Intensive English Courses

Our Program has:

  • 5 levels of instruction, high beginning to advanced
    • Note: we may run only levels 2-5 in the summer if enrollment is low
  • 18 hours of class per week in Fall and Spring semesters
  • 25 hours of class per week in Summer semester
  • 12 students in an average class
  • 100 students in an average session

Course Meeting Times

Fall and Spring

All Levels – Monday through Thursday,  8:30 a.m. – 3:15 p.m. CDT

  • 18 hours of instruction per week
  • Reading and writing skills are taught in a.m. classes.
  • Listening and speaking skills are taught in p.m. classes.

Summer

Levels 1-4 – Monday through Friday,  8:30 a.m. – 3:00   p.m. CDT

Level 5 – Monday through Thursday,  8:30 a.m. –  3:30 p.m. CDT

All levels:

  • 24 – 25 hours of instruction per week
  • Reading and writing skills are taught in a.m. classes.
  • Listening and speaking skills are taught in p.m. classes.

Semester Length

Fall – 16 weeks

  • 14 weeks of instruction with a week break at midterm and an extra week off during winter break.

Spring – 16 weeks

  • 14 weeks of instruction with a week break at midterm, a week break for UIC Spring Break, and a week off between Spring and Summer semester.

Summer – 12 weeks

  • 10 weeks of instruction with a 2-week break between Summer and Fall

Course Levels Heading link

All new students at our Intensive English Program take comprehensive placement exams that test spoken English and written English skills before the first week of class. This determines their Reading/Writing and Listening/Speaking levels.

Our Intensive English Program levels are:

  • Level 1: High Beginning
  • Level 2: Low intermediate
  • Level 3: High Intermediate
  • Level 4: Advanced
  • Level 5: Advanced Professional Skills

A student completes one level per semester. Courses may be repeated once if the student is unable to reach the learning outcomes of the first semester in the course.

Course Descriptions Heading link

Full-time Level 1 – 4 students attend Reading/Writing in the morning, and Listening/Speaking in the afternoon.

Part-time students choose either the Reading/Writing course or the Listening/Speaking course. Part-time students are NOT eligible for a student visa.

Reading/Writing students study:

  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Vocabulary
  • Grammar
  • Academic study skills
  • Intercultural awareness

Listening/Speaking students study:

  • Listening
  • Speaking
  • Vocabulary
  • Grammar
  • Pronunciation
  • Intercultural awareness

Full-time level 5 students attend 8 ELSI classes.

  • 4 classes in Term A: ELSI 081, 083, 086, and 088
  • 4 classes in Term B: ELSI 082, 084, 087, and 089

Part-time Level 5 students attend 4 ELSI classes

  • 2 of the class options in Term A
  • 2 of the class options in Term B

Part-time students are NOT eligible for a student visa.

 

ELSI 081 Communication Skills
This course is designed to help non-native speakers of English improve their speaking and listening skills in social, academic, and professional settings. Participants learn strategies for effective communication as well as techniques for improving pronunciation. Learners practice key vocabulary and American conversational expressions to gain confidence in a variety of situations.

ELSI 082 Discussion Skills
This course is designed to help non-native speakers of English develop social and academic discussion skills. Participants learn strategies to effectively and appropriately present, support and defend their viewpoints as well as techniques to engage in discussions and answer discussion questions. Students also learn applicable cultural norms and politeness strategies as well as improve pronunciation and vocabulary for more successful communication.

ELSI 083 Presentation Skills: Developing Effective Methods for Presentations
This course is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to respond effectively and professionally in planned and spontaneous public speaking situations. Students also increase their ability to follow advanced academic lectures and professional speeches.

ELSI 084 Delivering Effective Presentations in Your Profession
This course is focused on enabling students to deliver lengthy, formal presentations at such venues as conferences and business meetings and to conduct formal interviews. Aspects of presentation such as organizational patterns, types of requisite development, methods of audience interaction, and appropriate use of visual aids are addressed and practiced.

ELSI 086 Effective Written Communication
This course introduces learners to principles of effective written communication and critical reading. Learners will build proficiency and confidence as writers of English while improving reading and critical reasoning skills. Emphasis will be placed on the writing of academic and professional emails and summary and argumentative paragraphs.

ELSI 087 Approaches to Evidence-Based Writing
This course is designed to develop and sharpen learners’ academic and professional reading and writing skills and strategies in English. Learners will build proficiency and confidence as writers of English while improving reading, critical reasoning, and research skills. Emphasis will be placed on research-based writing, including summary-response essays, an annotated bibliography, and a synthesized overview of selected articles.

ELSI 088 Critical Reading: Preparation for Written and Oral Communication
This class centers on developing the critical reading skills needed to both academically and professionally succeed. Through engaging with a variety of sources, students will apply the target skills both orally and in writing.

ELSI 089 Using Evidence-Based Writing for Your Profession
This course aims to apply critical reading skills to generate researched-based writing. Participants will critically analyze both general and field-specific writing samples, and will conduct further research within academic and professional contexts to help them produce foundational research pieces.