talked with my tutor about life lessons, questions of life and how to apply what I learned in class to real life. If I didn’t, my college degree would just be a piece of paper. I don’t want to waste my time.
Gillette said the goal of the program is to help students become independent learners who can succeed beyond EIL, especially when transitioning to a Western, interaction-based education system. “Without EIL, students would be less prepared to clarify, ask questions, and engage,” she said. “This program builds both language ability and the skills to function in a classroom culture that values participation, continuous engagement and negotiation of meaning [or back-and-forth conversation to reach understanding].”
Although Kwon was already familiar with after-school tutoring back home, he said the EIL program stood out and recommended it to new students. “Some might misunderstand the purpose of EIL as only for studying English,” he said. “But it also helps you adapt to life at BYUH.” Coming from a rigorous education system, Kwon said he found the school here more relaxed and more dynamic with peer and professor support.
Gillette said instructors in other departments can also support EIL students’ adaptation by explaining cultural norms in class, much like the EIL program does. “We want students to understand what the expectations are here and to appreciate different ways of doing things across cultures,” she said.
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