International Programs at Tufts University

English Academic Skills Program

Tufts English Academic Skills Program (also referred to as the University Preparatory Program or "UPP") is an English language and college skills preparatory program for pre-university and university students who are seeking academic study in an English language program anywhere in the world.

Academic Program

The Program will be divided into six independent 8-week long block sessions (“Blocks”) where students take part in intensive workshops that build students’ confidence in academic English, public speaking, academic presentation development and delivery, and academic research and writing.  Students also build personal confidence through our one-on-one and group academic support sessions offered during the week and weekend.

Each Block consists of two sessions.  The “Academic Block” last 6-weeks where students receive direct instruction through online classes and take part in specialized virtual tours introducing them to American culture. The “Developmental Block” immediately follows the “Academic Block” and allows students to conduct independent research and complete a project that will become part of their student portfolio.  The Program actively encourages students to select a project where they engage in their local community.  Student portfolios can be used as supplemental material on their college applications.

*Tufts UPP will observe Tufts Academic Schedule

Block Schedule 2021 - 2022

Sample Academic Weekly Schedule - EDT (adjust one hour earlier for EST)

Saturday and Sunday Academic Support Sessions are also available.   

Sample Portfolio Session Schedule - EDT

(adjust one hour earlier for EST)

Saturday and Sunday Academic Support Sessions are also available.   

Assessment

Diagnostic Test: Students will take the i-TEP test throughout the program that will allow for a thorough diagnostic of the level of students. This will be used to guide language-specific lesson plans throughout the year.

Grade Sheets and Transcripts: There are three sections to the Block Schedule assessment system: Course Grades, Class Competencies, and Evaluation of CEFR Language Skills.

1. Course Grades
   Grades for each course (including the portfolio session) are determined by content mastery which are listed on each individual course grade page. Content mastery demonstrates a student’s ability to understand the material being taught in each class and provides insight into a student’s ability to handle college-level work.
   
   
2. Class Competencies
   Classroom citizenship gives an indication of how well a student can perform in an American classroom. Specifically, it measures a student’s attendance and their ability to self-check for errors before handing in work, listen attentively, interact respectfully, ask for help when appropriate, use English consistently in the classroom (speaking, writing, internet searches) and actively participate in class (answer questions, ask questions, etc.).
   
   
3. CEFR Language Skills Evaluation
   Beyond the course grades, an evaluation of specific English language academic skills is done across the main areas of reading, writing, listening, speaking, and academic integrity to provide all audiences -the students, their teachers, and the universities to which students apply- a comprehensive understanding of the student’s linguistic development.

The skills are adapted from the Common European Framework of References for Languages with the exception of ‘Planning, Revising, Using/Giving Feedback’ and ‘Academic Integrity’ which represent students’ academic development. They are measured on an A1-C2 scale. Each of the student’s teachers provides an evaluation, and the scores that appear on the transcript represent an average of all the teachers’ evaluations for that student. Students who are struggling with specific skills are referred to Academic Support tutors for one-on-one study sessions.