Vermont State welcomes multilingual learners, including students whose first language is not English. Multilingual students from international and U.S. backgrounds enrich our academic community.
Vermont State offers multilingual students the ESL instruction, resources, and counseling to be successful while navigating an additional language and culture. Academic support resources include help with academic English reading, academic writing, listening, speaking, pronunciation, and cultural literacy. Services are available both in-person and remotely. Students can receive individual tutoring support or take courses designed specifically for multilingual students.
Our Pathway Program for English Language Learners on the Castleton Campus is designed for students who are working to achieve the English proficiency requirements needed for admission to their degree program. This program combines university coursework with intensive English instruction. Students in the Pathway Program take a combination of academic courses that count towards their major requirements alongside developmental English courses. All multilingual students, even those not in the Pathway Program, are welcome to enroll in Pathway Program ESL courses if helpful for their English development.
Community Resources
For Students
- Conversation Partners Program: International students will be paired with local students to learn languages and cultures together. Local students who plan to study abroad can also practice the language(s) before their trip.
- Language for Credit: Students interested in earning credits for language learning can consult with our office for further guidance.
- ENG 1050 | Language and Power: This course is essential for American students preparing to study abroad. It equips them with communication strategies and intercultural competence to navigate cultural and linguistic barriers. Students can find this course listed as ENG 1050, offered every spring semester in person at the Castleton campus
For Faculty and Staff
- Consulting Services: We meet with faculty and staff to help develop or gather materials for customized English language courses or workshops that support access to specific disciplines, such as English for Business or English for Nursing. We also work to identify potential barriers and inequities for multilingual students, including issues related to assessments, hidden curricula, and linguistic biases.
- Workshops: We offer on-demand workshops focused on inclusive, asset-based teaching for multilingual classrooms, covering topics such as intercultural communication, culturally sustaining pedagogy, plurilingual pedagogy, and universal design.
Tutoring for Multilingual Students
All of our Academic Support tutors and staff are excited to work with multilingual learners. Multilingual students seeking English language counseling and support can contact Dr. Mary Dinh, Assistant Director of Multilingual Student Services, at 802.468.1371 or Mary.Dinh@VermontState.edu to set up English language tutoring and cognitive counseling to meet your needs.
As Heard on Vermont Edition:
How Vermont State University supports its growing number of multilingual students
Mary Dinh, VTSU’s assistant director of multilingual student services, and Katy Culpo, a professor in the health, human movement and sports department, discuss their role in supporting these students. They also discuss the challenges of integrating language learning into traditional classroom models, and how academic English differs from the way many of us use English in our everyday lives.
Plus, recent VTSU graduate Samuel Koroma, originally from Sierra Leone, shares his experiences as a multilingual and multicultural student.
Questions?
For more information about Multilingual Student Services, the English Pathway Program, or to reach out with inquiries, project proposals, or potential collaborations, contact Dr. Mary Dinh.
Assistant Director of Multilingual Students Services
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Department
- Academic Support
- Student Success
Primary Office Location
Castleton Campus
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