Intensive English Courses for Undergraduates

Goals

• Apply the skills and strategies of a successful reader
• Read critically

Course Objectives for Reading and Vocabulary

This course will develop the students’ ability to:

• Skim for main idea(s)
• Scan for details
• Use graphic organizers to understand a text better
• Develop reading speed
• Build academic vocabulary
• Make use of contextual clues to infer meanings of unfamiliar words from context
• Summarize and paraphrase information in a text
• Distinguish main ideas from specific details
• Distinguish facts from opinions
• Make inferences and predictions based on comprehension of a text
• Identify the author’s purpose and tone
• Discuss and respond to the content of the text orally and in writing
• Utilize digital literacy tools to develop reading and vocabulary skills
• Reflect on and evaluate learning and performance and set goals for progress
• Demonstrate behavior and attitudes appropriate to a university environment (work collaboratively, manage time, be prepared, comply with academic integrity rules)

Student Learning Outcomes

Given an academic reading passage, the student will be able to:

• Identify the main idea(s) in the text
• Identify specific details
• Distinguish main idea(s) from supporting detail
• Distinguish fact from opinion
• Make inferences and predictions based on information in the text
• Infer meanings of unfamiliar words
• Identify the author’s purpose and tone
• Transfer information in the text into a graphic organizer
• Produce academic vocabulary appropriately orally and in writing
• Summarize/paraphrase information in a text 

Goals

• Understand and apply the conventions of academic writing in English.

Course Objectives Writing and Grammar

This course will develop the students’ ability to:

• Write effective and coherent paragraphs
• Comprehend the overall and internal organization of an academic essay
• write an effective thesis statement
• Use pre-writing strategies to plan writing
• Generate ideas from sources to develop content
• Develop coherent content and support with relevant details
• Write a 4-5 paragraph expository/take-a-stand academic essay
• Write a 500-word response to a provocative reading passage
• Give critical peer feedback
• Use peer and teacher feedback to edit writing
• Build academic vocabulary
• Use a variety of accurate sentence structures
• Use grammatical structures accurately
• Utilize digital literacy tools to develop writing and grammar skills
• Reflect on and evaluate learning and performance and set goals for progress
• Demonstrate behavior and attitudes appropriate to a university environment (work collaboratively, manage time, be prepared, comply with academic integrity rules)

Student Learning Outcomes

Given a writing prompt, the student will be able to:

• Write a paragraph with a topic sentence, support, and concluding sentence
• Produce coherent and unified paragraphs with adequate support and detail
• Write an effective introduction and conclusion
• Write a thesis statement that addresses the writing prompt
• Produce a well-organized academic essay
• Produce appropriate vocabulary and correct word forms
• Use a variety of accurate sentence structures
• Produce accurate grammatical structures
• Demonstrate control of mechanics

Goals

• Apply the skills and strategies of a successful listener

Course Objectives for Listening

This course will develop the students’ ability to:

• Take organized notes on lectures and listening passages
• Identify and distinguish main ideas from supporting details
• Make use of contextual clues to infer meanings of unfamiliar words from context
• Identify speaker’s purpose and tone
• Make inferences and predictions about spoken discourse
• Utilize digital literacy tools to develop listening skills
• Reflect on and evaluate learning and performance and set goals for progress
• Demonstrate behavior and attitudes appropriate to a university environment (work collaboratively, manage time, be prepared, comply with academic integrity rules)
• Given an oral lecture or a listening comprehension passage, the student will be able to:
  • Take notes and make use of them in answering questions about the passage
  • Distinguish relevant from irrelevant information
  • Identify the topic and main idea
  • Comprehend relationships between ideas
  • Discuss and respond to the content of a lecture or listening passage orally and/or in writing
  • Make inferences and predictions about spoken discourse

Goals

• Apply the skills and strategies of a successful speaker

Course Objectives for Speaking and Oral Presentation

This course will develop the students’ ability to:

• Discuss and respond to the content of a reading or listening passage
• Use communication strategies to participate in group and class discussions
• Select, compile, and synthesize information for an oral presentation
• Use search tools to locate appropriate sources
• Evaluate and select sources for relevance
• Paraphrase and cite sources
• Use vocabulary appropriately
• Use grammatical structures appropriately
• Deliver an effective oral presentation
• Present information using digital tools
• Reflect on and evaluate learning and performance and set goals for progress
• Demonstrate behavior and attitudes appropriate to a university environment (work collaboratively, manage time, be prepared, comply with academic integrity rules)

Student Learning Outcomes

• Given a topic to research and present in class, the student will be able to:
  • Focus the topic
  • Apply research procedures
  • Locate and select relevant information
  • Take notes, paraphrase, synthesize and organize information
  • Produce appropriate vocabulary
  • Produce accurate grammatical forms
  • Give an oral presentation in class using effective delivery strategies

Goals

• Apply the skills of problem-solving
• Work in groups

Course Objectives for Project-based problem solving

This course will develop the students’ ability to:

• Work collaboratively with others
• Communicate effectively
• Take responsibility for completing tasks
• Create group goals and strategies to complete tasks
• Reach consensus in decision making
• Solve problems
• Manage time
• Utilize digital literacy tools to develop collaborative skills
• Reflect on and evaluate learning and performance, and set goals for progress
• Demonstrate behavior and attitudes appropriate to a university environment (be prepared, comply with academic integrity rules)

Student Learning Outcomes

• Given a real-world problem, the student will be able to:
  • Work collaboratively
  • Divide tasks
  • Conduct interviews and observations
  • Identify the problem
  • Explore possible solutions
  • Represent a solution in the form of a prototype
  • Give, receive and apply feedback
  • Give a presentation reporting on the process and the prototype
  • Write a thoughtful reflection on an experience