English as a Language Core Curriculum

This course is designed to help students improve academic English. Students complete nonfiction readings and listening, and each chapter covers an academic subject that is commonly found in universities. In this integrated skills course, students learn useful strategies to increase the speed and accuracy with which they listen to and read academic information in English. Students also improve their ability to express themselves, analyze ideas, and synthesize information in academic writing and speaking.

This course uses academic skills and content that prepare students for success in the mainstream classroom, the TOEFL exam, and American universities. Readings are excerpted or adapted from textbooks, academic journals, and other academic sources. Course content covers five academic areas and includes listening to lectures, note-taking, participating in discussions, preparing oral and written reports, and writing essays.

In the first semester, this course introduces students to background in American history and culture. Students learn about the early years of American democracy, the development of civil society, and the influences of these principles on American culture. They learn about American holidays and traditions and why we celebrate them. In the second semester, students concentrate on writing coherent, well-organized paragraphs and short essays. When they are able to write a good paragraph, they will work on learning to write short essays.

In this course, students speak, listen to, read and write English. Students enlarge their vocabulary by acquiring new words and practicing new idioms. Different grammar topics refine knowledge of verb tenses and irregular verbs. Reading comprehension improve with the study of fiction and expository writing that leads to acquiring academic skills for success in classes with native speakers of English. Students practice writing for different audiences and with different purposes. Current events projects, such as Moth story writing, include practicums for speaking and writing English. Most importantly, students become comfortable having English conversations with the instructor and with fellow students.

This course introduces students to basic structures and vocabulary of the English language through the skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students learn strategies in order to advance their reading, listening, and pronunciation skills. They expand oral comprehensibility and write complete sentences, a standard paragraph, and short content-based essays. They utilize level-appropriate conventions of grammar and punctuation with minimum errors.