ESL Programs
General English Program
Our General English Program is a multi-level program designed for post-secondary English language learners seeking to enhance their ability in all aspects of English communication. The program is student-centered and aims to create an immersive language learning experience for students, and to prepare them for real-world communication in English. Throughout the program, students will work to improve their Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing skills in English. Students can progress from each Level with the ultimate goal of achieving enhanced proficiency in the English language for spontaneous and effective communication in familiar and unfamiliar environments. Upon completion of the General English Program, students can transition into any of our higher level programs.
Students progress through the program by successfully completing courses and advancing through levels of the program. There are five levels in the General English Program from Basic to Advanced. Each full level of the General English Program consists of two courses that are each one quarter (10 instructional weeks) in length. It takes two quarters (20 instructional weeks) to complete a full level of the General English Program.
Students who are enrolled full-time must attend 18 clock hours per instructional week. Totalling 180 clock hours per quarter. Students enrolled as part-time may attend either 6 or 12 clock hours per instructional week. Totalling 60 to 120 clock hours per quarter.
Students complete the program when they meet their self-defined goals, which can vary on an individual basis. A full-time student who enters the program starting from the Basic A course who makes normal and satisfactory progress can expect to complete the full General English program, ending with the Advanced B course, in ten terms or 100 instructional weeks.
This set of courses helps students build English skills at the beginner level. Students will learn to understand and produce simple spoken and written English, basic vocabulary, common expressions, and basic rules of English grammar. Students will also work to produce simple phrases about people and places, and build essential listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills needed for everyday communication in familiar and highly supported contexts.
ESL 101: Basic A
Prerequisite: Qualifying English Placement Test Score
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the General English Program a beginner course with basic fundamental knowledge and understanding of key concepts, grammar rules and essential skills necessary for everyday communication.
ESL 102: Basic B
Prerequisite: Completion of Basic A or Qualifying English Placement Test Score
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the General English Program a continuation of the skills acquired in Basic A and to build on the knowledge to provide a basic fundamental understanding of key concepts, grammar rules and essential skills necessary for everyday communication.
ESL 100: Conversation for General English – Basic
Prerequisite: Required for all full-time students enrolled in the General English Program Basic A or Basic B class.
Clock Hours: 60
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the General English Program with additional support in their Basic A or Basic B class and to make available opportunities to enhance beginner level conversational exchanges with content to encourage continued growth and development with essential oral communication skills necessary for level appropriate interaction.
This set of courses helps students build English skills at the high-beginner level. Students will form simple sentences, have short conversations, and write simple sentences in English about familiar things. Students will also read short paragraphs describing people, places and everyday life events and culture, and provide short answers to questions about the readings.
ESL 111: Elementary A
Prerequisite: Completion of Basic B or Qualifying English Placement Test Score
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the General English Program the opportunity to learn and apply the language in simple interactions in everyday situations with familiar topics.
ESL 112: Elementary B
Prerequisite: Completion of Elementary A or Qualifying English Placement Test Score
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the General English Program a continuation of the skills acquired in Elementary A and to build on the knowledge to provide students opportunities to participate in simple conversations and interactions in everyday situations, and to understand short spoken and written texts, and express basic ideas using complete sentences.
ESL 110: Conversation for General English – Elementary
Prerequisite: Required for all full-time students enrolled in the General English Program Elementary A or Elementary B class.
Clock Hours: 60
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the General English Program with additional support in their Elementary A or Elementary B class and to make available opportunities to enhance high-beginner level conversational exchanges with content to encourage continued growth and development with essential oral communication skills necessary for level appropriate interaction.
This set of courses helps students build English skills at the low-intermediate level. Students will form different kinds of longer English sentences in the present, past, present continuous, and future; have short conversations; have short group interactions; and write short sentences in the present, past, present continuous, and future about familiar things. Students will also read to understand the main idea and supporting details on familiar topics, and answer questions about the readings.
ESL 121: Pre-Intermediate A
Prerequisite: Completion of Elementary B or Qualifying English Placement Test Score
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the General English Program the opportunity to strengthen foundational knowledge of the language with key grammar structures, vocabulary, and functional language to express ideas, ask questions, and participate in simple conversations while expanding the ability to communicate more effectively in familiar, personal, social, and practical contexts.
ESL 122: Pre-Intermediate B
Prerequisite: Completion of Pre-Intermediate A or Qualifying English Placement Test Score
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the General English Program a continuation of the skills acquired in Pre-Intermediate A and to build on the knowledge to provide the opportunity to strengthen knowledge of key concepts, grammar rules and essential skills necessary for everyday communication.
ESL 120: Conversation for General English – Pre-Intermediate
Prerequisite: Required for all full-time students enrolled in the General English Program Pre-Intermediate A or Pre-Intermediate B class.
Clock Hours: 60
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the General English Program with additional support in their Pre-Intermediate A or Pre-Intermediate B class and to make available opportunities to enhance low-intermediate level conversational exchanges with content to encourage continued growth and development with essential oral communication skills necessary for level appropriate interaction.
This set of courses helps students build English skills at the intermediate level. Students will use the present perfect tense in real-life situations and form different kinds of longer English sentences in the present, past, and future by discussing familiar topics, making individual presentations, and writing short paragraphs about familiar things. Students will also read and analyze informational articles and answer critical-thinking questions.
ESL 131: Intermediate A
Prerequisite: Completion of Pre-Intermediate B or Qualifying English Placement Test Score
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the General English Program the opportunity to develop presentation skills, use language in respect to obligation and prohibition, and expand their knowledge of the simple present, simple past, present continuous tense, future tense, and develop usage of the present perfect tense.
ESL 132: Intermediate B
Prerequisite: Completion of Intermediate A or Qualifying English Placement Test Score
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the General English Program the opportunity to continue practicing and strengthening the skills acquired in Intermediate A and to build on the knowledge in order to distinguish between countable and uncountable nouns, identify and use phrasal verbs, form tag questions, and use the passive voice and conditionals.
ESL 130: Conversation for General English – Intermediate
Prerequisite: Required for all full-time students enrolled in the General English Program Intermediate A or Intermediate B class.
Clock Hours: 60
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the General English Program with additional support in their Intermediate A or Intermediate B class and to make available opportunities to enhance intermediate level conversational exchanges with content to encourage continued growth and development with essential oral communication skills necessary for level appropriate interaction.
This set of courses helps students build English skills at the high-intermediate level. Students will practice advanced verb forms and uses; speak and write using sentence-level accuracy; express and support opinions, and write multiple paragraphs with increased fluency. Students will also build academic skills by completing group projects, using coherency in presentations, and expanding critical thinking skills.
ESL 210: Advanced A
Prerequisite: Completion of Intermediate B or Qualifying English Placement Test Score
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the General English Program the opportunity to further develop their proficiency and accuracy in the English language, apply advanced concepts with confidence, and prepare for progression to higher-level courses or formal assessments.
ESL 211: Advanced B
Prerequisite: Completion of Advanced A or Qualifying English Placement Test Score
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the General English Program a continuation of the skills acquired in Advanced A and to refine communicative competence, critical thinking, and meaningful communication in order to use English with greater fluency, accuracy, and confidence in an academic, professional, and social context or prepare for progression to higher-level courses or formal assessments.
ESL 200: Conversation for General English – Advanced
Prerequisite: Required for all full-time students enrolled in the General English Program Advanced A or Advanced B class.
Clock Hours: 60
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the General English Program with additional support in their Advanced A or Advanced B class and to make available opportunities to enhance high-intermediate level conversational exchanges with content to encourage continued growth and development with essential oral communication skills necessary for level appropriate interaction.
Academic English Program
Our Academic English Program helps students at the high-intermediate level focus on the English language used in a college or university setting. Students work on a variety of necessary skills to prepare for the next level of academic progression. Students work toward speaking and writing using complex sentence patterns and writing short essays about familiar and unfamiliar things. Students will complete different types of academic writing, reading of various types of texts; listening to and taking notes on lectures; building academic report-writing; developing research skills; expanding academic vocabulary and developing critical-thinking skills.
Students progress through the program by successfully completing each course. There are three courses in the Academic English Program and each course is 1 quarter (10 instructional weeks) in length. The courses in this program are not sequenced. Students must meet the prerequisite(s) for each course.
Students who are enrolled in the program full-time must attend 3 classes for a minimum of 18 clock hours per instructional week. Totalling 180 clock hours per quarter.
Students complete the Academic English Program program when they have passed all three courses. A full-time student who makes normal and satisfactory progress can expect to complete the full program in three quarters or 30 instructional weeks.
Students who are enrolled full-time must attend 18 clock hours per instructional week. Totalling 180 clock hours per quarter. Students enrolled as part-time may attend either 6 or 12 clock hours per instructional week. Totalling 60 to 120 clock hours per quarter.
Students complete the program when they meet their self-defined goals, which can vary on an individual basis. A full-time student who enters the program starting from the Basic A course who makes normal and satisfactory progress can expect to complete the full General English program, ending with the Advanced B course, in ten terms or 100 instructional weeks.
AEP 210: Listening & Note-Taking
Prerequisite: Qualifying English Placement Test Score or completion of the IIFA Intermediate B level of the General English Program.
Clock Hours: 180
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the Academic English Program the opportunity to strengthen listening comprehension and effective notetaking skills through guided practice and active listening exercises which will help capture the main idea and supporting details, and provide a variety of ways to take notes for support in comprehension and discussion.
AEP 220: Academic Reading
Prerequisite: Qualifying English Placement Test Score or completion of the IIFA Intermediate B level of the General English Program.
Clock Hours: 180
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the Academic English Program the opportunity to develop academic reading skills in order to understand complex academic texts, identify main ideas and supporting details, analyze and synthesize information from multiple texts, recognize the author’s purpose and perspective, and help prepare an individual for post-secondary study.
AEP 230: Academic Writing
Prerequisite: Qualifying English Placement Test Score or completion of the IIFA Intermediate B level of the General English Program.
Clock Hours: 180
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the Academic English Program the opportunity to develop and expand academic writing skills with a focus on paragraph and essay organization, academic language use, and source integration in order to produce clear, well-structured, and formally appropriate academic writing appropriate for post-secondary study.
Business Communications Program
Our Business Communications Program helps students at the advanced level work toward becoming more proficient in English and using business content as a way to get there. These courses are designed for those who seek to enhance their communication skills needed to work effectively with English-speaking clients or in English-speaking workplaces. Students will acquire workplace vocabulary; an understanding of US workplace communication norms; speaking clarity and fluency in formal and informal exchanges; collaboration skills; and the ability to compose common types of business writing. Through reading and discussion, role plays, presentations, writing and collaborative projects, and the creation of portfolios, students will gain the vocabulary as well as the reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills necessary to pursue English language related professional goals. Courses in this program apply practical application, independent participation, and critical awareness in both spoken and written communication in formal and professional environments.
Students progress through the program by successfully completing each course. There are nine courses in the Business Communications Program and each course is 1 quarter (10 instructional weeks) in length. The courses in this program are not sequenced. Students must meet the prerequisite(s) for each course.
Students who are enrolled full-time must attend 18 clock hours per instructional week. Totalling 180 clock hours per quarter. Students enrolled as part-time may attend either 6 or 12 clock hours per instructional week. Totalling 60 to 120 clock hours per quarter.
Students complete the program when they have passed all courses. A full-time student who makes normal and satisfactory progress can expect to complete the full program in eight quarters or 80 instructional weeks.
BCP 301: Foundations of Business I
Prerequisite: Qualifying English Placement Test Score or Completion of General English Program Advanced B course.
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the Business Communications Program an understanding of how businesses operate within the larger economic, social, and legal context, and to develop an understanding of key concepts that drive decision-making and organizational success.
BCP 302: Foundations of Business II
Prerequisite: Completion of Foundations of Business I.
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is a continuation of the skills acquired in Foundations of Business I and to help students build on the knowledge acquired in order to focus on strengthening core principles and functions of business in companies and organizations, and to provide additional application of these skills in real life contexts.
BCP 310: Professional Communications I
Prerequisite: Qualifying English Placement Test Score or Completion of General English Program Advanced B course.
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the Business Communications Program the opportunity to utilize verbal, nonverbal, written, and visual communication in a variety of business interactions by introducing them to effective communication skills used both in the workplace and when seeking work.
BCP 311: Professional Communications II
Prerequisite: Completion of Professional Communications I.
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is a continuation of the skills acquired in Professional Communications I and to help students build on the knowledge acquired in order to strengthen the understanding of communication skills in workplace interactions, and to provide additional application of these skills in real life contexts.
BCP 320: Essentials of Entrepreneurship I
Prerequisite: Qualifying English Placement Test Score or Completion of General English Program Advanced B course.
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the Business Communications Program a foundational understanding of entrepreneurship, covering key concepts such as opportunity identification, business planning, and venture creation along with the opportunity to develop and evaluate business ideas, understand market analysis, and explore funding options.
BCP 321: Essentials of Entrepreneurship II
Prerequisite: Completion of Essentials of Entrepreneurship I.
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is a continuation of the skills acquired in Essentials of Entrepreneurship I and to build on the knowledge acquired in order to focus on strengthening core competencies, concepts and business planning, and to provide additional application of these skills in real life contexts.
BCP 324: Principles of Marketing I
Prerequisite: Qualifying English Placement Test Score or Completion of General English Program Advanced B course.
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the Business Communications Program a basic foundational understanding of marketing concepts and the role of marketing in society, and the how and why marketing is needed in businesses, the economic principles that guide them, and the ethical and social responsibilities they must uphold.
BCP 325: Principles of Marketing II
Prerequisite: Completion of Principles of Marketing I.
Clock Hours: 120
The goal of this course is a continuation of the skills acquired in Principles of Marketing I and to help students build on the knowledge acquired in order to better understand marketing concepts and strategies, and to provide additional application of these skills in real life contexts.
BCP 300: Conversation for Business Communications
Prerequisite: Required for all full-time students enrolled in any Business Communications Program class.
Clock Hours: 60
The goal of this course is to provide students enrolled in the Business Communications Program with additional support in their current Business Communications Program class and to make available additional opportunities to enhance essential oral communication skills required for effective interaction in a professional or corporate environment by utilizing application through real-world business scenarios.