Intensive English Program

Description: Students new to English will be introduced to the letters and sounds of the alphabet, fundamental grammar structures for conversation and writing, and essential vocabulary on themes (relevant to community, individual and academic entities), and cultural distinctions in the American university system. Applied language instruction and assignments will be supplemented by and supported with practical training in educational technology and investigation through special topics.

Objectives: With successful completion of this course, students will demonstrate the ability to recognize and write the modern English alphabet (upper- and lower-case forms) and to apply common spelling patterns and the rules of capitalization; apply fundamental verb and noun usage (introducing tenses, quantities, questions and statement structures) in producing and punctuating basic sentences and questions; understand the purposes and the stages of writing, and the basic concept of audience. 

Description: This course focuses on the development of listening comprehension and pronunciation skills at the elementary level using themes relating to community, individual and academic entities, and cultural distinctions in the American university system.

Objectives:With successful completion of this course, students will Comprehend and use basic word parts (prefixes, roots, suffixes), compound words, phrasal verbs, and the elementary vocabulary of life and school; 

• Recognize and use common conversational collocations (e.g. with phrasal like the verb to get), sequence words and opinion signals; 
• Develop pronunciation skills with consonant, vowel, voiced- and unvoiced- sounds in American English;  
• Show a familiarity with word and sentence stress patterns, question and statement intonation, and linked sounds in American English;
• Demonstrate conversation ability with simple tenses, prepositions of time and location, and descriptive language. 

Description: With a project-based focus, emerging language learners will explore the vocabulary and functions of computers, focusing on word processing and the resources of the Internet.

Objectives: With successful completion of this course, students will:

• Be able to accurately keyboard (two-handed touch typing) at a reasonable pace; 
• Be familiar with foundational technology vocabulary, computer- and word-processing commands, and basic online resources and texts;
• Be able to join an online meeting and communicate in academic English using email. 

Description: Sessions supplementing core courses based on need, demand and current events including but not limited to individual and family well-being; campus resource exploration; career investigation; study skills and time management; community service; American culture and subcultures; language through film; language through literature; media literacy; foundations of American communities; creative problem solving; critical thinking; the liberal arts tradition in American education; and international service organizations. 

Description: Based on placement or continuation from Basic Academic Literacy I, this class will extend the basic tenets of standard written English through foundational grammar structures focusing on themes relating community, individual and academic development, and cultural distinctions of the United States.

Objectives: With successful completion of this course, students will demonstrate the ability to accurately brainstorm, organize, and produce a basic paragraph (e.g. descriptive, narrative) with a main idea and support; apply basic verb and noun usage (introducing additional tenses, modals, gerunds and infinitives) and extended vocabulary; comprehend and use basic writing strategies to communicate coherently and to describe objects and processes. 

Description: Based on placement or continuation from Introduction to Spoken Academic English I, this course focuses on the improvement of listening comprehension (including for note-taking) and pronunciation skills at the elementary level using themes relating to community, individual and academic entities, and cultural distinctions in the American university system.

Objectives: With successful completion of this course, students will

• Recognize and use common conversational collocations (e.g. to voice opinions, and ask for and offer advice), sequence words and opinion signals; 
• Demonstrate improved pronunciation skills with consonant, vowel, voiced and unvoiced sounds in American English;  
• Show dexterity with word and sentence stress patterns, question and statement intonation, and linked sounds in American English; 
• Have stronger conversational ability with complex verb tenses and structures, connecting words for problems and solutions, and evaluative and comparative language. 

Description: With a project-based focus, emerging language learners will explore the vocabulary and functions of computers, focusing on word processing and the resources of the Internet.

Objectives: With successful completion of this course, students will

• understand the production, modification and use of various documents (e.g. word processing, graphic) and their formatting standards;  
• be able to store, share and retrieve documents in various modalities (local/cloud-based);  
• develop basic skills needed to actively participate in an online meeting;
• demonstrate improved keyboarding (two-handed touch typing) skills. 

Description: Sessions supplementing core courses based on need, demand and current events including but not limited to individual and family well-being; campus resource exploration; career investigation; study skills and time management; community service; American culture and subcultures; language through film; language through literature; media literacy; foundations of American communities; creative problem solving; critical thinking; the liberal arts tradition in American education; and international service organizations. 

Description: Based on placement or continuation from Basic Academic Literacy II, this class will continue reading-for-learning strategies and implement the basic tenets of written Academic English. The course will extend vocabulary and communication of more complex ideas through the intermediate grammar structures, focusing on themes relating to community, individual and academic development, and cultural distinctions of the United States; and will develop reading and writing resourcefulness.

Objectives: With successful completion of this course, students will comprehend the meanings and functions of synonyms and antonyms and specific word parts and families (prefixes, roots, suffixes), advanced compound words and phrasal verbs and develop a broader active vocabulary; develop an ability to recognize implied and inferred meaning and author connotation, and to annotate paragraph components (main idea, minor and major details, transitions); demonstrate an extended ability to find and use subtle context clues and graphics (e.g. charts, tables, images) to discern meaning, and distinguish fact from opinion; demonstrate the ability to accurately brainstorm, organize, and produce a multi-paragraph essay with a main idea and strong support, an introduction and conclusion; apply an understanding of academic register through appropriate verb and noun usage (introducing additional tenses, modals, gerunds and infinitives); comprehend and deploy the required elements of writing coherently to communicate and to elaborate description, comparison and analysis. 

Description: Based on placement or continuation from Introduction to Spoken Academic English II, this course focuses on the continuing improvement of listening comprehension (for note-taking) and verbal skills at the intermediate level using themes relating to community, individual and academic entities, and cultural distinctions in the American university system.

Objectives: With successful completion of this course, students will recognize and deploy formal and informal registers; communicate with improved pronunciation skills with consonant, vowel, voiced and unvoiced sounds in American English; demonstrate dexterity with word and sentence stress patterns, question and statement intonation, and linking sounds in American English; show verbal and aural skills required to participate in class discussions, ask follow-up questions and support opinions with complex verb tenses and structures, and suitable connecting words. 

Description: Continuing language learners will complete projects resulting from investigations of and practice with educational and personal computer applications, focusing on learning management system interaction and the resources of the internet.

Objectives: With successful completion of this course, students will understand various functions (e.g. assignments, grades, communication) of the local learning management system (at a course/class level); be able to discern reliable from questionable online sources; keyboard (two-handed touch typing) with increasing accuracy and speed.

Description: Sessions supplementing core courses based on need, demand and current events including but not limited to individual and family well-being; campus resource exploration; career investigation; study skills and time management; community service; American culture and subcultures; language through film; language through literature; media literacy; foundations of American communities; creative problem solving; critical thinking; the liberal arts tradition in American education; and international service organizations. 

Description: Based on placement or continuation from Intermediate Reading and Writing I, this course incorporates solid reading-for-learning strategies and vocabulary development, with critical thinking and processing skills for comprehension. It also implements the basic tenets of written Academic English in communication of more complex ideas through the intermediate grammar structures. Course materials and assignments focus on themes relating to community, individual and academic development, and cultural distinctions of the United States; and introduces reading and writing resourcefulness.

Objectives: With successful completion of this course, students will understand implied and inferred meaning, visual information and other references within a text; recognize rhetorical modes (cause-effect, compare-contrast and persuasion), and to analyze coherence, cohesion and support; comprehend the meanings and functions of synonyms and antonyms and specific word parts and families (prefixes, roots, suffixes), advanced compound words and phrasal verbs with increasing facility. Students will write in varying rhetorical modes (cause-effect, compare-contrast and persuasion), with increasing coherence, cohesion and support by accurately brainstorming and organizing multi-paragraph essays with main ideas and compelling extension, introductions and conclusions; understand and deploy academic register through appropriate verb and noun usage (introducing active and passive voice, noun, adjective and adverbial clauses, additional tenses, modals, gerunds and infinitives) and accurate word choice; Comprehend organization patterns (e.g. problem-solution and argument) and strategies to inform and persuade. 

Description: Based on placement or continuation from Intermediate Spoken Academic English I, this course focuses on the continuing improvement of listening comprehension (for note-taking) and verbal skills at the intermediate level using themes relating to community, individual and academic entities, and cultural distinctions in the American university system.

Objectives: With successful completion of this course, students will recognize and deploy formal and informal registers; communicate with improved pronunciation skills with consonant, vowel, voiced and unvoiced sounds in American English; demonstrate dexterity with word and sentence stress patterns, question and statement intonation, and linking sounds in American English; show verbal and aural skills required to participate in class discussions, ask follow-up questions and support opinions with complex verb tenses and structures, and suitable connecting words. 

Description: Continuing language learners will develop and complete projects allowing them to explore educational and personal computer applications, focusing on prioritizing academic integrity in online research, learning management system interaction, and the resources of the Internet.

Objectives: With successful completion of this course, students will understand advanced functions of the local learning management system on a class level; develop the skills required to create charts, spreadsheets and tables; be able to find and document information from a print or digital source for use in writing; keyboard (two-handed touch type) with increasing accuracy and speed. 

Description:Sessions supplementing core courses based on need, demand and current events including but not limited to individual and family well-being; campus resource exploration; career investigation; study skills and time management; community service; American culture and subcultures; language through film; language through literature; media literacy; foundations of American communities; creative problem solving; critical thinking; the liberal arts tradition in American education; and international service organizations. 

Description: Based on placement or continuation from Intermediate Reading and Writing II, this course incorporates critical thinking and processing skills for improved comprehension, reading accuracy and efficacy. The vocabulary development advances with global and local themes relating to community, individual and academic development, and cultural distinctions of the United States. The conventions of written Academic English are continued with exploration of response and analytical writing, paraphrasing, summarizing and source acknowledgement. Advanced grammar structures focus on research-based topics across STEM and social science fields.

Objectives: With successful completion of this course, students will understand implied and inferred meaning, visual information and other references within a text; recognize formal and informal styles and audience; demonstrate an ability to differentiate rhetorical modes (writer’s point of view, counterarguments and refutation, critiques and reviews), and to analyze evidence and style; fully comprehend the meanings and functions of synonyms and antonyms and specific word parts and families (prefixes, roots, suffixes), advanced compound words and phrasal verbs. Students will use external source material to write in specific rhetorical modes, accurately paraphrasing and citing with increasing coherence, cohesion and support using appropriate word choice and grammar structures; understand nuanced meaning and effective communication through appropriate verb and noun usage (advanced passive voice, reductions of clauses, additional tenses, modals, gerunds and infinitives); implement various organizational patterns (e.g. critique and review writing) and strategies to inform and persuade. 

Description: Based on placement or continuation from Intermediate Spoken Academic English II, this course focuses on the extension of advanced intermediate verbal and aural skills for active participation in face-to-face and online classes and meetings while continuing to explore community, individual and academic entities, and cultural distinctions in the American university system.

Objectives: With successful completion of this course, students will demonstrate the ability to present persuasively, incorporating summarized research and source information, visuals, appropriate vocabulary and advanced grammar; refine pronunciation of challenging consonant clusters, vowel-sound distinction, and voiced and unvoiced sounds; deploy increasing dexterity with intonation (of thought groups, questions and statements) and with accurate use of emphasis of function and content words; accurately recognize and record (effective note-taking) main ideas from a lecture, sources of information, and organizational patterns. 

Description:Through placement or completion of Intermediate English through Academic Technology II, advanced language learners will develop and complete projects that extend educational and personal computer applications (including visual presentation, scholarly documentation, and academic communication).

Objectives: With successful completion of this course, students will understand academic databases and their use in scholarly research; demonstrate the ability to navigate a citation management system for individual research projects; implement advanced keyboarding strategies (two-handed touch typing) for accuracy and speed.

Description: Sessions supplementing core courses based on need, demand and current events including but not limited to individual and family well-being; campus resource exploration; career investigation; study skills and time management; community service; American culture and subcultures; language through film; language through literature; media literacy; foundations of American communities; creative problem solving; critical thinking; the liberal arts tradition in American education; and international service organizations. 

Description: Enhancing reading comprehension and vocabulary development of non-native speakers of English at the advanced level through a variety of readings. Students will improve their ability to recognize main ideas, distinguish support, and respond to content.

Objectives: Students will read short works of fiction and short, introductory level academic texts and learn to differentiate rhetorical patterns (e.g. narrative, definitive, comparative); skim for the main idea(s) and general information and scan for specific information; distinguish major and minor support; answer factual and inference questions; discuss the content, and state and support their opinion; outline and summarize the text; infer the meaning of unknown vocabulary items from context.

Description: To enhance the reading comprehension and academic writing skills of non-native speakers of English at the upper-intermediate level. Through extended readings, students improve their ability to recognize main ideas, distinguish support, respond to content and build vocabulary. Students improve their writing at the paragraph and essay level.

Objectives: With successful completion of this course, students will demonstrate the control of basic writing purpose, organization and message production of multi-paragraph work adhering to an explicit thesis statement; Produce rhetorical patterns of exposition, process, classification, and comparison-contrast; Use quotations and citations appropriately; Comprehend and use advanced grammar structures to support research writing (integral and parenthetical citations, reporting verbs, conventions of field specific writing)

Description: In this intensive listening/speaking course students study the basic principles of phonetics and phonology of English in order to develop their ability to produce the standard American accents.

Objectives: Students will focus on spoken American English and learn to articulate sounds correctly, including the sounds of consonants and groups of consonants, the sounds of vowels and groups of vowels and the sounds of specific vowel-consonant combinations; Recognize the word and sentence stresses, and linking patterns; Differentiate between and produce the rhythm and intonation patterns; Apply useful spelling patterns to predict pronunciation; Identify patterns that typical speakers of their L1 have with English pronunciation to better focus on their individual pronunciation challenges.

Description: Non-native speakers of English will build skills and strategies for delivering effective, clear presentations on a range of topics in academic settings. Students will learn about organization, best use of visual aids, connecting with an audience, facilitating questions and answers, and intercultural issues that affect perception and comprehensibility.

Objectives: With successful completion of this course, students will develop skills for interacting in academic settings (including guiding introductions, making requests and asking questions); Develop skills and strategies for presenting information (e.g. descriptive, definitive, reference-supported information); Improve cross-cultural awareness (i.e. students will discuss assumptions and expectations in American academic settings); Enhance language proficiency in pronunciation, grammatical accuracy, compensation strategies, fluency, verbal and non-verbal communication in professional contexts.

Description: Sessions supplementing core courses based on need, demand and current events including but not limited to individual and family well-being; campus resource exploration; career investigation; study skills and time management; community service; American culture and subcultures; language through film; language through literature; media literacy; foundations of American communities; creative problem solving; critical thinking; the liberal arts tradition in American education; and international service organizations.