Services
The English for Professional Purposes Intercultural Center (EPPIC) at Penn State provides advanced English language support for international students, scholars, and faculty. Drawing on research and decades of experience, EPPIC offers personalized services, workshops, and programs that strengthen academic and professional communication while fostering intercultural understanding across the university.
Are you an international student or scholar who is looking for a supportive space to work on your academic writing?
Join EPPIC’s writing group to be part of a writing community of multilingual students and scholars!
The EPPIC Write-A-Thon is a weekly writing support group. Each meeting begins with brief goal-setting for your writing that day, and the rest of the group session time is for your own writing process in a quiet setting. An EPPIC writing specialist is there to answer questions and discuss your writing throughout the session.
Write-A-Thon: Fall 2026
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- Writing group sessions take place in the EPPIC office (017A Thomas) located in the basement of Thomas Building. You can also join the writing sessions virtually via Zoom!
- Sessions will meet weekly throughout the fall semester, starting in mid-September.
- Please help us schedule group meeting times by completing the short survey below.
- When we have finalized the meeting schedule, we will post it here with a Zoom link to connect.
Note: Please complete our short survey to help us schedule group meeting times that work well with your schedule. Additional writing group meetings can be scheduled in-person or via Zoom, depending on members’ preferences.
Would you like more opportunities to speak English with others?
Have you noticed that real-world English in the United States is sometimes different from the English you have used in other contexts?
Do you wish you had somewhere you could go to ask questions about the why, what, and how of language and culture at Penn State and in the U.S.?
If so, join EPPIC for Speak UP, a weekly speaking group that focuses on interaction in English in a variety of situations that are common in university life.
Speak UP sessions are a great opportunity to meet others and to explore multiple perspectives on English as it is used in the ‘real world’ of Penn State and beyond!
Click here to see the schedule for Fall 2026 Speak UP sessions.
To register for Speak UP sessions, visit the EPPIC registration app here and choose ‘Speak UP’!
Are you an international student, postdoctoral scholar or fellow? Are you interested in improving your skill and confidence in academic and professional English?
Join us for specialized, language-focused EPPIC workshops on advanced academic writing, speaking, interaction, and job market preparation in a United States university setting. Workshop topics in fall 2026 include the following:
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- Brief Communications: Emails and Informal Meeting Talk
- Focus on Pronunciation Series (5 workshops): Sounds | Syllables | Rhythm | Intonation | Linked Speech & Reduction in American English
- Research Writing Series: Preparing Abstracts, Literature Reviews, & Data and Results Sections
- Strategies for Reading Academic Articles Efficiently / Critical Reading
- Networking: Breaking the Ice at Professional Events
- The Language of LinkedIn: Tips for Career Connections
- Preparing for Industry Job Interviews in the United States
- Preparing for Academic Job Interviews in the United States
View the workshop schedule for fall 2026 here.
To register for workshops, visit the EPPIC registration app.
Are you writing an academic paper, proposal or application? Preparing for a job interview in English? Looking for practice and feedback on an upcoming presentation? Schedule an EPPIC Individual Consultation!
EPPIC Individual Consultations (EICs) offer personalized support to international multilingual students, scholars and post-docs to build their skill and confidence in advanced academic and professional English. Our consultants are highly experienced and multilingual.
These individual consultation appointments provide practical support for advanced written and spoken English, including course assignments, oral presentations, job interviews, cover letters, oral exams, proposals, research articles, thesis-writing, and more.
Click here to learn more and to schedule your own EPPIC Individual Consultation (EIC)!
*Please note that consultations are not available for standardized test preparation, such as for the GRE or TOEFL. Preparation courses for the TOEFL are available locally through Penn State’s Intensive English Communication Program (IECP) and through the Mid-State Literacy Council.
Are you seeking to build your skills and confidence in academic and professional writing, speaking, teaching or presenting in English?
Do you have questions about EPPIC’s services and how they can best serve your current needs?
If so, EPPIC Advisers are here to support you! Schedule an EPPIC Advising appointment to learn more about how EPPIC’s services and other resources at Penn State can support you as you continue to develop your academic and professional English across written and spoken communication genres in a range of academic disciplines.
EPPIC offers workshops for faculty, advisers, staff, and administrators to highlight research-based practices for inclusive communication in our global and multilingual university community.
Workshops available by request include:
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- Pronouncing International Students’ Names
- Promoting Diverse and Multilingual Perspectives in the Classroom
- Do You Speak Global English? Strategies for Collaborative Communication
- Strategies for Supporting Multilingual Student Writers
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How can EPPIC serve you?
Would you like EPPIC to visit a departmental event? To design an event for multilingual students in your program?
Contact us any time to request a visit, display table or presentation to introduce EPPIC’s services.
Our center also offers customized programming for programs across the university to address specific needs related to academic and professional English, as well as intercultural communication, such as those listed below (additional topics developed by request):
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- “Pronouncing Diverse Names: Tips from Language Educators (Part 1 & 2)”
- “Do you Speak Global English? Strategies for Collaborative Intercultural Communication”
- “Communicating with Professors and Peers: Strategies for Discussion and Group Work”
- “Finding Your Voice at an R1: Self-Advocacy in Communication”
- “Preparing & Delivering a Successful Job Talk”
To start a conversation with us about a custom collaboration, please send us a message describing your request.