Intensive Language Institute (ILI)

Mission Statement

The mission of AUCI Intensive Language Institute (ILI) is to provide limited English proficient students with the level of English language education they need to become proficient and be successful at school and at the workplace where English is spoken.  We equip students with innovative, high-quality language skills and cultural understanding necessary to meet their educational and professional goals in an American style higher education environment based on the values of integrity, quality and efficiency. 

Intensive Language Institute Programs:

The Institute programs are as follows: English as a Second Language for Proficiency Development at the University Level (ESLU); English as a Second Language for Personal and Professional Development (ESLP); TOEFL preparation (ESLT);  GED preparation (ESLG).

IMPORTANT-English Language Proficiency Requirement for Bachelor Degree Candidates:  Students whose major or first language is not English are required to satisfy the English language proficiency criteria before they obtain their Bachelor degree.  To satisfy the English language proficiency requirement, ALL students in Bachelor degree programs (Except English majors and students whose first language is English) MUST take a MINIMUM of nine (9) ESLU courses before the end of their studies at AUCI.

Exemption: Bachelor degree candidates who are able to demonstrate proficiency in English may be exempted from the language proficiency requirement. Speakers of English as a first language will also be exempted from the language proficiency requirement if they can demonstrate knowledge of English grammar.

Requirement for ESLP Certificate Program: Eight (8) -courses in nine (9) months.

The Global Scale of English (GSE) & the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR)

The English as a Second Language (ESL) program uses the Pearson Global Scale of English (GSE) Descriptors and the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for Languages as a guide to write the learning objectives for its courses, teach and assess student learning, and   move students from one level of English learning to the next.                                                

Pearson Global Scale of English (GSE) & CEFR Language Levels explained:

Global Scale of English 10  – 29   30 – 42   43 – 58   59 – 75 76-84 85 – 90 
CEFR A1

Low Beginner

 A2 

 Beginner           

 B1

Intermediate

 B2    

Upper Intermediate

  C1

Advanced

     C2

Proficient level

*Source: Global Scale of English Learning Objectives for Academic English, Pearson Education Ltd, 2015. 

Summary of GSE / CEFR Language Levels:

A1 – Low Beginner Level

At this level, the learner can understand and communicate basic sentences about personal and family information, shopping, jobs; talk about personal background in simple terms.

A2 – Beginner Level

At this level, the learner can only understand very simple language, introduce him/herself & give personal details; interact in a simple way when the other person talks slowly and is prepared to help the conversation.

B1 – Intermediate

The learner can understand main points of communication on familiar topics such as work, school, free time etc.; cope with situations related to travel/holidays; write simple connected text on familiar topics; describe experiences, hopes, plans & ambitions; give reasons, explanations and opinions.

B2 – Upper Intermediate

The learner can understand main ideas in a complex text including technical jargon in their specialized field; interact with native speakers without problems; write clear detailed texts on current affairs and give opinions.

C1 – Advanced

The learner can understand a wide range of demanding, long communication and implied meanings; express ideas fluently and spontaneously without searching for expressions; use language for social, professional & academic purposes; write clear, detailed texts on complex subjects.

C2 – Proficient Level

The learner can easily understand every type of communication; summarize information from other sources, reconstructing complex arguments; spontaneously express him/herself using fluent and subtle shades of meaning.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILO’s) / Goals of the Language Institute’s ESL Program

Upon completion of THREE-to SIX trimesters of ESL courses (that is 9-18 courses, or 1-2 years of ESL studies), students should be able to:  

  1. Demonstrate listening skills: listen for specific information in spoken words, write down or repeat accurately what was said.
  2. Demonstrate speaking skills: pronounce words so that they can be understood, speak clearly using appropriate stress and intonation.
  3. Demonstrate reading skills: read and understand the main idea and details of short and long texts.
  4. Demonstrate writing skills: write basic paragraphs and short essays using appropriate vocabulary; link ideas and use accurate and appropriate language.
  5. Demonstrate knowledge of grammar: understand the difference different grammatical tenses and other structures; put words in the right order to make grammatical sense.
  6. Demonstrate knowledge of vocabulary: use appropriate words in different contexts, show an understanding of the different meaning of words and how they relate to other words.

English as a Second Language for Personal & Professional Development (ESLP)-  Program of Six (6) courses leading to a certificate of completion – Click on any course for its description

This course covers the structures of English grammar in which English language learners are most likely to make errors. Students practice editing as they learn the structures of English grammar. The course will help students to proofread and edit their own writing at the sentence level. This course is for students who have some knowledge of the English grammar at the beginner level and wish to learn more at this level.

This course is a combined skills course as it integrates the acquisition of all four skills of English-reading, writing, listening and speaking. Students develop grammar skills and new vocabulary through short readings, which they practice extensively in speaking and writing at the sentence level. Special emphasis is placed on sentence level accuracy in conversation and listening skills development with a focus on pronunciation of the most common words in English.

In this course, students develop reading skills – prediction, comprehension of main ideas and details, and inferences. Students are also introduced to essential skills in writing at the paragraph level.

This is a continuation of ESLP155. Students continue to practice listening and speaking skills through listening and practicing short conversations with others.

This course is for professionals already in business and job seekers looking to learn basic business vocabulary. The course helps students to learn the language of business communication.

Students continue to learn the language of business communication. The course helps professionals and job seekers to learn the language of business communication at the intermediate level. Prerequisite: ESLP190-Business English I.

English as a Second Language for University Studies (ESLU) – A program of Six (6) courses leading to a certificate of completion- Click on any course for its description

This is an intermediate level communication course. Students continue to practice communication skills through short readings and video recordings. They practice answering and formulating questions based on what they read and hear. In addition to speaking, students also practice writing at the paragraph level, thus integrating all four skills of language. Special emphasis is placed on sentence accuracy in answering and formulating questions, and in writing at the paragraph level.

This course covers the structures of English grammar in which English language learners are most likely to make errors. Students practice editing as they learn the structures of English grammar. The course will help students to proofread and edit their own writing to produce error-free sentences at the beginner level. This course is for students who have some knowledge of the English grammar at the beginner level.

Students learn complex grammatical forms and sentence structures in English with the goal of producing error-free writing in order to succeed in upper level courses. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ESL310-Grammar and Editing I.

In this course, students develop reading skills – prediction, comprehension of main ideas and details, and inferences. Students are also introduced to essential skills and writing at the paragraph level.

This course focuses on the development of intermediate level reading skills that help the reader interact with texts and construct meaning. Through reading of short stories, students develop thinking skills: inference, interpretation, evaluation, analysis, synthesis, and application. Reading skills include vocabulary enrichment, identifying main ideas and supporting details. Students continue to learn essential grammar skills and practice writing at the essay level.

This is a speaking skills course at the intermediate level. Students practice speaking skills through listening and practicing short conversations with others. Students also read short written passages, answer questions on the reading and formulate their own questions based on the reading.

This is an optional (elective) course, a directed lab course that focuses on improving clarity and accuracy of students’ pronunciation. Under the supervision of an instructor, students listen and practice standard intonation patterns in American-style English. They learn to pronounce words and phrases accurately so that they are understood when they speak.

ESL for Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): 4 Courses

Program Overview
The TOEFL program provides the highest level of instruction to students with a pre-existing knowledge of English in order to consolidate their skills and communicate with greater accuracy and fluency. The curriculum combines language input (grammar, vocabulary, functions) with skills work (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). A greater emphasis is placed on the latter, as the TOEFL is structured into four main parts corresponding to each skill.

In this course, students practice listening skills. They listen to academic lectures, discussions and conversations and answer questions about these materials. Comprehension exercises are completed in 60-90 minutes to measure the student’s ability to comprehend spoken English, understand what is being said and draw conclusions from lectures or discussions presented. Students listen to lectures or discussions to learn how to listen for tone, main point, agreement or disagreement. The course uses self-assessment quizzes to help students understand how to listen critically and how to synthesize information.

This is a speaking skills practice course at the advanced level of proficiency. Students are engaged in conversations in which they are asked to answer about six questions at a time in a 20- minute time frame. Two of the six questions focus on students ability to use his/her own ideas and thoughts in their responses. The other four questions students are asked incorporate other skills such as reading and listening. The speaking lessons in this preparation course show students how to pace themselves when speaking and how to self-correct errors while they are speaking.

This course teaches students how to read academic materials, including textbooks and academic articles in English. Classroom exercises include answering 36-56 questions in a 60-80-minute time frame based on short academic passages. Students are tested to determine how well they comprehend academic articles and find critical information in reading. The self-paced lessons and quizzes in this course teach the candidate how to use context to determine the meaning of words, understand tone and interpret literary meaning. Students also learn how to use inference and word structure to determine meaning.

This is a writing course at the advanced proficiency level in which students use their reading and listening skills to write essay responses in English. Students practice answering at least two questions at a time in a 50-minute timeframe. They are asked to write a response to a reading and listening passage and write an essay on an issue of their choice. In their independent essay, students are required to state and support their opinion on the selected issue. This course provides lessons on essential grammar and usage methods, in addition to videos that teach students how to write essential parts of an essay, such as the introduction, thesis statement and essay body.
Prerequisite: Successful Completion of ESL0200, ESL210, or ESL0410-Conversation/Listening Skills I & II, or Advanced ESL Reading, or Placement Interview.

General Education Diploma (GED) – Course Descriptions

Program Overview
The GED program provides adults who did not complete a formal high school curriculum the opportunity to attain high school level academic knowledge and skills necessary to pursue higher education and be competitive on the global job market.

This course provides an intensive workshop for structural and writing skills required for academic study and language proficiency. In addition to grammatical evaluation and modification, there is an emphasis on writing a variety of well-organized essays. Accuracy of language use and precision in form are developed, through editing, feedback and re-writing.
Comparable to ESLU400/410-Reading & Writing I & II

This course looks at history in terms of critical points in time and groups of historical periods. Although there will be discussion of psychology, the science of human behavior, emphasis is placed on world history, the history of the United States, civics and government, economics and geography.

In this course students learn to combine their ability to perform computations with problem-solving skills. The course deals with measurement and geometry, data analysis, statistics and probability, algebra, functions, and patterns. Calculators are allowed for fifty percent of the problems.

This course is concerned with scientific understandings and places special emphasis on the environment and on health benefits. Ways in which people use science in their daily lives are discussed.

This course is concerned with scientific understandings and places special emphasis on the environment and on health benefits. Ways in which people use science in their daily lives are discussed.