The English Language Studies (ELS) curriculum is designed for (non-native) multi-lingual English speakers to foster effective communication in a variety of academic and professional contexts and facilitate their studies at MIT and their work beyond. Any multilingual undergraduate or graduate student earning a degree at MIT can register for an ELS subject. NOTE: As they focus on the expectations in writing for particular contexts, such as in a thesis, journal article, personal statement, or proposals, our advanced writing classes are open to native-English-speaking students as well, and many such students have taken them to great advantage.
The ELS program is a regular academic program and is open only to matriculated MIT students. Our grade- and credit-bearing classes meet according to the MIT academic calendar and involve homework and exams. To see the dates and times of this semester’s ELS offerings, see the MIT subject catalog. For sample syllabi, see the links below.
The English Evaluation Test
The English Evaluation Test, or EET, is offered prior to the start of each semester and is a requirement for all incoming international graduate students.
The Spring 2026 EET will be held in person on Wednesday, January 28th, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in room 2-105. Please bring a charged, wi-fi-enabled computer and review the video overview and other information about the EET here.
ELS Instructors
- Director and Lecturer: Eric Grunwald (egrunwal@mit.edu)
- Lecturer: AC Kemp (ackemp@mit.edu)
- Lecturer: Olivia Szabo (oliviasz@mit.edu)
Subjects and Sample Syllabi
| Subject | Sample Syllabus |
|---|---|
| 21W.217/218 Workshop in Strategies for Effective Teaching | |
| 21W.219/220 Foundations of Academic and Professional Writing | |
| 21W.221 Communicating in American Culture | |
| 21W.222 Expository Writing for Bilingual Students | |
| 21W.223/224 Listening, Speaking, and Pronunciation | |
| 21W.225/226 Advanced Workshop in Writing for Science and Engineering | |
| 21W.227/228 Advanced Workshop in Writing for Social Sciences and Architecture | |
| 21W.232/223 Advanced Speaking and Critical Listening Skills | |
| 21W.237 MIT Out Loud: Public Speaking for Bilingual Students | |
| 21W.238/239 Professional Communication in the Digital Realm: Social Media and Artificial Intelligence for Bilingual Students | |
| 21W.240 Imagining English: Creative Writing for Bilingual Students |
Concentration in ELS (undergraduates)
As part of the HASS Requirement, all undergraduates must complete a HASS Concentration of three or four subjects, depending on the program and level of entry. An undergraduate concentration consists of any three subjects in English Language Studies or related fields. The Concentration Advisor for ELS is Eric Grunwald.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wondering why MIT students would need English classes if they’ve “passed” the TOEFL or IELTS? Want to know how our classes differ from ESL classes elsewhere? See our FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) for the answers to these and other questions.