BEGINNER ESL

In beginner-level ESL courses, students focus on effective written and verbal communication for both social and academic situations. Writing instruction begins with an understanding of sentence structure and builds to the development of a cohesive paragraph. Short, guided student presentations focus on fluency and pronunciation. Discrete reading skills are practiced, and thematic units of academic vocabulary are learned in context. Students have exposure to both academic and informal texts.

INTERMEDIATE ESL

In the Intermediate-level ESL courses, students begin to shift toward more formal, academic language skills. Writing instruction includes essays and formal letters, and the multi-draft process for writing is emphasized. Grammar courses cover all verb tenses, modals, conditionals and comparatives. Students deliver research-based group and individual presentations and speeches and provide peer feedback to one another. Reading courses incorporate higher-order thinking skills such as inference, and students learn to respond to reading both during group discussions and formal writing assignments. Knowledge of academic vocabulary expands to include an understanding of prefixes, suffixes and roots.

ADVANCED ESL

Advanced-level ESL courses prepare students to matriculate to degree programs. Grammar instruction includes a review of dependent clauses and passive voice. For writing skills, students learn about both structure and style through multi-draft essays and research papers using the MLA or APA format. They also engage in peer critiquing and portfolio development. Students learn a variety of notetaking, annotating, paraphrasing and summarizing techniques. For all courses, students critically analyze and integrate information from different sources.