Beginning to Intermediate

 

Basic Writing

This course will help you develop sentence, paragraph, and short composition writing skills. You will learn how to organize your writing and increase your vocabulary. You will also learn how to use grammatical structures effectively in your writing to communicate your ideas.

Business Communication

You will practice speaking and writing skills to develop the personal presence necessary for success in business. You will learn how to communicate more effectively in professional situations, including meetings, social events, and presentations. You will also learn how to compose at least three different types of professional business communication.

Conversation English: Health and Wellness 

In this course, you will discuss habits of good health. You will review the vocabulary and conversational phrases needed to practice healthy habits of exercise, eating, and stress management. You will also learn what to expect from a typical doctor's visit in the U.S. You will review vocabulary needed to make a doctor's appointment on the phone, visit the doctor's office, and buy medicine or supplies from a pharmacy. You will practice and improve your speaking skills by using the vocabulary and conversational phrases learned in real-life interactions with other participants in the course. 

Conversation English: Shopping & Customer Service 

In this course, you will practice speaking in real life, everyday shopping situations. You will practice clear speaking and pronunciation, learn useful vocabulary, and gain confidence to speak English in your daily life. You will learn vocabulary and grammar to find help, ask questions, and interact with customer-service employees. You will also practice pronunciation and natural speaking for clear communication. 

Conversation English: Small Talk 

In this course, you will review language and useful expressions for making small talk. The ability to make small talk comfortably is one of the most important skills of good communicators. You will learn which subjects are appropriate for small talk and which subjects are not. You will also learn appropriate body language. You will practice making small talk in a variety of situations and will have the opportunity to go deeper into topis of interest. This course includes vocabulary building, pronunciation practice, role-play tasks, and assessment. Learners will finish the course with greater confidence in speaking English. 

Everyday Conversation

You will develop your vocabulary and practice communicating in short, everyday personal conversations. These may include talking about your daily life, or role playing what to say at a restaurant, shopping, at the doctor’s office and more. You will develop your fluency and confidence in everyday situations.

More Everyday Conversation 

It is not necessary to take the Everyday Conversation course before you take More Everyday Conversation. They may be taken in any order. 

In this class, you will learn and practice everyday vocabulary and idiomatic phrases needed to communicate in everyday life. You will participate in role plays based on typical situations, including, getting directions, asking for help, and meeting people and building relationships. In addition, you will learn to use facial expressions and gestures to communicate, and you will understand what expressions mean in cultural context. Your instructor will also help you with any pronunciation that interferes with clear communication. By the end of the course, you will have gained confidence in your ability to use English in everyday encounters.  

Grammar Basics

You will review and improve spoken and written English grammar. You will practice applying grammar rules in real, communicative activities that include writing and speaking with classmates. The course will cover present, past, and future verb tenses, in addition to prepositions, nouns and articles and other grammar lessons.

Practical Grammar: Making Requests and Explaining Problems 

In this course, you will learn to explain or report problems in English. For example, you will be able to report problems you experience at home or in public settings. You will improve your grammar in speaking and writing with lessons about verb tenses and new vocabulary. 

Practical Grammar: Following Conversational Interactions 

In this course, you will learn how to actively listen to four different types of conversations. You will listen to instructional conversations, emotional conversations, argumentative conversations, and relational conversations. You will also learn a variety of conversation listening skills. 

Practical Grammar: Basic Business Emails 

In this course, you will learn how to write and respond to business emails. You will write emails to provide and request information as well as propose a change or meeting. You will also learn basic business email etiquette and the main differences between formal and informal business emails. 

Practical Grammar: Communicating in Social Media 

Improve your English writing and conversation skills by making posts, commenting, and sharing information on social media. In this class, students will learn about slang and informal language, practice English writing for different social media platforms, and discuss current topics with their classmates and instructor. 

Reading Club

You will read short, entertaining texts such as short stories, a short novel, lyrics, and articles. You will develop vocabulary and reading skills by using strategies such as understanding inferences. In groups, we will discuss characters, story/plot, and ideas presented in the readings. Purchase of a book (digital or paper) is required.

Talk More 1

Do you want to feel more comfortable speaking in English? In this class, you will have fun expressing yourself orally while working in pairs, small and large groups, or alone. Using the improvisational system of InterPlay, you are invited to speak without preparation and to make things up. In addition to expanding your story telling abilities, you will learn other ways to communicate with others using movement, voice, and stillness. Whether you are shy or outgoing, you can learn how to succeed at getting your message across more effectively and enjoy the process!

Topics in the News

You and your classmates will choose news stories and topics that we will cover in class. You will read articles and watch video clips of various news stories and discuss them. You will learn and use new vocabulary that relates to the topics we study, and we will review vocabulary with group activities and games. As a final project, students will work in groups to create their own news video stories.

 

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High Intermediate to Advanced

 

21st Century Communication Skills

In this course, you will focus on developing 21st Century communication skills. You will learn how to collaborate more effectively on a team, use problem solving and critical thinking skills to find innovative solutions to real problems, and use a multi-media approach to communicate your ideas.

Academic Writing

In this course, you will learn the basic organization and style of American academic writing.  You will learn the component parts of specific types of American academic writing.  You will learn the purpose of these component parts as well as what American readers expect in terms of the content, style, tone, and vocabulary of these component parts.  You will practice writing in a manner that meets the expectations of American readers, and you will practice evaluating writing samples. 

American Popular Culture 

In this course, students will learn about American popular culture through reading, speaking, writing, listening, and visiting sites in Atlanta. The class will taught in a manner that is similar to typical academic seminar un US universities, giving students an opportunity to learn more about the teaching and learning practices of typical university classrooms. Student will participate in two in-class field trips - one to World of Coca-Cola and one to CNN - as well as complete one independent field trip. Students will pay their own entrance fees for class field trips, and the total cost of those may be about $30. 

American Pronunciation

In this course, you will learn what aspects of your pronunciation make it difficult for North Americans to understand you. You will learn strategies to improve your English pronunciation. We will practice how to make specific sounds, intonation, linking and stress. Other activities will help you eliminate your problem areas.

American Studies

You will use the skills of writing, reading, speaking, and listening in English as you learn about the city of Atlanta. Course content focuses on Atlanta from a historical and contemporary perspective, from slavery and the Civil War to Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement to the headquarters of Coca-Cola, Home Depot, and CNN, and a vibrant music scene. You will read as well as listen to lectures and watch movie segments about the city. You spend part of the class time visiting important sites in Atlanta and keep a written and oral journal of your discoveries. Please note that students may also participate in in-class field trips. Students will pay their own entrance fees for class field trips, and the total cost of those may be about $30.

American Studies: Atlanta & Civil Rights 

In this course, you will learn about the topics of segregation and civil rights by visiting two off-campus sites: the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. You will explore and discuss how segregation and civil rights have affected Atlanta in both the historical and present-day context. You will be responsible for paying the entry fees for the Center for Civil and Human Rights.  

Better Speaking: Current Events 

In this course, you will use news events both to improve your spoken English and to casually converse in English in social settings. You will read or listen to news about current events and summarize it as well as share your opinion about it. You will initiate and sustain discussions about current events in both classroom and casual settings. 

Better Speaking: Total Communication 

In this course, you will improve your ability to speak without preparation and exercise your creativity. By engaging yourself fully in the "embodied" and "performative" acts, you will speak English with increased confidence. You will learn strategies to manage a variety of communication situations; social, professional or academic. Additionally, you will practice aspects of pronunciation related to clarity, rhythm and intonation. In addition to expanding your verbal storytelling abilities, you will learn nonverbal ways to communicate with others using movement and the full range of your voice. Shy or outgoing? You will learn creative techniques to deliver your message more successfully and enjoy the process. 

Better Speaking: More Total Communication 

It is not necessary to take the Total Communication course before you take the More Total Communication. They may be taken in any order. 

In this course, you will add to the toolbox of creative techniques from "Total Communication." You will deliver your message in English successfully with ease and fun, while releasing the judgments of your inner critic. While using new improvisational activities, you will experience freedom to express your opinions and feelings in English. You will gain broader access to your body's range of communication skills both vocally (speak louder, longer, and more intensely) and physically (move more and use more space). You will increase the clarity of your pronunciation through best practices of English rhythm and intonation. Through intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, you will increase your self-confidence, be more assertive, and have more personal and social power communicating in English. 

Better Writing

In this course, you will learn writing skills and strategies that are necessary for non-academic types of writing. You will practice writing for both formal situations like service requests/complaint or personal responses to everyday situations (e.g., condolences, thank you’s, replies to invitations), and informal situations like Facebook postings or Tweets, text messages and blogs. As part of this course, you will review vocabulary, grammar, and writing techniques that are useful for non-academic types of writing.

Business Case Studies

In this course, you will learn the process of business case analysis and apply that process to an actual business case. You will practice speaking and listening skills through case discussions, develop vocabulary as you read a business case and learn how to create a LinkedIn profile. Students will also learn what design thinking is and the process of design thinking. You will then take on a real life challenge and apply the design thinking process in solving that challenge.

Creating Your Digital Self in English

Creating and cultivating an online presence in a second language can be a challenging yet rewarding journey. This course will help you learn strategies and skills to help you build your online network, develop your writing and oral presentation skills, and connect to the global community in English. In the process, you will discover new things about yourself and explore different online platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

GRE Writing

This class will help you develop your critical thinking and analytical writing skills. You will learn how to develop complex ideas and arguments and provide coherent support for them. You will practice both the “analyze an issue” task, for which you need to construct an argument and support it and “the analyze an argument” task, for which you evaluate someone else’s argument.

IELTS Prep

In this course, you will learn the basic skills needed to improve your scores on the IELTS test. We will practice strategies for the four sections of the test: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Purchase of a textbook required.

Job Search Communication 1

This course is designed for those currently job searching or those who will be searching for a job in the future. This job search could be for a job in university, a job in a company or nonprofit organization, or a temporary job like an internship. This course will cover the preparation of documents to pursue a job search effectively; those documents include but are not limited to a resume, CV, LinkedIn profile, and cover letter. Students will also learn the different tools used for doing a job search. 

This course is a recommended pre-requisite for Job Search Communication 2. 

Job Search Communication 2

This course is designed for those who have completed Job Search 1 and have completed the documents or know how to complete the documents that are needed in a job search. 

Like Job Search 1, this course is designed for those currently job searching or those who will be searching a job in the future. This job search could be a job in university, a job in a company or nonprofit organization, or a temporary job like an internship. This course will build upon Job Search 1 by helping students complete all the documents and edit those documents done in Job Search 1, but the main thrust will be on doing the work to get a job. This course will cover the skills needed to search and get a job. These skills include but are not limited to learning how to job search, use the various tools to search for a job, preparing and practicing for a job interview, tailoring a cover letter to a specific job and connecting with others to help find the best job. 

Leadership Across Cultures

In this course, you will learn about the theoretical and practical aspects of leadership in the cross-cultural context. You will practice giving oral presentations, listen to interactive lectures on specific topics, and engage in academic discussions and hands-on activities. You will gain an appreciation of cross-cultural differences in leadership as well as enhance your personal leadership capabilities.

Professional Communication: Using LinkedIn

If you're committed to career growth, LinkedIn is a key tool you need to master. In this course, you will use LinkedIn to define your personal brand to move your career forward, build a strong network of connections, and stay current with industry news. 

Because a well written LinkedIn profile will give you credibility and establish you as trustworthy potential employee, learners in this course will write a professional biographical statement. In addition, they will demonstrate their "brand" identity by assembling photos, writing brief articles to reflect the brand, finding appropriate material to share, and speaking persuasively for a LinkedIn post. 

Professional Presentations 

In this course, you will practice giving advanced-level speeches. You will practice preparing and presenting on a variety of topics using appropriate media tools. You will develop strategies specific to your strengths and weaknesses by receiving feedback from the teacher and your peers.

Professional Speaking: Networking & Promoting Yourself 

In this highly interactive course, you will be given an improvisational toolbox filled with professional communication strategies to foster networking and increase your creativity to promote yourself authentically. You will experience using the right tools to manage uncertainty and not knowing, say "yes" to bridge differences; catch impulses within yourself and develop self-awareness, and begin to understand how to react, adapt and communicate in the moment with courage and the willingness to face failure. Your participation in these improvisational activities will result in your discovering an increased confidence to promote yourself and the ability to meet and collaborate with others in a relaxed and formal environments. 

Professional Speaking: Professional Presentations 

In this course, you learn how to give an effective professional presentation. You will also learn about different types of presentations, and then select your own topic to research and present. You will learn how to design and use visual elements as well as other presentation skills to support your presentations. 

Professional Writing

In this course, you will practice the grammar and style needed to write several professional writing forms. These may include professional emails, resumes, cover letters, blogs, and white papers. You'll write and have your writing reviewed each class and join your classmates in activities to improve your grammar and North American voice.

Professional Writing: Advanced E-mail Writing 

In this class, you will learn to write and edit professional emails with concise style and clear expression. You will learn to identify the purpose and structure for emails addressed to colleagues and to clients. You will lean a process for business writing and analyze the style of successful business emails. You will also receive lessons and feedback about your English grammar and identify resources for future writing success. 

Talk More 2

Do you want to feel more comfortable speaking in English? In this class, you will have fun expressing yourself orally while working in pairs, small and large groups, or alone. Using the improvisational system of InterPlay, you are invited to speak without preparation and to make things up. In addition to expanding your story telling abilities, you will learn other ways to communicate with others using movement, voice, and stillness. Whether you are shy or outgoing, you can learn how to succeed at getting your message across more effectively and enjoy the process!

TOEFL Prep

In this course, you will learn the requirements of the four sections—writing, reading, speaking and listening—of the TOEFL exam. You will practice answering sample questions from each section and receive feedback on how well you perform the various tasks required on the test. Purchase of a textbook required.