Learning Outcomes: Academic Programs

Academic Intensive English Program Scale
 
Program Structure and Offerings
Internexus offers intensive programs in English as a Second Language. The Academic Intensive English program is divided into 4 possible levels, and requires an Intermediate proficiency to start, or a passing grade in our Comprehensive Intensive program Level 4. The Intermediate, High Intermediate and Advanced levels teach progressively higher level English language skills. A student can graduate the program after the Advanced level. Or continue to the Advanced plus level that is available for those who wish to go beyond Advanced and have more focus on a specific academic, professional, or personal goal!
The Intensive English Program is organized as a 12-week term for each level. Each 12-week term is divided into three separate 4-week sessions. Students may enter the program during any session, and will be placed according to their skill level.
Classes are 20 class hours per week. There is some homework and other preparation required outside of class to be able to achieve the specific goals of each level.
There may also be other add-on classes and programs available to compliment the regular program, and help students further. These include: PAS 101, PAS 102, the SOS seminar, pronunciation class, or a Test Prep add on.
 
IEP (Intensive English Program)
Our IEP offers classes focused in four areas: Writing, Reading, Listening/Speaking, and Grammar. The classes are taught by extremely experienced teachers. The average class size is between five to ten students, with a maximum class size of fifteen students. Activities are scheduled every session including birthday parties, holiday celebrations, volunteer work, sightseeing, entertainment, and Living Language Labs. Because a new session starts every four weeks, you can register any time of the year.
Classes are normally Monday through Friday, for a total of 20 class hours per week.
The following goals are divided by level and skill area:
Intermediate Level Course Goal:
To develop students’ linguistic, pragmatic, and sociolinguistic competencies  in academic and professional settings as they progress from B1+ to B2 on the CEFR scale.
Writing Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of the Intermediate Level, students will be able to:
 
write appropriate topic sentences and support in single paragraphs
apply previous writing knowledge (paragraph structure) to the writing of essays,
write three essays using the form (introduction, body, conclusion), including at least these types: cause and effect, and compare/contrast.
write one-paragraph summaries of news articles
use transition words appropriately.
write thesis statements and provide meaningful support in the essays (above)
apply pre-writing strategies such as brainstorming, outlining, free writing, clustering, etc.
understand the importance of multiple drafts by revising two drafts.
 
Reading Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of the Intermediate level, students will be able to:
read silently, with minimal help from dictionaries and the like, authentic and pedagogical texts, at a speed appropriate to this level, and understand the main ideas and main supporting points (goal to reach x speeding rate)
read and understand main ideas and supporting details in news articles and other authentic texts modified to the intermediate students’ level of reading.
discuss plot and character development and recognize the theme of a story.
scan, skim, and summarize as well as to recognize the relationship of supporting details to the main idea.
use context clues to determine meaning.
Recognize the antecedents of demonstrative and relative pronouns and other referents
use stems and affixes to determine meaning of new vocabulary.
 
Listening/Speaking Learning Outcomes
By the end of the Intermediate level, students will be able to:
 
Listening:
responding appropriately to clear, non-colloquial speech.
making inferences
discerning main ideas, details, and examples of listening exercises when questioned.
participating meaningfully in basic conversations on topics of interest.
taking basic notes while listening to a short passage for cause and effect.
applying critical thinking strategies, comparing and contrasting, and predicting topics and ideas
summarizing heard information
Speaking:
keep a conversation going—make repairs to comprehension when necessary.
carry on a simple conversation with a native speaker on general topics (friends, holidays, social issues, personal information).
state an opinion, make recommendations, give advice, interview others and summarize information.
prepare and make a 5-minute oral presentation
use contractions with auxiliary verbs
 
Grammar Student Learning Outcomes
Students will demonstrate knowledge and control of English grammar by comfortably and accurately using and understanding the use of, in both written and spoken dialog, the following structures for the purposes indicated
 
Nouns and articles
Regular and irregular plural forms in standard and possessive form.
Using other, the other, and another
Using one or ones as nouns
Count vs. non-count nouns to describe quantities using many, a few, a little, etc.
Count vs. non-count nouns, to decide between using plural or singular forms
Knowing when to use of the definite article (the) vs. zero article with place names
Present Perfect
in affirmative, negative, and questions
with adverbs
distinguishing present perfect from the simple past
using for and since
distinguished from present perfect progressive
Present Perfect Progressive
In affirmatives, negatives and questions
Adjectives & Adverbs
sentence order with multiple adjectives
knowing when to use adjectives vs. adverbs
Using nouns as adjectives
adverbs of manner and of degree
comparatives and superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs
 
High-Intermediate Level Course Goal:
To develop students’ linguistic, pragmatic, and sociolinguistic competencies  in academic and professional settings as they progress from B2 to B2+ on the CEFR scale.
 
Writing Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of the High Intermediate Level, students will be able to:
write a general and a specific outline for a proposed essay.
begin an essay with an interesting hook
formulate an arguable thesis statement that states a claim and includes three main points
formulate arguable topic sentences for each body paragraph based on their thesis statement
follow a traditional 5-paragraph essay format
include meaningful and logical support to claims made in the thesis and topic sentences.
understand the importance of writing multiple drafts using strategies such as self-correction and checklists.
use an increasing variety of transition words appropriately.
use counter arguments to persuade or refute an argument/opinion.
understand and be able to use effective pre-writing strategies such as brainstorming, outlining, free writing, clustering, etc.
find one acceptable outside source for inclusion in a paper
cite a scholarly article with in-text and bibliographic citations.
write an effective conclusion.
provide helpful feedback on a peer’s essay draft
write a cause and effect five-paragraph essay based on a provided simple outline
write a compare and contrast five-paragraph essay
write an argumentative essay five-paragraph essay
work within a given time frame by successfully completing a 50-minute timed writing exercise.
 
Reading Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of the High Intermediate level, students will be able to:
analyze characters, plot, theme, and irony in a story.
understand literary terms and identify their evidence in texts: conflict, symbol, and point of view.
scan and skim texts to find information quickly.
summarize texts for main ideas and the most important details
use context clues to determine meaning of new vocabulary.
recognize more idiomatic expressions
use stems and affixes to determine meaning of new vocabulary.
make inferences in different genres.
synthesize at least two texts to come to new understanding
recognize different organizational structures in texts
recognize slang and jargon to distinguish between formal and informal texts
make predictions on content and point of view from title and opening paragraph.
develop an opinion based on analysis.
use context clues to define word meaning.
use synonyms to define word meaning
predict the author’s point of view from the title of a text
predict the content of a text from the first paragraph
use dictionary entries to learn the meanings of words
Increase understood vocabulary by recognizing synonyms and different forms of known words
Use multiple notetaking strategies to identify important facts and people in texts of different genres
 
Listening/Speaking Student Learning Outcomes
By the end of the High Intermediate level, students will be able to:
 
Listening:
responding appropriately to clear, near-native-speed speech with minimum need for clarification.
recalling key points of an academic lecture, by taking notes using abbreviations, listing, outlining, and identifying redundancies.
recognizing specific rhetorical pattern cues used in lectures (process, classification, compare/contrast).
accurately summarizing main ideas in radio programs or podcasts of up to 10 minutes.
Increasing understood vocabulary related to success, mental health, communication, and other topics of interest
Speaking:
Establish and support hypotheses in five-minute presentations
Defend viewpoints using analogy and exemplification and express academic concepts (abstract ideas).
Use different strategies to engage audiences, such as humor or strong emotions, and encouraging audience participation,
manage a conversation by changing the subject, interrupting, using fillers, asking for additional information, checking and indicating mutual understanding.
express and support an opinion with logical organization on an academic topic
use creativity and personal expression in conversations and presentations
prepare and give a 10-minute individual or group oral presentation on an academic topic with appropriate visual supplements.
Grammar Student Learning Outcomes
Students will demonstrate knowledge and control of English grammar by comfortably and accurately using and understanding others’ use of, in both written and spoken contexts, the following structures for the purposes indicated.
Passive voice in the past, present, and future
Using various verb forms based on context–using be or got and different tense changes from active to passive and vice versa
Distinguishing meaning changes and reasons for using passive and active–
be able to reverse the voice of a sentence
Implications of transitive/intransitive verbs on passive vs. active voice
Passive causative using have and got
Describing situations or states
Describing and reporting ideas, beliefs, and opinions using “as” and infinitive phrases, and “that” clauses.
Modals
For necessity or lack of necessity
For an author’s attitude
For suggestions made in a conversation
For varying degrees of certainty
For possible explanations for events
Noun Clauses
Functions as subjects, objects, and complements
Use in citing/quoting direct and indirect speech
 
Advanced Level Course Goal: To develop students’ linguistic, pragmatic, and sociolinguistic competencies in academic and professional settings as they progress from B2+ to C1 on the CEFR scale.

Writing Student Learning Outcomes
Understand the process of writing a research paper by submitting outlines, sections, drafts, etc., throughout the semester.
identify how researchers frame and approach facts for specific purposes.
Critically read high quality academic research articles and make appropriate selections for inclusion as references in the final essay.
Write analytically by producing a 6–8-page (Times New Roman 12 pt font, double-spaced) synthesis research paper.
Use appropriate organization for an academic paper, including a thesis statement and topic sentences, with good transitions.
Include appropriate logical evidence to support their claims
Use proper formatting, including at the page level (separate title, section headers, and reference pages) and at the paragraph level (paragraph indents, paragraph breaks, in-text citations, etc.).
synthesize and integrate source material
apply paraphrasing, quoting, summarizing, and referencing techniques
use citations correctly and maintain academic integrity
 
Reading Student Learning Outcomes
Identify main points in news articles, scientific/academic articles, short texts about history for adult native speakers.
Support their understanding of a text by extricating specific, logical quotes or passages
Demonstrate critical thinking/reading by supporting their point of view about a text with details and logic.
Make logical predictions on content and point of view from title and opening paragraph.
Use context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words in the different types of text.
Demonstrate understanding or recognition of word meaning through synonyms.
Distinguish between literal, satire, and idiomatic expressions
Develop an opinion about a controversial topic based on synthesis and analysis of multiple texts.
Listening/Speaking Student Learning Outcomes
Listening
Recognize main ideas and significant supporting details in an academic lecture or speech based on listening without taking notes
Take accurate notes using abbreviations, lists, and outlines to assist in summarizing the main ideas and specific details (numbers, statistics, percentages, facts etc.) from an academic lecture or speech.
Recognize ‘organizing structures in a speech, such as the use of questions, repetition, etc.
Demonstrate recognition of specific rhetorical pattern cues used in lectures (e.g., process, classification, compare/contrast)
Recognize a speaker’s viewpoint (including distinguishing between speakers)
Respond with their opinion using reasons, questions, etc.
 
Speaking
Prepare and give a 10-minute presentation
defend viewpoints using analogy, exemplification, and hypotheses
Express and support an opinion with quality, researched support.
Demonstrate good presentation skills, including pace, volume, eye contact, visual support, etc.
 
Grammar Student Learning Outcomes
Modify subjects and objects of sentences with adjective clauses.
Form and use adjective clauses with prepositions, quantifiers, and nouns
Form and use adjective phrases
Use adverb clauses to indicate when, where, why, or under what condition something happens
Use conditionals and similar expressions to
Express wishes, sadness, or regret
Discuss hypothetical situations in the present and past
Express hypothetical situations and their results with implied and inverted conditions and the subjunctive
Use a range of connectors and transition words to connect ideas
 
 
Advanced Plus Level Course Goal: To develop students’ linguistic, pragmatic, and sociolinguistic competencies related to understanding spoken and written English in America, giving academic and professional speeches, and participating in academic/professional collaboration as they progress into areas of specialty and preferences in CEFR level C1 or higher.
Writing Student Learning Outcomes
Develop and apply appropriate strategies in their writing based on purpose and audience.
Apply rhetorical analysis to assess and respond to different rhetorical situations
Analyze, synthesize and evaluate collected information about an issue under debate within the students’ major fields of study or a contemporary concern in their current/intended professional fields
Writing two short analytical essays,
Write a bibliography
Write an expository essay. 
Investigate techniques for developing a distinctive writing voice.
Construct effective sentences, paragraphs, and compositions, including
Choosing the clearest words for conveying an intended meaning.
Avoiding overuse of jargon.
Eliminating unnecessary phrases and redundancies.
Creating syntactical variety by varying sentence structures and lengths.
 
Reading Student Learning Outcomes
improved vocabulary-learning abilities by…
discerning meaning from context
recognizing different word forms with the same base meaning
using dictionary entries
recognizing collocations, idioms, and phrasal verbs
improved vocabulary by…
using and recognizing newly learned words
Improved understanding of academic texts through…
Using multiple note-taking strategies
recognizing and charting order of events
identifying problems and solutions
identifying important individuals & their contributions
recognizing author’s intentions and motivations
identifying tone, perspective, and point of view
recognizing how punctuation marks contribute to meaning
interpreting incorporated graphics
Developing pre-reading strategies through prediction and activating topic-related schemata
Improving ability to paraphrase passages of the text, through recognizing voice and point of view
Demonstrate improved critical thinking skills by
Contributing to discussions and writing responses that demonstrate higher level thinking skills, including analysis, synthesis, and creative thinking
 
Listening/Speaking Student Learning Outcomes
Demonstrate good listening and note-taking skills by
Identifying important background information about a speaker
Identifying main ideas and important supporting details
Identifying important events and people mentioned in speeches and understanding their significance and connection to the main argument.
Using different notetaking strategies, including visual notes, symbols, and abbreviations
Improving understanding and knowledge of vocabulary, including collocations, idioms, and phrasal verbs
Demonstrate improved critical thinking skills by
Identifying rhetorical appeals used by speakers for specific audiences (emotional, logical, and ethical)
Making predictions/hypotheses about a speech based on the topic and information about the speaker
Contributing to discussions and writing responses that demonstrate higher level thinking skills, including analysis, synthesis, and creative thinking
Demonstrate good speaking and presentation skills by
Beginning speeches with appropriate attention-grabbing tactics
Using appropriate word- and sentence-level emphasis
Using appropriate visual elements to maintain audience interest
Collaborating with a partner to create and present a presentation
Using a variety of vocabulary, including collocations, idioms, and phrasal verbs

Advanced Plus/Grammar
Write sentences using common cause-effect patterns with nouns
Use other grammatical structures to show cause and effect
Use adverb clauses in a comparison and contrast essay
Use transition words that show contrast and concession in a comparison and contrast essay.
Use present perfect, present perfect progressive, and noun phrases to write sentences
Use past unreal conditionals in a persuasive essay.
Use common idiomatic words and expressions used in persuasive writing
Edit common mistakes in grammar structures.