When I came to the United States, I was barely fluent in spoken English, although on paper I seemed competent in the language. In fact, it turned out the English I had learned over the course of my middle and high school years was quite different from American English.

When you’re not comfortably fluent in the language of your “new home,” a casual chat can rapidly turn into a rollercoaster of confusing words. I could barely even understand the information that the immigration officer told me when I landed in the U.S.

Now, after two years, I can proudly say that my English is lot better than it used to be, although I’m still trying to improve my speaking skills. To get there, I had to understand that assimilating to a language is an art. You have to feel it, visualize it, and experience it yourself. It’s an art that you create, not that you learn. Here are the four ways in which I have crafted my own art of fluency.

1. The Craft of Listening



Have you ever heard of leeches? There are slimy and tiny worm-like organisms that can suck human blood without even getting noticed. A leech will absorb as much blood as it pleases, and then instinctively lets go and begins its well-deserved digestion break.

I know, you must be wondering why I would talk about leeches in an article about learning English. But actually, those little creatures can teach us a lot about the approach to take when learning English. If you really want to be comfortable with daily spoken English, you have to start absorbing the language as much as you can.

It doesn’t matter how, where, or when. Just let yourself consume the language. It may feel like you’re not learning anything because you’re just hearing thousands of words you don’t understand, but trust me, your brain is subliminally integrating English into you.

I did this by watching television, turning up the radio, or even listening to strangers’ conversations — which is great until you get caught.

I also used an English-only dictionary to try to understand words in their proper context, rather than using a translation dictionary to learn what words meant in my native language (French).

One of my ESL instructors, Christiane Galvani, told us one day that every step we take towards our native language is a step backwards in English. Honestly, this is one of the best pieces of advice about language assimilation I’ve ever heard. It is so true; each time I was only speaking in French, it would hold me back from actually progressing in English.

2. The Craft of Watching



My other ESL instructor, Melanie Dando, used to tell us, “If you feel too comfortable, you’re probably speaking with an accent.”

One way to break the habit of speaking in your native accent is to watch videos on YouTube (or any other video site that has transcripts or captions) and try to emulate what the host is doing as you read from the transcript. I always try to exaggerate the sounds and overstress the pronunciations so I get more comfortable with the correct sounds.

It also helps if you do this in front of a mirror. This is another piece of advice from my ESL instructor Mrs. Galvani. Watching yourself as you speak helps you visualize the way you're moving your mouth. One thing I personally realized is that in English you have to hold your tongue a very particular way to pronounce certain words.

One of the most challenging sounds for me was the sound “th” in words such as “though,” “thus,” “through,” or “threat.” Sometimes that sound would come out sounding more like “v” in words like “the” or like “f” in words like “threat. At the beginning I felt really uncomfortable trying to mimic the correct tongue position, but that just meant I was breaking my incorrect habits. I tried to vary the way I moved my mouth until I figured out what worked best to let me make this sound.

I was really amazed when I discovered the proper way this sound should be voiced, although I still struggle to pronounce the word “thrust.” Watching and listening to myself as I practiced speaking also helped me notice that I project a better sound in English when I use a lower and deeper tone with my voice.

Practice always makes better, although NOT perfect, so I cannot stress enough how important practice is. Your mirror should become your best ESL friend - after all, you spend the majority of your time with yourself.

3. The Craft of Speaking



One thing that you need to understand as a foreigner is that you may never be able to visualize, understand, or even speak English the way the native people do. Native speakers have been speaking the language ever since they were toddlers. They have had the time to understand what’s to be said and what’s not. They can afford to speak English casually because they have a wide variety of contexts, situations, and experiences that have told them when, where, and how to use their language.

But we, as immigrants, do not have that freedom when learning English. We have to learn to communicate in English in 6 months or so, and it’s therefore important to pick up good linguistic habits early on. A great way to do so is to start off by speaking in formal English exclusively.

The other day, a classmate of mine, who is also a foreigner, asked our professor, “So, do we have to do this, or what?” I was literally in shock. It sounded very disrespectful to me as a way to address a professor. The professor answered the question normally, but I felt like this classmate had adopted a phrase used among friends that is not appropriate to use with authority figures.

This is why it’s important to trying to develop formal English at the beginning. It’s good to put constraints like these on the way you speak English. It may be difficult at first but your hard work will pay off eventually and you will have more freedom and choice in the way you speak English.

4. The Craft of Being Yourself



If you try to learn something you don’t like, you will always have a hard time. Since you will be living in an English-speaking country, you have no choice but to learn, and love, its language. But it’s always easier if you can relate it to something you are passionate about.

I love singing so much that I can devour any knowledge related to singing in enormous portions. I always find it easy to read about vocal terms and theory, and have found it a great way to learn English while devouring a topic I truly love. Whenever I start reading an article related to this subject, I always do so out of pure passion and hunger for knowledge. I can assure you than there’s nothing more rewarding than educating yourself about your own favorite topics of interest.

The funny thing is that most of the terms related to singing I have leaned in English are total strangers to me in my own native language.

Therefore, I encourage you to discover the things you are passionate about and to learn about them. It will make you learn not only about English, but also about your favorite subject.

It's all about finding the approaches that work best for you. Like art, learning a language is something that different people experience in different ways. From this article I want you to take away suggestions, not necessarily instructions. I believe that every person visualizes things in their own unique way, and so do you. So, get busy and craft your own art of fluency.

It’s tough to gain admission to Yale University, and it’s getting even tougher for international students as standout students from around the world set their sights on Yale.

The Yale Dale News, the campus newspaper, takes a look at the situation here.

Read the full story here.

Ruth Chane, a computer science major from Ethiopia, writes about her experiences settling into student life at Whitman College in the U.S. state of Washington.

"The community at Whitman College made sure I felt welcomed even before I stepped foot on campus," she says.

Read her essay here.

In The Student Life, the student newspaper for the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five liberal art colleges and two graduate schools in Claremont, California, student Rochelle Lu writes about readjusting to her Shanghai home after spending a semester in the United States.

Read the full story here.

Cedarville University in the U.S. state of Ohio says it’s got more than 140 international students representing 44 countries.

Here, the school interviews Jonathan Sutton, director of international student services. He talks about his job and the opportunities for international students on campus.

Read the full article here.

Morehouse College, a private, historically Black liberal arts college in the U.S. state of Georgia, offers a guide for international students interested in attending the school.

Among the tips to apply and thrive at Morehouse:

• Take advantage of the school’s orientation program
• Turn to the school’s Center for Academic Success for tutoring, support and more
• Immerse yourself in campus life via clubs and societies

Read the full article here.

WASHINGTON — 

The administration of President Donald Trump said on Monday it will review Columbia University's federal contracts and grants over allegations of antisemitism, which it says the educational institution has shown inaction in tackling.

Rights advocates note rising antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias since U.S. ally Israel's devastating military assault on Gaza began after Palestinian Hamas militants' deadly October 2023 attack.

The Justice Department said a month ago it formed a task force to fight antisemitism. The U.S. Departments of Health and Education and the General Services Administration jointly made the review announcement on Monday.

"The Federal Government's Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is considering Stop Work Orders for $51.4 million in contracts between Columbia University and the Federal Government," the joint statement said.

The agencies said no contracting actions had been taken yet.

"The task force will also conduct a comprehensive review of the more than $5 billion in federal grant commitments to Columbia University."

The agencies did not respond to requests for comment on whether there were similar reviews over allegations of Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias.

Columbia had no immediate comment. It previously said it made efforts to tackle antisemitism.

College protests

Trump has signed an executive order to combat antisemitism and pledged to deport non-citizen college students and others who took part in pro-Palestinian protests.

Columbia was at the center of college protests in which demonstrators demanded an end to U.S. support for Israel due to the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel's assault on Gaza. There were allegations of antisemitism and Islamophobia in protests and counter-protests.

During last summer's demonstrations around the country, classes were canceled, some university administrators resigned and student protesters were suspended and arrested.

While the intensity of protests has decreased in recent months, there were some demonstrations last week in New York after the expulsion of two students at Columbia University-affiliated Barnard College and after New York Governor Kathy Hochul ordered the removal of a Palestinian studies job listing at Hunter College.

A third student at Barnard College has since been expelled, this one related to the occupation of the Hamilton Hall building at Columbia last year.

The Trump administration is opening new investigations into allegations of antisemitism at five U.S. universities including Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, the Education Department announced Monday.

It's part of President Donald Trump's promise to take a tougher stance against campus antisemitism and deal out harsher penalties than the Biden administration, which settled a flurry of cases with universities in its final weeks. It comes the same day the Justice Department announced a new task force to root out antisemitism on college campuses.

In an order signed last week, Trump called for aggressive action to fight anti-Jewish bias on campuses, including the deportation of foreign students who have participated in pro-Palestinian protests.

Along with Columbia and Berkeley, the department is now investigating the University of Minnesota, Northwestern University and Portland State University. The cases were opened using the department's power to launch its own civil rights reviews, unlike the majority of investigations, which stem from complaints.

Messages seeking comment were left with all five universities.
A statement from the Education Department criticized colleges for tolerating antisemitism after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel and a wave of pro-Palestinian protests that followed. It also criticized the Biden administration for negotiating "toothless" resolutions that failed to hold schools accountable.

"Today, the Department is putting universities, colleges, and K-12 schools on notice: this administration will not tolerate continued institutional indifference to the wellbeing of Jewish students on American campuses," said Craig Trainor, the agency's acting assistant secretary for civil rights.

The department didn't provide details about the inquiries or how it decided which schools are being targeted. Presidents of Columbia and Northwestern were among those called to testify on Capitol Hill last year as Republicans sought accountability for allegations of antisemitism. The hearings contributed to the resignation of multiple university presidents, including Columbia's Minouche Shafik.

An October report from House Republicans accused Columbia of failing to punish pro-Palestinian students who took over a campus building, and it called Northwestern's negotiations with student protesters a "stunning capitulation."

House Republicans applauded the new investigations. Representative Tim Walberg, chair of the Education and Workforce Committee, said he was "glad that we finally have an administration who is taking action to protect Jewish students."

Trump's order also calls for a full review of antisemitism complaints filed with the Education Department since Oct. 7, 2023, including pending and resolved cases from the Biden administration. It encourages the Justice Department to take action to enforce civil rights laws.

Last week's order drew backlash from civil rights groups who said it violated First Amendment rights that protect political speech.

The new task force announced Monday includes the Justice and Education departments along with Health and Human Services.

"The Department takes seriously our responsibility to eradicate this hatred wherever it is found," said Leo Terrell, assistant attorney general for civil rights. "The Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism is the first step in giving life to President Trump's renewed commitment to ending anti-Semitism in our schools."

The Times of India breaks down the most popular subjects for international students to study in the U.S.

STEM and business lead the pack. Read the full story here. (January 2025)

U.S. News & World report addresses some of the misconceptions about U.S. colleges and universities, including the difficulty of getting a visa.

Read the full story here. (January 2025)

US News & World Report details the three top factors in foreign students' decision to study in the U.S. They include research opportunities and the reputation of U.S. degrees. Read the full story here. (December 2024)

A British student who did a year abroad at Bowling Green State University in Ohio talks about adjusting to life in America in a TikTok video, Newsweek magazine reports.

Among the biggest surprises? Portion sizes, jaywalking laws and dorm room beds.

Read the full story here. (December 2024)

Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health reaches out to international students by detailing the international student experience at the school.

Learn more about housing, life in Boston and more here.

BEIJING — 

China issued its first national action plan to build a "strong education nation" by 2035, which it said would help coordinate its education development, improve efficiencies in innovation and build a "strong country."

The plan, issued Sunday by the Communist Party's central committee and the State Council, aims to establish a "high quality education system" with accessibility and quality "among the best in the world."

The announcement was made after data on Friday showed China's population fell for a third consecutive year in 2024, with the number of deaths outpacing a slight increase in births, and experts cautioning that the downturn will worsen in the coming years.

High childcare and education costs have been a key factor for many young Chinese opting out of having children, at a time when many face uncertainty over their job prospects amid sluggish economic growth.

"By 2035, an education power will be built," the official Xinhua news agency said, adding that China would explore gradually expanding the scope of free education, increase "high-quality" undergraduate enrolment, expand postgraduate education, and raise the proportion of doctoral students.

The plan aims to promote "healthy growth and all-round development of students," making sure primary and secondary school students have at least two hours of physical activity daily, to effectively control the myopia, or nearsightedness, and obesity rates.

"Popularizing" mental health education and establishing a national student mental health monitoring and early warning system would also be implemented, it said.

It also aims to narrow the gap between urban and rural areas to improve the operating conditions of small-scale rural schools and improve the care system for children with disabilities and those belonging to agricultural migrant populations.

The plan also aims to steadily increase the supply of kindergarten places and the accessibility of preschool education.

The Open Notebook, a site focusing on educating journalists who cover science, has complied a list of U.S. graduate program financial aid information for international students.

Read it here.