ICAPE offers two types of workshops. We offer workshops for educators to help them improve their teaching skills. And, we offer workshops for multilingual students to help them improve their English language skills and achieve their academic goals.
Email Us at icape@lehigh.edu for Questions!
Academic Literacies Workshops FOR ALL
The International Center for Academic and Professional English offers workshops on communication skills, cultural awareness and intercultural communication for students, faculty and staff. Workshops are free for Lehigh University students, faculty, and staff. For Bethlehem community members, there is a $25 registration fee per workshop. See graduate and professional workshops below. To request a workshop, please complete this form.
SPRING 2026 ACADEMIC WORKSHOPS
Workshop Series:
Pronunciation for Professional Communication – Part One, Vowel Sounds (2 available dates)
Friday, January 30th 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm – BC 210 (Mountaintop Campus) Facilitator(s): Mike O'Neill
Monday, February 9th 1:30 pm - 2:50 pm – Maginnes 260 (Asa Packer Campus) Facilitator(s): Ashley Murphy
* This workshop is primarily for students who speak a native language other than English and want to manage their English pronunciation to make themselves understood. Discussion and practice of vowels and some consonants in English are the focus, as well as some communicative strategies to ensure comprehension by a linguistically and culturally diverse audience in both formal and informal situations.
This free workshop partially fulfills the requirements for the Lehigh’s Global Career Accelerator (GCA) micro-credential.
Workshop Series:
Pronunciation for Professional Communication – Part Two, Intonation, Stress, & Delivery (2 available dates)
February 5th 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm – Iacocca Hall - E104 (Mountaintop Campus) Facilitator(s): Mark Ouellette
March 16th 2:00 pm - 3:15 pm – Maginnes 260 (Asa Packer Campus) & Via Zoom Facilitator(s): Mark Ouellette
* Language scholars and educators agree that clear pronunciation of vowels and consonants are only understandable to others in the context of the prosodic elements or the “music” of the language. This workshop, therefore, focuses on the intonation, stress, and rhythm in the delivery of English speech in both formal and informal social situations for a linguistically and culturally diverse audience.
This free workshop partially fulfills the requirements for the Lehigh’s Global Career Accelerator (GCA) micro-credential.
Introduction to Intercultural Communication
February 3rd 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm - Maginnes Hall - Room 260
Facilitator(s): Ashley Murphy
* At this workshop, participants will learn how the cultural dimension of power distance shapes social interactions in the workplace and in society. They will also learn the difference between high context and low context cultures which additionally shape such interactions.
This free workshop partially fulfills the requirements for the Lehigh’s Global Career Accelerator (GCA) micro-credential.
The Mindful Communicator (2 available dates)
February 16th & March 26th 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm - LUAG Main Gallery
Facilitator(s): Teresa Cusumano, Jessica Harbaum & Kiki Montufar
* Build cultural competence for researchers and communicators through a guided process of ethical research and sensitive engagement within a target community. Participants will learn to identify their own biases, conduct respectful background research, and practice active listening skills to foster genuine understanding in order to interact and write about diverse communities with sensitivity, accuracy, and respect.
Telling Your Professional Story
February 17th 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Maginnes Hall - Room 260
Facilitator(s): Kiki Montufar
* At this workshop, participants will learn how to tell their professional stories with confidence and narrative coherence, highlighting their unique strengths and experiences in the context of interviews and networking situations.
This free workshop partially fulfills the requirements for the Lehigh’s Global Career Accelerator (GCA) micro-credential.
Giving an Effective Oral Presentation
February 24th 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm – Packard Lab - Room 101 (Asa Packer Campus) & Via Zoom Facilitator(s): Mark Ouellette
March 16th 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm – BC 210 (Mountaintop Campus) Facilitator(s): Mark Ouellette
* At this workshop, participants will learn how to plan and deliver an engaging in-person oral presentation for a linguistically and culturally diverse audience. The workshop particularly uses the analogy of a “bus tour guide” to help you get your audience “on the bus” in the beginning, interested “during the ride,” and safely “off the bus with a souvenir,” using specific linguistic transitions and strategies.
This free workshop partially fulfills the requirements for the Lehigh’s Global Career Accelerator (GCA) micro-credential.
Other Workshops
International Teaching Assistant (ITA) and TOPSS Workshops
Simplifying Complex Concepts in the Classroom
February 27th 12:00 pm - 1:15 pm Maginnes Hall - Room 103
Facilitator(s): Mike O'Neill & Yvonne Lee
* This interactive workshop equips TAs with strategies to effectively communicate complex ideas to undergraduate students. Participants will learn techniques for breaking down technical concepts, using metaphors, analogies, and real-world examples to enhance understanding.
Facilitating the TA/Student Relationship
April 7th 4:00 pm - 5:15 pm Maginnes Hall - Room 260
Facilitator(s): Mark Ouellette & Yvonne Lee
* This workshop explores how TAs can help the students in
the classes and labs that they are in charge of by facilitating an effective classroom relationship that contributes to student learning.
Overview of the TOPSS for Teaching Assistants
April 28th 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Maginnes Hall - Room 260 & Via Zoom
Facilitator(s): Ashley Murphy
* This workshop will provide a broad overview of the TOPSS test for teaching assistants and Lehigh’s Oral Proficiency Interview. Time allowing, attendees can practice and receive feedback.