English Language Institute Levels and Course Information
Skill-building levels (1, 2, 3) are courses that emphasize the development of basic language skills and provide a cultural orientation. Basic vocabulary, conversation, reading, grammar, listening, and pronunciation skills are practiced in interesting topic areas to provide a solid foundation in language ability. Students may need to repeat this level until ready for intermediate courses.
Intermediate levels (4, 5, 6) are pre-academic courses that emphasize the academic use of language and a college-level atmosphere. They also help develop the skills necessary to be successful in university classes with native speakers. Academic vocabulary development is an important part of these classes. A TOEFL preparation class introduces students to the format of the test and strategies needed to take it. At the high intermediate level (6) students are introduced to content-based courses. In these classes students develop their English skills while studying subjects that are culturally and linguistically rich. Classes in novels, speech and debate provide exciting opportunities for expression.
Bridge Course levels (7,8). This semester-long course prepares students for work in an American university classroom. Required courses in college preparation, academic writing and oral proficiency are combined with electives in advanced grammar, business English, and intercultural communication. Successful completion of the entire Bridge Course allows students to enter the University of Utah as an undergraduate without a TOEFL score.
110/120
This is a skill building course which combines grammar and writing.
Students will practice the formation of correct English sentences in
the present tense with subject/verb agreement and with correct capitalization
and punctuation. Students will be evaluated on their ability to form simple sentences, questions using
be and negative statements orally and in writing.
130/140
This is a skill building course which combines the development of basic
reading comprehension and communicative language skills while providing
a cultural orientation to the U.S. Students will be evaluated on
their ability to answer simple questions correctly, describe pictures
of familiar topics, and give instructions using the imperative. They
will also be evaluated on their knowledge of the ELI Level 1 Vocabulary List.
210/220
This is a skill building course which combines grammar and writing.
Students will practice the formation of correct English sentences
and will be evaluated on their ability to form questions and to produce
a short, personal letter. Students will also be evaluated on their
use of grammar structures such as simple past, modals of ability
and prepositions of time and space both orally and in writing.
230/240
This is a skill building course which combines the development of basic
reading comprehension and communicative language skills while providing
a cultural orientation to the U.S. Students will be evaluated on
their ability to talk comprehensibly about themselves and everyday
activities, to read passages aloud with clear pronunciation and on
their knowledge of the ELI Level 2 Vocabulary List.
310/320
This is a beginning level course which combines grammar and writing.
In this course, students will discuss and write about different topics
of interest. Students will be evaluated on their ability to construct
a short narrative paragraph using simple past tense correctly. Students
will also be evaluated on their use of grammar structures such as
present and past continuous, modals of request and permission, and
future both orally and in writing.
330/340
This is a beginning level course that emphasizes the development of
basic reading comprehension and communicative language skills while
providing a cultural orientation to the U.S. Basic reading skills
such as identifying main ideas or scanning for details will be practiced.
Students will be evaluated on their ability to talk about past events
and give descriptions of familiar places and on their ability to
comprehend spoken English in short conversations and lectures. They
will also be tested on their knowledge of the ELI Level 3 Vocabulary List.
410
This is a low intermediate grammar course. In this course, students
will practice both written and spoken use of grammar structures needed
for effective expression such as present perfect tense, past vs.
past continuous, and tag questions. Students will be evaluated on
their ability to use these structures in writing and in speaking.
420
This is a low intermediate writing course. In this course, academic
writing skills will be presented and practiced. Students will be
evaluated on their ability to write organized paragraphs and basic process essays.
430
This is a low intermediate reading and vocabulary course. In this course,
both extensive and intensive reading will help students develop skills
to improve comprehension and develop vocabulary. Students will be
evaluated on reading skills, novel content, and the ELI level 4 vocabulary list.
440
This is a low intermediate listening/speaking course. In this course,
students will practice skills for communication in real, day-to-day
situations. The course content also prepares students for more academic
and professional English at the higher levels. Students will be evaluated
on their ability to retell information contained in the textbook,
correctly identify the main points and supporting details of a short
academic lecture and to answer questions about topics in the course.
510
This is an intermediate grammar course. In this course, students will
study grammar structures, such as gerunds and infinitives, past perfect
and intensifiers through communicative, creative activities. Students
will be evaluated on their ability to use these structures in writing
and in speaking.
520
This is an intermediate writing course. In this course, students will
expand their knowledge of multi-paragraph essay writing. The course
content also prepares students for more academic writing at higher
levels. Students will be evaluated on their ability to write clear,
organized comparison and contrast essays.
530
This is an intermediate reading and vocabulary course. In this course,
students will read and discuss a longer work of fiction to help improve
comprehension and understand related vocabulary. Students will be
evaluated on reading skills of inference and summary, novel content,
and the ELI level 5 vocabulary list.
540
This is an intermediate listening/speaking course. In this course,
students will work on improving the fluency and grammatical and pronunciation
accuracy in their spoken English. Participation in a variety
of discussions is required. This course also helps students
build confidence for further academic pursuits. Students will
be evaluated on their ability to give clear, organized oral presentations,
effectively integrating PowerPoint.
610
This is a high-intermediate grammar course. In this course, a variety
of exercises and activities will be used to help students improve
their use of grammatical structures such as conditionals, present
perfect continuous, and past modals. Students will be evaluated on
their ability to these structures to produce grammatically correct
sentences in their speaking and writing.
620
This is a high-intermediate writing course. This course is designed to prepare
students for college composition courses. Critical thinking and writing
process skills are developed by analyzing different rhetorical styles
and by practicing academic writing skills including summarizing and
paraphrasing. Students will be evaluated on their ability to use the
writing process to produce clear, organized, comprehensible essays.
630
This is a high-intermediate reading course. In this course, students
will explore literary style, language and meaning by reading and
discussing a contemporary American novel. Discussions will include
cultural context, characterizations, and symbolism. Oral and written
assignments and projects will be based on the readings. Students
will be evaluated on their knowledge of the content of the novel
and on the ELI Level 6 Vocabulary List.
640
This is a high-intermediate listening/speaking course. In this course,
students develop speaking and debating skills by practicing public
speaking, discussion, research, and writing. Students also practice
developing, defending, and refuting ideas in a very rational, logical,
and professional way. Students are evaluated on their ability
to present clear, logical arguments and to respond to the arguments of others.
710
This is an advanced grammar course. In addition to producing
correct structures such as passive voice and adjective clauses, students
will advance to the next step by discussing and thinking about the
reasons behind grammar usage. Students will be evaluated on their ability
to produce grammar structures in written format, as well as in real,
communicative situations. This course will help fulfill the Bridge Course requirement.
720
This is an advanced writing course. In this course, students will move
from the multi-paragraph essay to the multi-page paper, using complex
and compound sentences and academic vocabulary. Students will
learn the basics of citing references to avoid plagiarism and practice
the skills of summary and paraphrase. They will be evaluated on their
ability to write clear, well-organized persuasive and analytical
essays. This course will help fulfill the Bridge Course requirement.
750
This is an advanced college preparation course. This course is
part one of a two-session course which gives students practice in listening
and understanding academic lectures and in practicing strategies needed
to understand material from college textbooks. Students practice note-taking,
summarizing, synthesizing, test-taking, and presenting. They
are evaluated on their ability to synthesis material from lectures
and readings and display their understanding through written assignments
and exams. This course will help fulfill the Bridge Course requirement.
761
This is an advanced pronunciation class. This course is designed
to help advanced students improve individual communication problems
that affect comprehensibility. The course is not designed to
eliminate accent (not always desirable and possible since all native
speakers have accents too), but to help the student identify their
specific language issues. Students will be evaluated on their
ability to speak appropriately using word stress, sentence stress (rhythm),
intonation, linking, and phrasing in oral situations in a comprehensible
way. This course will help fulfill the Bridge Course requirement.
762
This is an advanced speaking course. This course uses drama activities
to help students improve their spoken fluency and confidence in speaking. Students
study and practice the stress patterns of English and idiomatic language
in order to sound more like native speakers. Students are evaluated
on their fluency and oral expression in projects such as scenes,
monologues, short films and play performance. This course will help fulfill the Bridge Course requirement.
810
This is an advanced grammar course. In this course, a variety of exercises
and activities will be used to help students improve their use of
grammatical structures, such as reduced adverb clauses, preposition
clusters, and noun complements. Students will be evaluated on their
ability to these structures to produce grammatically correct sentences
in their speaking and writing. This course will help fulfill the Bridge Course requirement.
820
This is an advanced writing course. In this course, students will move
from the multi-paragraph essay to the multi-page paper, using academic
level vocabulary, complex sentence structure, and citing library
and internet sources. Students will be evaluated on their ability
to produce a well-developed persuasive essay in which a counter-argument
is used effectively. This course will help fulfill the Bridge Course requirement.
850
This is an advanced college preparation course. This course is
part two of a two-session course in which students gain linguistic
and academic skills that will allow them to succeed independently in
an American university classroom. Beyond practicing listening
and note-taking skills using videotaped lectures of authentic university
lectures, students participate in academic projects and presentations.
They are evaluated on their ability to synthesize material from lectures
and readings and display their understanding through written assignments
and exams. This course will help fulfill the Bridge Course requirement.
860/870
At the advanced level, several courses are offered on a rotating basis. These courses are content-based and cover such topics as Business English, University Level Sciences, American Culture, Cross-Cultural Communication, etc. Courses focus on reading academic texts, developing vocabulary in the field, and writing, discussing and presenting on the topics.
