CLASS DESCRIPTIONS

Basic Academic Writing (100-300)
This class focuses on the student's ability to communicate clearly in written form. Students learn how to write paragraphs with topic sentences, supporting details, and concluding sentences. They learn basic sentence structure.

The student should be able to

• Write grammatically correct simple, compound, and complex sentences.
• Identify major sentence structure and grammatical problems for editing their own sentences.
• Write simple paragraphs.
• Use grammatical structures accurately, meaningfully, and appropriately.
• Apply learned grammatical structures in the TOEFL test.
• Apply critical test taking techniques.
• Bridge the gap between knowing grammatical structures and using them.

Intermediate Academic Writing (400-600)
This class focuses on the student's ability to communicate clearly and creatively in written form. Students learn how to write paragraphs with topic sentences, supporting details, and concluding sentences. They study sentence structure and the rules of capitalization and punctuation.

The students should be able to

• Write grammatically correct simple, compound, and complex sentences with adjective clauses.
• Identify major sentence structure and grammatical problems for editing their own sentences.
• Write paragraphs on a variety of topics.
• Use grammatical structures accurately, meaningfully, and appropriately.
• Apply learned grammatical structures in the TOEFL test.
• Apply critical test taking techniques.
• Bridge the gap between knowing grammatical structures and using them.

Advanced Academic Writing (700-900)
This class focuses on summarizing, outlining, and writing essays. Students learn how to analyze and make effective arguments. They write various types of short essays, which require use of the library and computers, and take essay exams.

The students should be able to

• Evaluate information from texts.
• Prepare outlines in correct forms.
• Write thesis statements and develop them in writing.
• Produce writing that is clearly written and properly developed.
• Quote, summarize, and paraphrase without plagiarizing.

Basic Reading and Vocabulary (100-300)
This class helps students develop reading comprehension skills and vocabulary. A variety of classroom activities will not only build reading strategies, but also reinforce other language abilities such as grammar, listening, and discussion.

The student should be able to

• Identify main ideas and details.
• Understand the sequence of events within a passage.
• Use contextual clues to arrive at the meanings of unknown words.
• Read and understand simple passages.

Intermediate Reading & Vocabulary (400-600)
This class helps students improve their reading comprehension skills, develop vocabulary, and increase reading speed. A variety of classroom activities will not only build reading strategies, but also reinforce other language abilities such as grammar, listening, and discussion.

The student should be able to

• Separate main ideas from details.
• Answer questions about the author’s attitude.
• Use contextual information to arrive at the meanings of unknown words.
• Skim passages for general ideas and details.
• Read and understand a variety of passages.

Advanced Reading & Vocabulary (700-900)
This class helps students improve their reading comprehension skills, think critically, develop vocabulary, and increase reading speed. A variety of classroom activities will not only build reading strategies, but also reinforce other language abilities such as grammar, listening, and discussion.

The student should be able to

• Answer questions that require critical thinking.
• Distinguish between facts and opinions or theories.
• Use contextual information to arrive at the meanings of unknown words.
• Read and understand advanced academic passages.

Basic Structure & Speaking (100-300)
This class covers basic English grammar, including verb tenses, plural and singular nouns, determiners, pronouns, and prepositions. Students put the grammar they learn to use in spoken English.

The student should be able to

• Express simple ideas in spoken English.
• Use common verb forms correctly.
• Decide whether to use the singular or plural form of a noun.
• Understand the difference between adjectives and adverbs.
• Use prepositions to express time and position.

Intermediate Structure & Speaking (400-600)
This class covers intermediate English grammar, including verb tenses, passive versus active voice, plural and singular nouns, determiners, prepositions, and phrasal verbs. Students put the grammar they learn to use in spoken English.

The student should be able to

• Express a variety of everyday topics in spoken English.
• Use verbs correctly in terms of tense, voice, and subject-verb agreement.
• Decide whether to use the singular or plural form of a noun and whether a determiner is needed.
• Make comparisons.
• Add information using relative clauses.
• Use prepositions to express time, position, and movement and with verbs, adjectives, and nouns.

Advanced Structure & Speaking (700-900)
This class covers advanced English grammar, including structures found in formal and academic styles. Students put the grammar they learn to use in spoke English.

The student should be able to

• Express complex ideas in spoken English.
• Demonstrate a solid understanding of formal and informal structures.
• Discuss present, past, and future events using a variety of tenses and expressions.
• Determine whether the passive or active voice is more appropriate.
• Report what they have heard or read.
• Use nouns and determiners correctly.
• Add information using a variety of structures.
• Use conjunctions, prepositions, and conjunctive adverbs correctly.
• Select appropriate adverbs and adjectives and put them in the most appropriate positions.

Business English
This class provides instruction and practice in how to speak in professional and business contexts such as meetings and conferences. Students learn to prepare, give, and evaluate informational, impromptu, and persuasive speeches and to participate in discussion, refute others' opinions, express a point of view and ask questions. Also, this class introduces students to key business concepts and vocabulary. Students complete projects to gain hands-on experience.

The student should be able to

• Apply learned skills and strategies in authentic speaking situations.
• Identify and focus on main ideas in oral information.
• Support their opinion.

TOEFL Preparation
This class assists students in maximizing their TOEFL score through practice tests, strategies for the iBT TOEFL, and practice using the computer.

The student should be able to

• Improve English skills in all four areas: reading, listening, speaking, and writing.
• Learn effective test taking strategies.
• Measure improvement through practice TOEFL exams.
• Set and reach satisfactory TOEFL results.

Film Studies
Students watch a movie every week and participate in various vocabulary, discussion, and role playing activities based on the movie. They learn terms related to the movie industry.

The student should be able to

• Discuss movies using appropriate vocabulary.
• Use movies to improve English skills.

Conversation
Students improve listening and speaking skills through conversation on a variety of topics.

The student should be able to

• Engage in conversations on a variety of topics.
• Speak clearly.
• Listen effectively.

Tutor Program
We proudly introduce our One-on-One instruction system. This lesson is designed to provide each student with customized individual tutoring as well as with more opportunities to express his or her ideas freely with a conversation practice partner. This individual lesson is one and a half hours each week.