Fall and Spring 15-Week Program
A full-time 15-week intensive English program is offered in both the fall and spring semesters, following the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign academic calendar.
Program Structure
Students participate in a Registration and Orientation week and 14 weeks of instruction. Students attend class four hours a day, five days a week for a total of twenty hours of class per week. Students are placed into one of six proficiency levels based on the results of the English Placement test taken during Registration and Orientation week. To provide students with maximum flexibility to choose courses which will meet their individual needs and interests, the IEI offers elective courses at levels 300-600. Elective courses are combined for levels 300-400 and 500-600. Levels with fewer than 9 students may also be combined.
Achievement Scales
The IEI has 6 levels of proficiency from 100-600. The IEI is on a semester system. Courses are 14 weeks long and taught in the spring and the fall. Full-time students are in class 20 hours a week.
- 500-600 are the advanced levels. Students at these levels take two required core courses with an academic focus: Academic Reading-Writing and Academic Listening Speaking. In addition to these courses, students choose two elective courses.
- 300-400 are the intermediate levels. Level 400 Students at these levels have three required core courses: reading-writing, listening-speaking and grammar. The reading-writing and listening-speaking courses are pre-academic. Students choose one elective course. Level 300 students have the same core courses as Level 400 students but are also required to take pronunciation.
- 100-200 are the basic levels. Students in these levels have four required core courses and no electives. Their courses are reading-writing, listening-speaking, grammar and pronunciation. The reading writing and listening-speaking courses focus more on the language needed in everyday life.
Below you will find what students should be able to do by the end of the 14 weeks of instruction in each level and class. Electives are not included because the courses offered vary from semester to semester. Progression is not based on course grades, which includes elements not related to student proficiency like effort, but rather on proficiency reports that student receive at the end of the semester for each class they take. Core course proficiency reports and the IEI placement test are most important when deciding if a student should progress to the next level.
500-600
At the end of each fall/spring term, students in the core 500-600 courses can:
| Level | Core Course: Academic Listening and Speaking | Core Course: Academic Reading and Writing |
|---|---|---|
| 600 | Demonstrate understanding of main ideas and important supporting information in lectures of 20-35 minutes in listening assessments with open-ended questions. Effectively synthesize information from various written and listening sources on written exams. Demonstrate critical thinking by developing 8-13-minute individual presentations based on 4-5 sources. Collect data and explain and display it in chart form as part of a group presentation. Lead a class discussion. Respond appropriately to others during class discussions. | Read, comprehend, and analyze the structure of academic texts ranging from 900 to 2,500 words. Write a 5- to 7- paragraph argumentative, cause-effect, or comparison essay of 1000-1800 words following an organizational pattern appropriate for academic writing. Incorporate supporting evidence from 4 to 6 sources using APA format. Write essay paragraphs that include a topic, explanation, support, interpretation, and return format. Write with grammatical accuracy and complexity. Incorporate appropriate academic vocabulary. Use accurate spelling and punctuation. |
| 500 | Demonstrate understanding of main ideas and important supporting information in lectures of 20-35 minutes in listening assessments with multiple choice and open-ended questions. Effectively synthesize information from 2 listening and/or reading sources on written exams. Demonstrate critical thinking by developing individual 7-11-minute presentations based on 2-3 sources. Collect data and explain it as part of a group presentation. Respond appropriately to other students during a student-led class discussion. | Read, comprehend, and analyze the structure of academic texts ranging from 800 to 2,000 words. Write a 5-paragraph cause-effect, argumentative, or comparison essay of 900-1500 words following an academic organizational pattern. Incorporate supporting evidence from 3 to 4 sources using APA format. Write essay paragraphs that include a topic, explanation, support, interpretation, and return format. Write with grammatical accuracy and complexity. Incorporate appropriate vocabulary. Use accurate spelling and punctuation. |
Students at Level 500-600 take two electives. See the student learning goals for fall and spring semesters below. Note: What e;ectives are available varies depending on student choice and administrative need.
| Level | Elective Course: TOEFL Preparation | Elective Course: Vocabulary | Elective Course: Advanced Grammar | Elective Course: Advanced Pronunciation | Elective Course: Communication in American Culture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 500-600 are combined in these classes | In this course 500 and 600 level students have the same achievement outcomes but are required to meet different percentages of accuracy depending on their level. By the end of the course, students can: • Identify each specific type of reading question on the reading section of the TOEFL and answer reading comprehension, vocabulary, inference, and summary questions accurately. • Will be able to identify each specific type of listening question and answer listening comprehension and inference questions accurately. • Students should be able to summarize and paraphrase information from 1-2 different passages, either orally or in writing. They also should be able to contribute to an online academic discussion in writing. | In this course 500 and 600 level students have the same achievement outcomes. Students can: • Determine a word’s part of speech and meaning by analyzing affixes and roots • Use a monolingual learner dictionary to inform word knowledge and differentiate between near synonyms • Differentiate between a word’s denotation and connotation and identify connotations in context • Use common contextual clues to determine a word’s meaning • Identify the register of a text and produce written texts in general and academic register • Understand structured and free word associations • Identify and use frequent collocations, including commonly misused verb + preposition combinations and noun collocations in the academic genre • Identify and use formulaic expressions in general and academic English | In this course 500 and 600 level students have the same achievement outcomes. Students can: • Produce compound, and complex sentences without fragments and/or run-ons all of the time; • Use all 3 types – noun, adjective, and adverb – of dependent clauses in writing; • Use a variety of advanced subordinating conjunctions and transition adverbs to connect ideas in writing. • Relate events clearly using a variety of verbal aspects. • Use correct noun form accompanied by appropriate articles and quantifiers. • Use modal verb form, where applicable, accurately to express ability, obligation, and inference in all 3 time frames. • Identify and produce gerunds and infinitives in subject and object positions, tending to voice and aspect. • Identify and produce indirect speech to report ideas and opinions correctly, tending to word order as well as any pronominal, tense, adverbial use in writing where appropriate | In this course, 400,500 and 600 level students have the same achievement outcomes. Students will increase their knowledge of English pronunciation by: • Learning the specific mechanics of producing English consonant and vowel sounds • Predicting where to place stress on all types of compound nouns • Predicting which of the three types of intonation patterns (rise, fall, and fall-rise) to use within and at the end of phrases • Predicting word stress based on spelling patterns • Understanding the purpose and function of Natural Speech Phenomena (NSP) in native English speech • Predicting where to place primary stress and contrast stress in phrases and sentences | In this course, 400, 500 and 600 level students have the same SLOs. The content isn’t difficult but is new for most students living in the US for the first time. By the end of the course students can: • Explain cultural knowledge of targeted topics in written assessments. Topics may include health care, restaurants and tipping, and making friends. • Make and respond to requests appropriately at different levels of formality • Make and cancel an appointment appropriately • Make a service call appropriately • Apologize appropriately at a variety of levels of formality • Correctly identify and use a variety of topic-related vocabulary |
400
| Level | Core Course: Listening and Speaking | Core Course: Reading and Writing | Core Course: Grammar | Intermediate TOEFL | Elective: Advanced Pronunciation | Elective: Communicating in American Culture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 | Use information from the authentic and textbook listening texts and their own experiences to perform 6-8-minute role-plays and present and explain information in informal 4-6-minute individual and 8-12- minute pair presentations. Show understanding of 3-8-minute listening texts in exams with mostly open-ended questions (rather than multiple choice). Show ability to synthesize information learned across several unit listenings on exams. Be able to use many of the vocabulary words learned in class in speaking assessments and on exams. | Read and comprehend expository and fiction texts ranging from 700-1800 words, with scaffolding as needed. Produce an analysis of a text for its subject, thesis, audience, and purpose. Write 3-5 focused, coherent, and well-developed paragraphs of 150-300 words that include a topic, explanation, support, and return format. Write using own words and personal experience, integrating information from readings without plagiarizing. Write with some grammatical complexity. | Develop complexity in writing through the incorporation of a variety of time frames, multiple dependent clause types, subordinating conjunctions, and accurate punctuation and capitalization. Express meaning using correct grammatical forms, including appropriate noun forms, correct articles and quantifiers, modal verbs, and gerunds and infinitives as subject and object. | This class is NOT offered most semesters. Instead, Level 400 students can take the 500-600 course. Elective course: TOEFL Preparation 300-400 In this course 300 and 400 level students have the same achievement outcomes but are required to meet different percentages of accuracy depending on their level. By the end of the course, students can: • Identify each specific type of reading question on the reading section of the TOEFL and answer reading comprehension, vocabulary, inference, and summary questions accurately. • Will be able to identify each specific type of listening question and answer listening comprehension and inference questions accurately. • Students should be able to summarize and paraphrase information from 1-2 different passages, either orally or in writing. They also should be able to contribute to an online academic discussion in writing. | Combined with 500-600. See above. | Combined with 500-600. See above. |
300-400 are often combined for listening speaking, reading writing, and grammar.
300
| Level | Core Course: Listening and Speaking | Core Course: Reading and Writing | Core Course: Grammar | Core Course: Pronunciation | Intermediate TOEFL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 | Use information from the authentic and textbook listening texts and their own experiences to perform 5-7-minute role-plays and present and explain information in informal 3-5-minute individual and 6-10- minute pair presentations. Show understanding of 3-8-minute listening texts in exams with a combination of multiple choice and open-ended questions. Be able to use some of the vocabulary words learned in class in speaking assessments and on exams. | Read and comprehend expository and fiction texts ranging from 600-1500 words, with scaffolding. Produce an analysis of a text for its subject, thesis, audience, and purpose. Write and revise 2-4 single paragraphs of 100-250 words to examine a topic or support a point of view using personal experience. Write paragraphs that include a topic, support, and return format. Use simple, compound, and basic complex sentences. Capitalize, punctuate, and spell accurately. | Write sentences with increasingly complex grammatical structures in less structured tasks. Write with more accuracy in terms of parallel structures, common transitions, direct and indirect speech. | At the 300 level, students will be in a class with 100 and 200 level student to review the mechanics of producing English consonant and vowel sounds. They will learn to identify the number and stress of syllables in a word and learn stress patterns of common compound nouns. Students will learn and practice the rules for producing the sounds of grammatical morphemes in words suffixes. They will also learn how to predict English rhythm. Finally, they will learn when, how, and why English speakers, reduce, blend, link, and trim words and sounds in natural speech. | Combined with 400. See above. Most semesters Level 300 students are required to take Pronunciation. |
300-400 are often combined for listening speaking, reading writing, and grammar.
200
| Level | Core Course: Listening and Speaking | Reading | Grammar | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 | Demonstrate an understanding of the speaker’s attitude and basic relationships between facts, people, and ideas as well as main ideas and important details in adapted listening texts on everyday topics. Successfully do planned 3-4-minute role-plays of a variety of everyday conversations and give short 3-4- minute presentations which explain personal and routine experiences. Accurately use informal vocabulary appropriate for everyday situations. | Identify topics, main ideas, and supporting details in straightforward single-topic texts of five to seven paragraphs and 500 to 800 words with scaffolding. Recognize and use vocabulary relating to texts studied in class. Produce 2-3 simple paragraphs of 100-200 words with a topic sentence and supporting details. Produce simple and compound grammatical sentences using correct mechanics (spelling, punctuation, capitalization) and simple pronouns. | Write basic compound and complex sentences using simple verbs in past, present, and future tenses as well as progressive verbs in past and present tenses. Write with an increasing number of modals for everyday functions. Improve accuracy in use of noun forms, quantifiers, and comparative and superlative forms. | Perceive and produce English vowel, consonant, and ending sounds in controlled and semi-controlled tasks. Explain how and why to produce English with natural rhythm, stress, and intonation. Predict and produce rhythm, stress placement, and intonation patterns in controlled tasks. Perceive and produce stress patterns in familiar words and compound nouns. |
100-200 are often combined.
100
| Level | Core Course: Listening and Speaking | Reading | Grammar | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | Demonstrate understanding of main ideas and important details in short, adapted listening texts on everyday topics. Successfully do planned 2-3-minute role plays of simple everyday conversations and give short 2-3-minute presentations which explain personal and routine experiences. Use basic informal, everyday vocabulary. | Identify topics and supporting details in straightforward, single-topic texts of four to six paragraphs and 300 to 700 words with scaffolding. Recognize and use vocabulary of everyday life. Produce 1-2 written paragraphs of 80-100 words with a clear topic and support using a paragraph template. Produce simple, semi-grammatical sentences about facts or ideas. Begin to use basic pronouns correctly. | Write simple sentences with major elements in the correct order using simple past and present verbs and present progressive verbs as well as some modal verbs. Use correct pronouns as well as the simplest and most frequent determiners in writing. | Perceive and produce English vowel, consonant, -s, and -ed ending sounds in controlled speaking/listening tasks. Identify and produce stressed and reduced syllables in familiar words and numbers. Predict and produce English rhythm, including trimming and blending. |
100-200 are often combined.
Instructional Hours
The IEI fall and spring programs are comprised of 20 hours of instruction per week, Monday–Friday. Course hours for each level are below:
| Level 100 and 200 (Beginner) | Course Description |
|---|---|
| 5 hours | Reading/Writing (Everyday) |
| 6 hours | Listening/Speaking (Everyday) |
| 5 hours | Grammar |
| 4 hours | Pronunciation |
| Level 300 and 400 (Intermediate) | Course Description |
|---|---|
| 6 hours | Reading/Writing (Pre-Academic) |
| 6 hours | Listening/Speaking (Pre-Academic) |
| 4 hours | Grammar |
| 4 hours | Elective |
| Level 500 and 600 (Advanced) | Course Description |
|---|---|
| 6 hours | Reading/Writing (Academic) |
| 6 hours | Listening/Speaking (Academic) |
| 4 hours | Elective 1 |
| 4 hours | Elective 2 |
Learn English at Every Level
The Intensive English Institute has provided excellent, accredited English language instruction for more than 50 years.