Tips & Resources

Our mission in the English Language Academy is to help multilingual learners succeed inside and outside of the classroom. Below is a list of resources for multilingual students at UWM, multilingual community members, and instructors working with multilingual students.

Read more about different resources and tips below.

About Milwaukee

This is a view of downtown Milwaukee at dusk from the lake. You can see many building with lights, and you can see some of the lake with the reflection of the lights.

Known as A Great Place on a Great Lake, Milwaukee is located on Lake Michigan and is just 90 minutes north of Chicago. Milwaukee offers numerous cultural and recreational opportunities, and is famous for its many ethnic festivals that take place throughout the year. Its scenic location on Lake Michigan provides a wide range of outdoor activities including water sports, biking, camping, and snow skiing, all within an hour’s drive of the city. Public transportation is readily available to all parts of the city, as well as to Chicago and other locations in Wisconsin.

The University is located in a quiet residential section of the city near Lake Michigan. With an enrollment of more than 28,000 students, the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee is the largest of ten universities and colleges in the metropolitan area.

The UWM campus is located near the lakefront area of the city of Milwaukee where many outdoor activities take place during the warm summer months. These include summer festivals such as Summerfest (featuring musical groups from throughout the U.S.), ethnic festivals (Festa Italiana, Irish Fest, etc.), Lakefront Festival of the Arts, Bastille Days, River Splash, and others.

Students are also encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities to better learn about Milwaukee and the Wisconsin area. As part of the University, students can also join student organizations; attend concerts and theatrical events; and use the athletic facilities, library, computer labs and health services.

UW-Milwaukee is also among the top colleges and universities in the country for research! UWM earned the highest rating – R1 – for a research institution from the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, the gold standard for assessment. The rating was given to only 115 of the 4,665 universities evaluated in 2016.

Learn About UWM and Milwaukee From Multilingual Students!


Making Use of UWM Facilities: What students can do in a typical week.


 

International Education: Where international students can get useful information and help.


All about Sandburg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY00yIIF9F8


A Day at the Art Museum


A Korean restaurant in Milwaukee


The UWM Klotsche Center


Cafes at UWM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMu8PAYsIBE


Two Popular dorms at UWM

 

Getting Involved – Explore Milwaukee & UWM!

Want to find out what there is to do at UW-Milwaukee and beyond? Check out the following resources below!

Student Involvement

We encourage our students to explore Milwaukee and beyond! Check out the Student Involvement site for things to do around Milwaukee! Milwaukee offers a variety of excellent museums, show venues, sporting events, parks, and historic sites.

Student Organizations And More!

There is so much to do at UW-Milwaukee! You can develop new skills, make friends, join a club, and explore what the city has to offer. You can join any number of the more than 300 student organizations, sociocultural programs, fraternities & sororities. There are also a variety of leadership and organization training opportunities that you can explore. You will also never be bored with the many events and other forms of entertainments available for you on campus, including major campus traditions like PantherFest, the Campus Activities Board, films, the Union Rec Center, the Union Art Gallery, the Distinguished Lecture Series, and much more! There is always something to do and get involved in!

Learn more about how to get involved.

Arts & Entertainment

Interested in the arts? Check out the arts and entertainment page for all kinds of great resources! You can look up information about the Union Art Gallery, UWM Rec Center, Studio Arts and Crafts Centre, and the Union Theatre!

Campus Activities

The UWM Campus Activities Board (CAB) offers a variety of events and activities throughout the year. This is a great way to get involved on campus and meet new people! See the different activities CAB has to offer!

Student Leadership

Are you interested in leadership skill building or enhancement? Want to work on your skills? The Student Leadership Program at UWM engages students in leadership experiences that complement and enhance the academic, co-curricular, career, and community-engagement opportunities at UW-Milwaukee.

Other Milwaukee ELL Resources

Resources for English Language Learners (ELLs) are offered at various community-based organizations (CBOs) in the Milwaukee area and greater Wisconsin, which are listed below. Contact these sites directly for more information about their programs.

Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) ESL

(414) 297-7343
700 West State Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233

Wisconsin Technical College System

Various Technical Colleges or Schools around the state.

MATC Education Center at Walker’s Square

(414) 297-7923
816 West National Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53204

Wisconsin English as a Second Language Institute

(608) 257-4300
19 N. Pickney St., Madison WI 53703

Milwaukee Public Library—Central Library

(414) 286-3000
814 W. Wisconsin Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53233

Mitchell Street Library Adult Study Center

(414) 286-3000
906 W Historic Mitchell St, Milwaukee, WI 53204

Literacy Services of Wisconsin

(414) 344-5878
555 N. Plankinton Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53203

S.O.S. Center

(414) 449-9964
4620 W. North Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53208

Neighborhood House of Milwaukee – ILP

(414) 344-4777
639 N 25th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233

International Community Center

414.228.5220
4204 South Howell Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53207
Other Locations:
Church: 5353 N. Green Bay Ave.
Office: 5385 N. Green Bay Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53209
Email: info@eastbrook.org

Journey House

(414) 647-0548
2110 West Scott Street Milwaukee, WI 53204

UMOS

(414) 389-6260
802 West Mitchell Street Milwaukee, WI 53204

For Children and High School Aged Students

Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) English Program

SEA Literacy

Milwaukee Public Library Resources

English Proficiency Testing

UWM English Language Academy does not offer English Proficiency Testing for students or community members. UWM Testing Center no longer offers the TOEFL exam at the campus testing site.

UWM English Language Academy only offers testing for International Teaching Assistants who are non-native speakers of English who are required to pass the Milwaukee International Teaching Assistant Assessment (MITAA).

Students interested in applying to academic study at UWM can learn more information about English proficiency requirements and accepted tests for undergraduate study and graduate study.

Below are resources for taking an English Proficiency Exam for admission or general purposes.

  • ETS: Various TOEFL testing
  • IELTS: Various IELTS testing options
  • Duolingo: Online English proficiency test

Supporting Multilingual Students in Your Classroom

The English Language Academy has compiled a list of resources below to assist you in working with English Language Learners (ELLs). ELLs will have linguistic and academic needs that differ from the needs of domestic, native speakers of English in your classes. We have compiled a list of tools and resources that you need to provide international students a quality education in your classroom below.

  1. Working with Multilingual Writers

    • Purdue Writing Lab has created a Faculty Guide offering strategies for how those working with multilingual writers can read, assess, and provide feedback on the work of multilingual student writers.
  2.  How Can I Support English Language Learners (ELLs) in my Classroom? 
    • This blog post from the PennState College of Education can give an overview of how an instructor can be aware of their classroom culture and setup. Giving tips on how to prepare an environment that will support the education of English Language Learners.
  3. Empathy and Inclusion for ELL Students

    • The Edutopia article discusses ways teachers can practice empathy and acknowledge the student as an individual in the classroom. Directed at teachers in a more elementary or high school setting, but some suggestions are good to practice all the time.
  4. Creating an Inclusive Classroom for ELL Students

    • This article from Texas A&M International University goes a bit in depth about some tips for instructors having an inclusive classroom.
  5. Writing Across Borders

    (Film 2018)

    • “Writing Across Borders is a 3-year documentary project funded by Oregon State University’s Center for Writing and Learning (now simply known as the Writing Center) and its Writing Intensive Curriculum Program. The documentary’s purpose is to help faculty, writing assistants, and other professionals work more productively with international students in writing environments.” (Excerpt taken from website) At the bottom of the page is a link to watching the film on YouTube in parts.
  6.  How to Teach Writing through Bad Writing

    • FluentU is a popular blogsite and learning resource for language learners. Linked here is an article for teachers (specifically directed to English Language teachers) on how to approach ELL writing correction and teaching.
  7. Cultural Challenges and Recommendations for Working with ELLS

    • This article from SAGE 2YC discusses intercultural communication in the classroom. There are differences in how a student’s cultural and social expectations might be present in the classroom. Check out this article for recommendations on dealing with cultural expectations in the classroom.
  8. Moving Towards Cultural Responsiveness

    • This 8-page teacher guide can be a quick reference for developing and encouraging cultural competence in the classroom.
  9. An ESL Instructor’s Guidebook for Reducing Test Anxiety at the Community College Level Through Exploring Alternatives in Assessment (It’s a thesis, but pages 27 to 59 outline a detailed class plan)
  10. UWM Campus Support 

     

If you have any questions or need more resources, please email us at el-academy@uwm.edu.

Helping Multilingual Learners that are not University Students

  • UWM English Language Academy does not offer courses or tutoring for students that are not attending UW-Milwaukee or UWM branch campuses.
  • Check out UW-Madison’s collection of Interactive Learning Websites.
  • For high school and elementary students, please check with your school administration on the resources and support your school district offers.
  • Check out your local public library for resources and events for English Language Learners.
  • If you are living in Milwaukee, check out the Milwaukee Public Library to see their services for community members.
  • See “Other Milwaukee ELL Resources” above

Translation and Interpretation

The English Language Academy does not offer translation or interpretation services. Below are some translation and interpretation services to try in the Milwaukee Area. Please note that the English Language Academy is not affiliated with these companies, services, and/or freelancers.