Course Descriptions
Courses are listed with course codes under course type headings followed by the number of lecture hours and lab hours if applicable. For each hour of instruction or lab stated, there is a 10-minute recess. Each course description is followed by the prerequisites which students must complete with a passing grade (D or above). For new students, the students’ level placements are determined based on the result of their On-Line English Proficiency Assessment Test (EPAT). The EPAT consists of grammar, reading, and listening. The students are placed in the level that best reflects their abilities broken down into two areas of their command of English language: reading/writing and listening/speaking. The students have the right to challenge their level placements by retaking the EPAT, but may only do so once.
Listening/Speaking Series (Lecture: 40 hours)
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Students will begin developing communicative competence in English by studying and practicing specific structures, vocabulary, and communicative functions such as introductions, likes and dislikes, describing people, talking about events and locations, and exchanging information. To reach these goals, students do listening drills and oral practice with classmates and their instructor. Focused vocabulary development and pronunciation work supplement these core conversation functions. Prerequisite: None
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Students continue developing communicative competence in English by studying and practicing specific structures, vocabulary, and communicative functions such as likes and dislikes, discussing plans, describing abilities and skills, and describing technology. To achieve this, students do role playing, group and pair work, and listening comprehension drills. Focused vocabulary development and pronunciation work supplement these core conversation functions. Prerequisite: L/S 102 or R/W 202
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Students further develop communicative competence in English by studying and practicing specific structures, vocabulary, and communicative functions such as describing personalities, discussing jobs, making requests, narrating a story, and talking about learning methods. To accomplish this, students do pair and group work, go through listening comprehension exercises, and speak in response to reading material. Focused vocabulary development and pronunciation work supplement these core conversation functions. Prerequisite: L/S 202 or R/W 302
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Students begin to focus on English competence for academic success. Through recordings on diverse themes and topics that stimulate critical thinking, including advertising, athletics, storytelling, culture, commerce, and humor, students build their listening skills for formal and informal discourse. They also develop their speaking skills by exploring, analyzing, and explaining matters within these themes and topics. Vocabulary includes idioms and collocations, and pronunciation work supplements class discussion. Prerequisite: L/S 302 or R/W 402
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Students continue developing their English competence for academic success. Through more challenging recordings on diverse themes and topics that stimulate critical thinking, including the media, personal obstacles, natural disasters, interviewing, and education, students expand their listening skills for formal and informal discourse. They also build their speaking skills by exploring, analyzing, explaining, and advocating matters in these themes and topics. Vocabulary includes idioms and collocations, and pronunciation work supplements class discussion. Prerequisite: L/S 402 or R/W 502
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Students further develop their English competence for academic success. Through even more challenging recordings on diverse themes and topics that stimulate critical thinking such as addiction, cross-cultural insights, religion, business, and the arts, students hone their listening skills for formal and informal discourse. They also polish their speaking skills by exploring, analyzing, explaining, and advocating matters in these themes and topics. Vocabulary includes idioms and collocations, and pronunciation work supplements class discussion. Prerequisite: L/S 502 or R/W 602
Reading/Writing Series (Lecture: 40 hours)
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This level is an introduction to academic English. The short, simple reading passages cover a variety of engaging themes and topics. Students will follow the convenient structure of academic style in order to read quickly and effectively. They will find the general topic, main point, supporting reasons, and examples. They will also practice making inferences and drawing conclusions. They will go on to respond by writing their own thoughts in short sentences and paragraphs, working toward writing fluently. These skills, learned at this level, will make English much less mysterious. Prerequisite: None
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In this level, students will take more steps in academic English through assignments in a variety of themes and topics, including Internet social networking, art, small businesses, and city planning for traffic. In each unit, students will read two passages from different points of view on a topic and compare them. Students will then be guided step by step to use certain points in writing style and grammar to write their own thoughts on the same topic. Styles include sentences, simple paragraphs, personal letters, space and time order, comparison, and expressing an opinion. Grammar points include common verb tense forms, pronouns, and questions. Prerequisite: R/W 102 or L/S 202
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Students will develop their academic communication in English through assignments in a variety of engaging themes and topics, including finding the ideal job, making money, netiquette, organic fruit and vegetables, and winter blues. In each unit, students will read two passages from different points of view on a topic and then compare them. Students will then be guided step by step to use certain points in grammar and style to write their own thoughts on the topic. Styles include transition words, punctuation, and direct speech. Grammar topics include comparative adjectives, verbs plus gerunds and infinitives, and count and non-count nouns. Prerequisite: R/W 202 or L/S 302
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Students will develop further competence in academic English through assignments in a variety of themes and topics, including advertising, medical fraud, gender behavior, humor, and crime and punishment. In each unit, students will read two passages from different points of view on a topic and then compare them. After studying some points in writing style and grammar, students will be guided step by step to use them to write their own thoughts on the topic. Styles include summary writing, comparing and contrasting, and parallel structure. Grammar topics include choosing between similar verb tenses, using superlatives, and forming noun clauses. Prerequisite: R/W 302 or L/S 402
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Students will develop analytical skills while continuing to build language competence through the study of intellectually challenging reading and writing exercises structured around stimulating themes such as the media, medicine, philanthropy, education and food. Additionally, students will produce writing through the process of generating ideas, organizing and drafting content, revising, and editing for grammar and mechanics. Prerequisite: R/W 402 or L/S 502
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Students will develop analytical skills while continuing to build language competence through the study of intellectually challenging reading and writing exercises structured around stimulating themes such as addiction, utopian movements, trends, business, and the arts. Additionally, students will produce writing through the process of generating ideas, organizing and drafting content, revising, and editing for grammar and mechanics. Prerequisite: R/W 502 or L/S 602
Pronunciation/Idioms (Lecture: 16 hours)
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In these courses, students are introduced to English sounds and American idioms, the two areas where non-native speakers often lack and need to overcome to pass as a native speaker. Different sounds are introduced often through the idioms to-be-learned. Idioms are taught through a variety of exercises so that the students can use and pronounce them correctly. Prerequisite: L/S 202 or R/W 202
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Idioms that are prevalent in everyday language, as well as more complex, though equally common, phrasal verbs are introduced. Idioms and phrasal verbs are learned in context and students are taught idioms through a variety of exercises and activities. Stress and intonation, as well as individual sounds, are taught so that the idioms learned can be spoken like a native speaker. Prerequisite: L/S 302, R/W 302, or P/I 302
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Students will recognize and correctly use advanced level idioms that are prevalent in everyday language, as well as more complex, though equally common, phrasal verbs. Idioms and phrasal verbs are learned in context, and their origins will be studied. Stress and intonation, as well as individual sounds, are taught to speak like a native for the idioms and phrasal verbs introduced. Prerequisite: L/S 402, R/W 402, or P/I 402
Grammar (Lecture: 20 hours)
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These courses are an introduction to basic English grammar. The goal is for students
to build a smooth, clear, easy-to-use, and easy-to-remember foundation for their
spoken and written English. Specifically, in spoken and written exercises, students
use everyday language and situations to practice and establish good usage in full
sentences with subject-verb agreement (singular and plural), basic verbs and verb
tenses (including irregular verbs) in the present and past time, countable and non-countable
nouns, "a/an" and "the," and pronouns. Prerequisite: None
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In this level, students continue to build their everyday English foundation while
increasing their skill and confidence in speaking and simple writing. The following
topics are covered: verbs in the past and future time; modal verbs for ability,
advice, necessity, requests, and suggestions; adding descriptions to nouns, including
how much and how many; possessive terms; "if" sentences; and sentences that make
comparisons. Prerequisite: L/S 102, R/W 102, or GR 102
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Students step into English usage for more complicated and varied situations. To
do this, they speak and write more-complex sentences. Specifically, students practice
more verb tenses (including more irregular verbs) in present, past, and future time;
types of questions; noun and pronoun usage in different parts of the sentence (including
subject-verb agreement, how much, and how many); "if" sentences; and modal verbs
for ability, possibility, permission, requests, advice, necessity, prohibition,
logical conclusions, commands, and preferences. Prerequisite: L/S 202, R/W 202,
or GR 202
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Students continue to use English for more complicated and varied situations. In
this level, students connect more ideas into sentences, refine the sentences that
make comparisons, practice countable and non-countable nouns with the right usage
of "a/an" and "the," use gerunds and infinitives to tell more about a verb's action
or situation, make passive verbs and know when to use them, and build sentences
with more than one subject-verb set to distinguish between more-important information
and less-important details (main clauses, adjective clauses and noun clauses). Prerequisite:
L/S 302, R/W 302, or GR 302
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Students come to a more-complete skill and acquaintance with the necessary English
forms and usages for complicated and unpredictable situations. In detail, students
increase their choices in verb tenses, including passive verbs and when to use them;
subject-verb agreement; nouns (countable and non-countable, "a/an" and "the," and
quantities); and modal verbs. Prerequisite: L/S 402, R/W 402, or GR 402
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Students come to a near-complete skill and acquaintance with the necessary English
forms and usages for complicated and unpredictable situations. In exercises, students
expand their use of complex sentences including dependent clauses for different
levels of importance and detail (adjective clauses, noun clauses, and adverb clauses);
gerunds and infinitives after verbs; parallel structures inside sentences; connections
from one complete sentence to the next for cause and effect, contrast, and condition;
and connections within a sentence for conditions (including "if") and wishes. Prerequisite:
L/S 502, R/W 502, or GR 502
Test Preparation Courses (Lecture: 64 hours; Lab: 16 hours)
- The courses
are comprehensive overview of the advanced-level speaking, listening, reading and
writing skills needed to succeed on the Next Generation TOEFL iBT (internet-based)
exam. Through an intense review of test-taking strategies and skills, the student
will develop a high level of general language ability in both receptive (listening
and reading) and productive (speaking and writing) skill areas to achieve a goal
TOEFL score. Specifically, through skill-building exercises, review of test-taking
strategies exclusive to the new TOEFL format, and practice with simulated TOEFL
test problems, sections and exams, the student will become familiar with and apply
the advanced level of discourse required to attain a required score level and to
succeed in future academic endeavors. Prerequisite: R/W 502 & L/S 502
- The courses
are comprehensive overview of the advanced-level speaking, listening, reading and
writing skills needed to succeed on the Graduate Management Admission Test® (GMAT®)
that helps business schools assess the qualifications of applicants for advanced
study in business and management. Schools use the test as one predictor of academic
performance in an MBA program or in other graduate management programs. Through
an intense review of test-taking strategies and skills, the student will develop
a high level of general language ability in both receptive (listening and reading)
and productive (speaking and writing) skill areas needed to achieve a high score.
Prerequisite: R/W 602 and L/S 602
- The courses
are comprehensive overview of the advanced-level speaking, listening, reading and
writing skills needed to succeed on the Graduate Record Examinations® (GRE®) General
Test which measures verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and critical thinking
and analytical writing skills. The GRE® Subject Tests gauge undergraduate achievement
in 8 specific fields of study. Through an intense review of test-taking strategies
and skills, the student will develop a high level of general language ability in
both receptive (listening and reading) and productive (speaking and writing) skill
areas needed to achieve a high score. Prerequisite: R/W 602 and L/S 602