Please note that the Foundation Studies Program does not offer English courses to absolute beginners. The Elementary course begins at an intermediate level of language ability. 

Elementary Level
The purpose of this course is to provide the student with a good understanding and ability to use basic English correctly and communicatively in the areas of reading, writing, grammar, listening, and speaking. Homework and test preparation will be needed. The student must realize his or her language weaknesses and take steps toward independent self-correction. Students learn to write correct sentences and construct paragraphs.

Threshold Level
This course builds on the skills acquired in Elementary Level. Students begin by revising the basic elements of grammar, sentence structure, and paragraphing previously taught.  In this course, students will learn more punctuation usage and how to incorporate subordinate clauses into sentences. They will expand their mastery of paragraph writing, vocabulary, and spelling. Homework and test preparation will be needed. The student must realize his or her language weaknesses and take positive steps toward independent self-correction. This course covers the areas of reading, writing, grammar, listening and speaking so that students move up to a mid-level mastery of English, and are able to use the language both correctly and communicatively.

Intermediate Level
This course will develop intermediate level integrated reading and writing skills with a specific focus on acquiring higher-level vocabulary. The focus in reading is to analyze the logical organization and development of the author’s ideas. Students will continue their study of grammar, with a specific focus on its application in well-constructed and fully-developed sentences. This course begins with a review of paragraph writing, and moves on to the writing of five-paragraph essays. Emphasis is placed on coherence and the logical organization of ideas. Listening activities will give students the skills needed to identify the main idea, points of support, take notes, and produce summaries.

Bridge Level
This course helps the student make the transition to undergraduate work. It primarily focuses on reading and writing essays, expanding vocabulary, and error correction. To begin, the basic five-paragraph essay format is reviewed. Thereafter, the following types of essay writing are mastered: descriptive, narrative, comparison/contract, and argumentative. Students learn to research and incorporate cited material into their written work. They also practice listening and note taking. Study skills which enable undergrad success are taught. The course also deals closely with mastering grammar and coherence. Students also spend extensive classroom time developing skills to help them achieve a high score on the TOEFL exam.