Frequently Asked Questions
What is SELS?
SELS (pronounced "sellz") stands for Student English Language Support, and we work with international undergraduate students to improve their English language skills. SELS is part of the Minnesota English Language Program (MELP). We currently offer two types of appointments: ONLINE individual consultations and IN-PERSON individual consultations. Group conversation consultations and drop-in hours are not currently available.
How can SELS help me?
SELS consultants provide one-on-one support for improving...
speaking skills for giving presentations, participating in class discussions, communicating with instructors and classmates
grammar in speaking and writing
listening comprehension of class lectures and discussions
reading comprehension of academic texts
vocabulary development
pronunciation
intercultural communication
SELS can help you...
identify language difficulties if you don't know where to start (for example, "I want to improve my speaking.")
set language goals and make a plan to achieve them
recommend resources/strategies
practice using language
Are there things that SELS doesn't do?
SELS consultants cannot...
edit papers without your participation
identify all mistakes and errors
complete assignments
give you answers for your assignment
help with take-home exams, unless you have written consent from your instructor
create individualized lessons or review your work in advance
Who can use SELS?
All University of Minnesota international undergraduate students can use SELS services and have first priority.
Students must be enrolled in at least one class and have undergraduate status to use SELS services. Graduate students, professional students, and visiting scholars are ineligible. There are resources available to graduate and professional students including self-study resources available at esl.umn.edu, courses available through the Minnesota English Language Program (MELP), and language workshops offered through the Graduate School. Other resources available to graduate students include Student Writing Support or Academic Skills Coaching. If you are a graduate or professional student seeking one-on-one English support similar to SELS, we also invite you to fill out this short survey about your interest to help us explore the possibilities of offering similar services to graduate students in the future.
When can I make consultation appointments?
SELS consultants are available by appointment for consultations during the daytime, evening, and weekends.
See the Hours & Location page for more information.
Before your consultation, please verify that your Google Calendar time zone is set to Central Time (CT). See directions for changing your time zone in Step 2 here. Undergraduate students may schedule as many appointments in advance throughout the semester as they would like as long as they do not schedule more than two appointments per week and no more than one appointment per day.
When and where are drop-in sessions?
In the 2022–23 academic year, drop-in sessions are not being offered. See the Hours & Location page for the most up-to-date information. When drop-in hours are offered, they are available in University Libraries on a first-come, first-serve basis. No appointment is necessary. We hope to offer drop-in sessions again in the future!
How many consultation appointments can I make?
Undergraduate students can make two consultations per week, one consultation per day.
How long are consultations?
Both online and in-person consultations are 45 minutes long. (Drop-in sessions are generally shorter, especially if there are other students waiting.)
What if I want longer appointments or more appointments?
SELS is committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities for all students and works with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) to make our services accessible, which may sometimes mean making exceptions to our usual appointment policies. Please contact sels@umn.edu if you require any accommodations or have any access needs we should be aware of. Visit the DRC website to find more information about their services.
To provide opportunities for as many students as possible to use SELS, we cannot extend appointment length or offer more appointments per day or per week in response to requests that are not related to accommodating disabilities. To receive additional support, note that using drop-in hours (when available) does not count toward a student's maximum number of daily or weekly appointments. You may also want to consider visiting Student Writing Support or another academic support service if appropriate.
How do I make/cancel an appointment? What if I'm late?
Make an appointment on our appointment page here. To cancel your appointment, simply delete the event from your Google Calendar and select "Update Guests."
SELS has a 24-hour cancellation policy.
If you are running late, please email us at sels@umn.edu or call the MELP front desk at 612-624-1503. Note that while you can start your consultation late, it will still end at the regular time (45 minutes after the scheduled start time). However, if you are more than 15 minutes late for your appointment, SELS staff may cancel your appointment time and not wait for you.
On the information form it asks, "Explain what you would like help with." What should I write here?
Do you want to improve your speaking? Why? Is it to make friends? Is it to give presentations in class? Do you need help with a writing assignment? What is the assignment about? Do you need help generating ideas? Do you need help with verb tenses? The more specific you are on your information form, the better you and your consultant can make use of the time during your appointment.
What happens during an individual consultation?
Before your appointment, your consultant will read your information and think about how they might be able to support you. The more information you give on this form, the better your consultant can prepare. When you come in, your consultant will ask you several questions to identify what you need help with most. For example, what is your assignment about? When do you use English? Why do you want to improve? You and your consultant will then make a plan for the rest of the consultation. At the end, you and your consultant will set some attainable goals for after the consultation. Afterward, we ask that you give us feedback on your consultation by filling out a short survey that we will send you via email. Your feedback helps us improve our services.
Where is SELS?
In-person consultations take place in the student library of the MELP office in 20 Nicholson Hall. Check in at the front desk.
Online consultations take place via Zoom. A Zoom link for your appointment will be added to the Google Calendar event about 15 minutes before your appointment's scheduled start time. If you have trouble accessing the Zoom meeting, email sels@umn.edu.
Drop-in sessions are normally located in University Libraries. However, drop-In sessions are not being offered in the 2022–23 academic year.
See the Hours & Locations page for more information.
Who are the consultants?
SELS has two consultants this semester. You can learn more about them here.
How is SELS different from Student Writing Support (the Writing Center)?
SELS and Student Writing Support offer similar writing support services, and we recommend that students use both. However, all SELS consultants specialize in helping multilingual students and are familiar with the unique experiences they face as international students. SELS also offers services for all areas of English, including reading, speaking, listening, pronunciation, and grammar, in addition to writing.
Does SELS offer online consultations?
Yes! Currently, most of our consultations are ONLINE. Online appointment consultations allow you to meet with a consultant in real time via Zoom from anywhere. You can talk to your consultant through your webcam like you would in person and share documents electronically if needed. See our appointment page for hours and availability.
Who can I contact for more information or to give some feedback?
You can email SELS at sels@umn.edu, or call the MELP front desk at 612-624-1503.
If you would like to give us feedback about your consultation, you are also invited to complete the feedback survey that will be emailed to you after your appointment.