Instructors from an Intensive English Program (IEP) conducted classroom observations in university courses commonly attended by international students to answer two questions: 1) What listening and speaking demands do international students face in courses at our university? 2) How can instructors in our IEP better prepare our students for these listening and speaking demands? A qualitative instrument was used to record classroom events, and common themes were identified from the results through group discussion. Results showed that international students at the researchers' university likely need more practice in listening to informal lectures and quick announcements, following descriptions of visually presented data, and asking and answering questions. Implications for instructional practice in the IEP are discussed, and this methodology is recommended for other IEPs seeking to update curriculum based on the skills most essential for students in their own local context.