Intensive English Language Institute 

The Intensive English Language Institute aims to provide students with a culturally sensitive, supportive environment in which to build English language proficiency and academic skills needed for college success.  Opportunities for creative language practice and expression of ideas are provided in content-rich classes and learning experiences outside of class.  Teachers regard students as motivated, self-directed individuals and respond to students' varied learning styles and educational backgrounds by selecting instructional techniques and materials to facilitate progress toward fluent, accurate English.

Structures and Policies

The Intensive English Language Institute assesses the English language proficiency of newly admitted students and provides courses to students whose English proficiency is not sufficient to meet the academic demands of the College.

In Levels One through Five, full-time students receive 18-22 hours of instruction per week in semester units of 15 weeks.  Classes combine the skill areas of reading, writing, listening, speaking, grammar, pronunciation and critical thinking with content.  Particular care is taken to offer courses to help prepare students academically as well as linguistically for work at the college level.

Students in Level Six matriculate into the College and carry a reduced academic course load while continuing to receive four to eight hours of English instruction.  They take ESL 184, an academic support course.   Depending on their writing sample scores, part-time students may also be required to enroll in the ESL 084 writing class.

Assessment of student progress and proficiency takes place at the end of each semester. Advancement is based on final grades, the recommendations of current teachers, writing sample scores and proficiency exams. A student who fails to achieve the expected outcomes of a course is required to repeat it.  A second failure at the same level may result in dismissal from the College.

Students are required to attend all ESL classes. When a student misses more than 10 percent of the class hours for a particular course, a grade of "NG" (no grade) will appear on the student’s transcript.  A student receiving a grade of "NG" may still be promoted based on his English proficiency.  See section entitled "Grading System" for other grades earned in classes.

INTENSIVE ENGLISH LANGUAGE INSTITUTE

Course Descriptions

Designed for the student with minimal English proficiency.  Focuses on topics depicting aspects of daily life.  Provides instruction in the sound/spelling system of English and in basic sentence structures and time frames.  Provides practice in elementary listening, speaking, reading and writing skills.  Students successfully completing the course can read and comprehend highly simplified dialogs, narratives and expository texts.  They can write about familiar material at the sentence level and can orally communicate information about a limited range of familiar topics.  18-22 hours per week.  As needed

Expands reading, listening and speaking topics to include United States and other cultures, geography and historical events.  Builds on basic structures and time frames.  Introduces writing at the paragraph level.  Students successfully completing this course can read and comprehend simplified narrative and expository texts.  They can write a short narrative.  They are able to understand controlled spoken discourse on familiar topics and orally communicate information about those topics.  18-22 hours per week.  As needed

Utilizes materials written for the intermediate learner while adding accessible authentic literature such as short stories and articles. Expands reading and critical thinking skills. Introduces controlled lectures and some authentic listening. Reviews basic structures and adds some complex structures. Provides extensive work on expository writing at the paragraph level and introduces the essay.  Upon completion of  this course, students' writing demonstrates control of simple structures and a growing ability to organize and support ideas.  Successful students  understand main ideas in authentic listening tasks and can speak fairly comprehensibly about basic academic topics.   18-22 hours per week.  As needed

Builds sub-technical vocabulary through  study of academic topics. Includes extensive reading of articles from various sources and some literature. Builds on complex structures. Guides students through higher level thinking skills.  Provides extensive practice in the multiple-paragraph essays and using complex structures.  Introduces academic note-taking and basic library and internet research.  Provides practice in interviewing, small group problem solving and short oral presentations. Students successfully completing this course comprehend a range of unsimplified texts with teacher guidance. They show developing skill in essay writing, comprehension of academic lectures, note-taking and ability to speak about academic topics.  18-22  hours per week. As needed

Provides additional instruction, practice and guidance in all skills areas described in ESL 004. Emphasizes critical examination of texts and composition of analytical and argumentative essays. Students successfully completing this course comprehend most unsimplified  texts with limited guidance.  They can compose essays showing basic competency in syntactic and rhetorical modes,  follow academic lectures,  create adequate notes and  speak intelligibly in extended discourse on a range of academic topics.  18-22 hours per week. As needed

Aids the student  in recognizing his particular problems with the sounds, stress, intonation and rhythm of English.  Guides student practice to improve clarity and comprehensibility of speech. As needed

Required for non-native speakers of English who do not meet the criteria ENG 111.  Uses extensive writing to develop skills necessary for success in college writing.  Focuses on improving grammatical accuracy when using complex English structures.  Students must demonstrate proficiency in these skills in order to earn the grade of "C-" or better required for registration in ENG 111.  Four hours per week.  As needed

Provides a bridge from full-time ESL study to successful study in academic classes. Strengthens academic language and study skills using the content of an introductory college course in which the student is concurrently enrolled. Guides students in their reading of course materials and related journal articles. Provides practice with test-taking, note-taking and oral presentation skills. Offered on a pass/fail basis with the grade based on outcomes established by the Institute. Failure in this course will not negatively affect the student’s grade point.  The regular College "Class Attendance"  policy applies for this class.  Four hours per week. As needed.