Course Details, Levels and Placement

The Intensive English Program is fun, effective, and designed for your individual pace.   Course work and activities are designed to prepare you as quickly as possible for university and college work. Our classes focus on your needs through the guidance of expert instructors. You will quickly gain skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, as well as increased confidence and knowledge about culture. Homework assignments, quizzes, exams, and class participation will help you learn and also prepare you as a future university student.

Levels:
Our program consists of five levels plus two (2) Foundation levels for students with little or no English experience:

Each level focuses on the four skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening, as well as pronunciation, and grammar.  Each course in these levels integrates two or more of these skills.

Courses:
The courses in our program are:

• Oral Communication
• Structure/Grammar
• Listening/Speaking
• Listening/Reading/Note taking
• Reading/Writing
• Electives: Varys each session

All courses require students to complete homework assignments, quizzes, exams, and participate for a final grade.  Additionally, courses such as Oral Communication require that students do oral presentations.  Writing courses require students to keep a writing journal.

English Language Lab

Classroom instruction, out of class assignments and extracurricular activities are reinforced, augmented, and provided additional practice through students’ use of our state of the art computer assisted language lab.  The English Language Lab is anchored by two substantial educational software programs: Rosetta Stone and Tell Me More by Auralog. These two programs provide language learning instruction and support in reading, writing, grammar, speaking, pronunciation, and vocabulary. Additionally, all media related items from the ESL program, such as CD’s and DVD’s, that accompany student textbooks are available for use in the English Language Lab.  A wide variety of approved language learning websites and web based activities are also accessible in the lab.  Students are required to attend the English Language Lab in the completion of specialized assignments for a minimum of  three (3) of individual study in addition to two (2) hours per week of instructor lead study for a total of five (5) hours per week.

Placement:
TICE uses the Michigan English Placement Test (EPT) to place students. The placement test includes the following sections:

• Listening
• Vocabulary
• Grammar
• Reading Comprehension
• Written essay

The test is multiple-choice except for the writing section.  In the writing section, you will choose from two topics to write an essay. After completing the written exam and essay, your scores will be reviewed. You will be placed in the appropriate level based on your performance. The test lasts about two hours.

Proficiency Scale

Advancement in the IEP/ESL Program
Advancement to the next level of the IEP/ESL Program or graduation from the program depends on the following:

• Students must pass each course with a minimum of 80% or higher on all coursework, attendance, exams, and quizzes.

1. Upon completion of Level 5 of the IEP/ESL program, students may apply for admissions to undergraduate or graduate programs with no further English proficiency examination (i.e. TOEFL or IELTS scores) provided they meet the following requirement:
2. Completion of Level 5 of the IEP/ESL Program with 80% or higher proficiency – for undergraduate admissions
3. Completion of Level 5 of the IEP/ESL Program with 90% or higher proficiency – for graduate admissions and receive a passing grade in the International Graduate Bridge course – for graduate admission (grading for this course is pass/fail).

Students must also meet any additional admissions requirements required by the program of study in which they desire to matriculate.