FLE Courses

Oral Skills Courses

This course is open to international undergraduate students and exchange students. In this course, students concentrate on improving their listening comprehension skills, refining their academic speaking skills, and learning conversational strategies in English. The class includes the use of short films, podcasts, simulated academic lectures and note-taking, extensive focused class discussion, and formal oral presentations.

This course is open to both graduate and undergraduate students. The course provides intensive pronunciation practice for non-native speakers of English who want to improve the clarity of their English speech. The primary focus of the course is improvement in the areas that are most important in making speech more understandable and native-like: word-stress and phrase-stress, intonation, and the rhythm of English speech. In addition, there will also be individual and class work on vowel and consonant difficulties throughout the semester.

This course is open to all international graduate students and international teaching assistants (ITAs). The focus of this course is to help graduate students improve their oral communication skills in a variety of academic scenarios (e.g. taking part in and leading a class discussion, giving a formal presentation, etc.). Pronunciation and listening comprehension skills are also practiced in individual and group activities. This course is limited to 12 students for individual attention and maximized speaking opportunities.


Written Skills Courses


For non-native speakers of English. Intensive instruction in academic writing and research. Basic principles of rhetoric and strategies for academic inquiry and argument. Instruction and practice in critical reading, including the generative and responsible use of print and electronic sources for academic research, adapted for non-native speakers. Exploration of literate practices across a range of academic domains, laying the foundation for further writing development in college. Continued attention to grammar and conventions of standard written English. Satisfies freshman English requirements.

This course is intended to help international graduate students with technical and research writing. The class includes work on the analysis and writing of a research paper, including practice with the writing conventions and grammar necessary in technical writing. Students will complete a variety of group and individual assignments including a short literature review and analysis of writing conventions in their field of study, a group research project, critical reviews and class presentations, extended definitions, paraphrasing, and exercises designed to extend grammatical control in writing.


Policies for All FLE Students

Placement in FLE 101

  • Non-native speakers of English should take FLE 101 in place of ENG 101. Non-native speakers of English are students who have studied in the United States for five years or less and do not speak English as their home language. Students who should take ENG 101 instead of FLE 101 meet the following criteria: 1) They have moved to the United States as children and completed all of high school and more (e.g., an IB program); 2) They grew up in countries where English is an official language and English was their language of instruction throughout their schooling; 3) They speak English as their primary and home language.

Special Policies for Graduate Students

  • Graduate students must take 9 hours each semester in order to be registered. A class exceeding the required 9 hours may be taken for a grade of AUDIT and is exempt from tuition charges.
  • Students taking courses for a grade of AUDIT must register for the class, attend, and do all the work, as if they were taking the class for a grade. A grade of AUDIT will only be awarded for successful completion of the requirements of the course.
  • Unsuccessful Auditors will receive a grade of NR and will be required to repeat the course.

Visiting Scholars and Sitting in on a Class

  • Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures policy does not permit unregistered students in FLE classes. Visiting scholars usually do not have a visa status that allows registration for classes. For more information, contact the Office of International Scholar and Student Services at 919-515-2961.


Frequently Asked Questions


A: English classes should be taken immediately. For students who are required to take three or more English classes, at least one class must be taken each semester until the requirement is met.

A: English classes are designed to help you do your academic work more efficiently. For this reason, they must be taken immediately. If you are required to take classes, it means that your English is in some way not likely to be adequate for your academic work. As a result, you need to make time for the English classes.

A:  There is no prescribed order for FLE courses. However, FLE 101 should be taken during the first year of the student's studies. 

A: TOEFL is an incomplete test. Many students who pass TOEFL still have incomplete mastery of English in one or more areas.

A: Yes! You may take any FLE class that you believe will benefit you. FLE classes at NC State are not intended to be remedial. They are intended to benefit all international students who desire to improve their advanced English in writing and speaking.

A: There are no courses at NC State specifically designed for visiting scholars. Whether visiting scholars can take classes depends on visa status and a variety of issues best answered by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (919-515-2961). Visiting scholars who wish to take FLE classes must be officially registered in the class. However, we do offer free ESL conversation and pronunciation classes each semester and in the summer. The schedule is posted on the ESL homepage.  These classes are open to all international students, visiting scholars, and spouses. 

A: No, all FLE courses are open with the exception of FLE 402, Section 2 for Ph.D Engineering candidates. Please be aware that the number of seats are limited. The class size is kept small so students receive plenty of individual attention from their instructors and opportunities to practice. If the class is full, you may request be put on a waiting list.