Foundation Track

In Levels 100-400, students take courses in the Foundation Track. The Foundation Track provides learners with the basics of English in grammar, reading, writing, and speaking/listening. This track will be useful to all learners who want to improve their English communication skills no matter what their goals are for studying English.

Level 100	Level 200	Level 300	Level 400
Low Beginner	Beginner	Low Intermediate	Intermediate
View Course Descriptions	View Course Descriptions	View Course Descriptions	View Course Descriptions
Grammar / Writing Speaking/Listening Reading

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Daily Schedule

All classes are offered between the hours of 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM. Your exact schedule will depend on your level. Full-time students (4 courses) should plan to be on-campus for approximately 5 hours each day.

A computer lab is open to students for several hours per day.

Core Curriculum

Level 100 - Low Beginner

G100L Grammar

In this class, learners will write sentences using simple present and past tense. Learners will understand basic sentence structure, word order in English, and use nouns and verbs in sentences.

This class is paired with Writing 100. Students will have the same teacher for both courses.

W100L Writing

In this class, learners will write simple and compound sentences. Learners will write short paragraphs (5-7 sentences) about familiar topics and use writing mechanics like capitalization, punctuation, and indentation.

This class is paired with Grammar 100. Students will have the same teacher for both courses.

R100L Reading

In this course, students will begin to read ESL beginner passages of 200-300 words, understand and use vocabulary, and respond to questions about the readings. Learners will also be able to express ideas and opinions about the reading passages.

SL10L Speaking/Listening

In this class, students will practice speaking and listening for everyday situations. Students will give simple presentations and speak on a variety of topics such as daily activities, plans, likes and dislikes, and past experiences. Students will also use listening strategies to improve their listening comprehension. In addition, students will develop their pronunciation, including English rhythm, intonation, consonant sounds, and vowel sounds.

Level 200 - Beginner

G200L Grammar

This is a high-beginner grammar course. In this class, students will form sentences using present, past, future, and present-progressive verbs. Learners will use grammatical vocabulary to explain simple, compound, and complex sentences. Learners will use correct word order and identify parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, articles, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, and comparative adjectives and adverbs.

This class is paired with Writing 200. Students will have the same teacher for both courses.

W200L Writing

In this class, students will write simple and compound sentences and be able to add information to sentences. Students will write texts for social purposes such as emails, as well as short paragraphs about familiar topics. Students will use correct writing mechanics and formatting such as capitalization, punctuation, indentation, and margins.

This class is paired with Grammar 200. Students will have the same teacher for both courses.

R200L Reading

In this class, students will develop strategies, skills, and vocabulary for reading ESL high-beginner passages on different topics. Students will develop reading skills such as making predictions; identifying the topic, main idea and major details; and using pictures and context to understand vocabulary. Students will respond to questions about the readings, make sentences using key vocabulary, and express their opinions about the topics.

SL20L Speaking/Listening

In this class, students will practice listening and speaking for everyday conversation as well as more abstract conversational situations such as comparing cultures. Students will give simple presentations and participate in speaking tasks using simple present, past and future tenses. Students will also use basic listening strategies to understand ESL-beginner listening passages. Learners will develop and practice American English pronunciation using rhythm, intonation, consonant, and vowel sounds.

Level 300 - Low Intermediate

G300L Grammar

In this lower-intermediate grammar class, students will understand and use specific grammar structures at the word and sentence levels. Students will use oral and written communication, focusing on progressive and perfect tenses, modals, count and non-count nouns, pronouns, articles, and comparisons.

This class is paired with Writing 300. Students will have the same teacher for both courses.

W300L Writing

In this class, students will write different types of paragraphs (process, descriptive, narrative, and opinion) using simple, compound, and complex sentences. Students will add information to sentences and combine sentences, as well as link ideas with transition words and dependent clauses. Students will improve their understanding of the steps of the writing process and use writing mechanics such as capitalization, punctuation, indentation, and margins.

This class is paired with Grammar 300. Students will have the same teacher for both courses.

R300L Reading

In this class, learners will develop strategies, skills, and vocabulary for reading ESL low-intermediate passages of 400-600 words. Students will make predictions before reading, identify topics, main ideas, and major details of a passage, and understand vocabulary in context. Learners will also identify signal words and common organizational structures, give simple summaries, and compare two ideas about the same topic.

SL30L Speaking/Listening

In this class, students will practice speaking and listening related to practical conversational situations, as well as formal interactions such as listening and responding to simple ESL lectures on academic topics. Students will give 3-5 minute presentations and participate in a variety of speaking tasks using simple present, past, and future tenses. In addition, students will develop listening strategies for ESL-intermediate passages on practical and abstract topics. Students will develop their pronunciation including American English word stress, reductions, sentence stress, rhythm, intonation patterns, and consonant and vowel sounds.

Level 400 - Intermediate

G400L Grammar

In this intermediate grammar course, students will use specific grammatical structures at the word and sentence level, including all verb tenses and active and passive voice. Students will produce all possible sentence types.

This class is paired with Writing 400. Students will have the same teacher for both courses.

W400L Writing

In this class, students will compose different types of paragraphs such as opinion, descriptive, comparative, and cause-effect, using a variety of sentence types. Students will also improve writing mechanics and formatting for both paragraphs and essays. Learners will write a classification essay and follow the steps involved in the writing process.

This class is paired with Grammar 400. Students will have the same teacher for both courses.

R400L Reading

In this class, students will read for general purposes and develop the skills, strategies, and vocabulary necessary to read ESL intermediate passages and non-simplified passages of 500-700 words. Students will make predictions before reading; identify the topic, main idea and details of a passage; and use context to understand vocabulary. Students will also use signal words, identify organizational patterns, make inferences, and understand pronoun reference.

SL40L Speaking/Listening

In this class, students will practice speaking and listening for practical and academic conversational situations. Students will also listen and respond to simple ESL lectures on academic topics. Learners will give 4-6 minute presentations and participate in a variety of speaking tasks using simple present, past, and future tenses. Students will use American English pronunciation including word stress, reductions, sentence stress, rhythm, intonation patterns, consonant and vowel sounds, and thought groups.

Learn about Academic Track Courses

Learn about Specific Purposes Track Courses