The English Language Center has up to six levels of study. At all levels, students focus on English for Academic Purposes to prepare for university study. The ELC may at times need to combine levels or classes.
Interactions (ELCA-50)
At all levels after Beginner, full-time students enroll in this course, which focuses on real-life engagement outside of the classroom through conversations and encounters with people on the campus and in the communiity.
SLO1: Communicative Competence, 50%
Students are able to use language to exchange meanings for a real purpose. Students are able make the grammar and vocabulary choices necessary to convey (or to express their) meaning in real world contexts.
SLO2: Socio-cultural Competence, 50%
Students are able to meaningfully engage in one-off and sustained interactions through an understanding of social and cultural norms and expectations.
This level is for students who have no or some comprehension of English. The courses focus on reading, writing and speaking skills at a simple level.
In this course, students will acquire the reading and vocabulary skills necessary to comprehend a beginning level text. A focus on word study and specific reading strategies will be taught. Through interaction with other students and the text, students will receive opportunities to communicate orally and in writing regarding their readings in class. Homework and assessments will reinforce second language literacy skills
Basic Writing and Reading Student Learning Outcomes
SLO 1: Ideation and Development, 25%
Able to identify main ideas and simple relationships in varied, simplified texts, and write complete sentences which use topics from texts to express one’s own idea.
SLO 2: Understanding the Sources, 25%
Able to locate, compare and contrast information in short controlled texts in order to answer given questions.
SLO 3: Organization and Flow, 25%
Able to identify basic logical connections (including lexical cohesion) between sentences and write at least 3 cohesively and coherently connected sentences.
SLO 4: Lexicogrammar, 25%
Able to identify order and parts of a sentence and how words fit together, and use words appropriately together in writing sentences. (“Fit words together.”)
In this course, students apply basic principles of grammar and vocabulary to construct meaningfully interconnected sentences in controlled contexts. Students will acquire the basic skills necessary to prewrite, edit and produce cohesive, unified ideas in clear sentences. Students’ expanding vocabulary base at this level will facilitate their study of the writing process, including prewriting, writing, revising and editing techniques.
Basic Language Analysis and Accuracy Student Learning Outcomes
SLO 1: Academic Text Analysis, 20%
Able to identify sentence parts and selected lexico-grammatical items in a very simple or highly simplified text.
SLO 2: Interactional Text Analysis, 20%
Able to identify grammatical items and language structures that are important in simple conversational interaction (e.g. question and answer forms, politeness modals, etc.)
SLO 3: Choices in context: using lexico-grammar in selected written or spoken genres and tasks, 30%
Able to achieve a simple designated communicative goal, using a selected set of lexico-grammatical options accurately and in complete sentences.
SLO 4: Using lexico-grammar to write or speak with development and flow, 30%
Able to develop a meaning across three or more connected sentences, using selected lexico-grammatical items.
The aim of this course is to provide students with the language skills necessary to communicate effectively on concrete, familiar topics. Listening comprehension will focus on understanding explicitly stated information and speaking will focus on the expression of basic ideas.
Basic Speaking and Listening Student Learning Outcomes
SLO1: Genres in Speaking and Listening, 30%
Able to identify purpose, main ideas and key words in short spoken texts on academic and everyday topics, and present spoken descriptions, explanations, or opinions on these topics in complete grammatical sentences.
SLO2: Interactional Speaking and Listening, 30%
Able to ask and answer questions and respond to simple statements on academic and everyday topics in short, structured conversations.
SLO 3: Lexico-grammar, 20%
Able to apply new vocabulary and grammatical structures meaningfully and accurately in complete sentences, in short speaking tasks on academic and everyday topics.
SLO 4: Pronunciation, 20%
Able to identify phonemes, word stress, and sentence-level stress and intonation, and to produce words and short complete sentences with accurate phonemes and stress.
The aim of this course is for students to learn how to identify and say American English sounds in spoken and printed communication. Students will develop listening skills to distinguish individual English sounds in words. Students will also learn the English alphabet to know how sounds are represented in English. Students will then apply this knowledge to producing sounds in words and structured conversation to be understandable to familiar listeners, and to interpret standard combinations of sounds into printed text.
Basic Sounds and Spelling Student Learning Outcomes
SLO1: Reception, 25%
Recognize the English alphabet and discriminate between vowels and consonants and phonemes in words
SLO2: Production, 25%
Produce targeted sounds from word lists and minimal pairs
SLO3: Spelling, 25%
Write words accurately using correct spelling from word lists and dictation
SLO4: Writing, 25%
Be able to use learned spelling patterns in words for different purposes (e.g. to contrast minimal pairs, diphthongs)
This level is for students who have no or some comprehension of English. The courses focus on reading, writing and speaking skills at a simple level.
In this course, students will learn reading skills and also build word study and communication skills at the beginner level. Students interact with other students and with the text through various speaking and writing activities. Word study activities will support vocabulary development.
Beginner Writing and Reading Student Learning Outcomes
SLO 1: Ideation and Development, 25%
Able to explain the connections between major ideas in a simplified text and express own connected ideas in controlled writing tasks.
SLO 2: Understanding the Sources , 25%
Able to locate and explain specific information within a simplified text and write simple sentences based on the text.
SLO 3: Organization and Flow, 25%
Able to identify the organization of paragraphs in a simplified text and write simple sentences in a short, cohesive paragraph.
SLO 4: Lexicogrammar, 25%
Able to explain the function and meaning of selected vocabulary and grammatical structures, and use these meaningfully and consistently across a variety of controlled writing tasks. (“Make good sentences.”)
In Beginner Writing and Language Analysis students increase their knowledge and control of basic grammatical structures in writing. This course focuses on the content, structure and organization of sentences and basic paragraphs. Students will practice and improve their skills in the writing process, including prewriting, writing, revision, and editing techniques.
Beginner Language Analysis and Accuracy Student Learning Outcomes
SLO 1: Academic Text Analysis, 20%
Able to identify selected grammatical items and sentence structures in simplified academic texts and explain the choice of forms at the sentence level. (e.g. S-V agreement or explain why this tense or word form vs. another)
SLO 2: Interactional Text Analysis, 20%
Able to distinguish among sets of grammatical items and language structures that are important in conveying politeness in conversational interaction (e.g. choosing question forms and modals, etc.)
SLO 3: Choices in context: using lexico-grammar in selected written or spoken genres and tasks, 30%
Able to achieve a simple designated communicative goal with some elaboration, in complete sentences, and by choosing among targeted lexico-grammatical features.
SLO 4: Using lexico-grammar to write or speak with development and flow, 30%
Able to create short, meaningful paragraphs, with appropriate use of selected lexico-grammatical items and within sentences and with flow between sentences in the paragraph.
Through listening, students develop vocabulary and schema to discuss a variety of topics and familiar situations. Listening comprehension exercises focus on listening for salient information, drawing inferences and conclusions, and making connections between ideas. Speaking exercises focus on the ability to explain and elaborate concepts.
Beginner Speaking and Listening Student Learning Outcomes
SLO1: Genres in Speaking and Listening, 30%
Able to identify purpose, main ideas, supporting details in short spoken texts on academic and everyday topics, and present organized spoken descriptions, explanations, or opinions on these topics.
SLO2: Interactional Speaking and Listening, 30%
Able to identify purpose and politeness strategies in turns in spoken interaction (dialogues), and express ideas using politeness strategies in controlled interactional tasks.
SLO 3: Lexicogrammar, 20%
Able to apply new vocabulary and grammatical structures meaningfully and accurately in connected sentences, with consistent control of word endings/morphology, in short speaking tasks on academic and everyday topics.
SLO 4: Pronunciation, 20%
Able to identify phonemes, word stress, and sentence-level stress and intonation, and to produce words and complete, connected sentences with accurate phonemes and stress, with special focus on morphological changes in words.
In this course, students increase their knowledge in recognizing and applying reading and spelling rules appropriate for the level. Students will practice and improve their control of sounds in speaking and reading tasks and spelling in writing tasks. This course focuses on accurate and appropriate use of pronunciation and spelling rules for different purposes in short paragraphs and utterances.
Beginner Sounds and Spelling Student Learning Outcomes
SLO1: Reception, 25%
Discriminate between specifically targeted sounds of the English phonemic system to aid in listening, speaking, reading and writing (e.g. vowels vs consonants, long sounds vs short sounds in combination vowels, consonant blends)
SLO2: Production, 25%
Produce targeted sounds in words in reading and structured conversation
SLO3: Spelling, 25%
Recognize spelling patterns in order to write words accurately using correct spelling in sentences
SLO4: Writing, 25%
Be able to use learned spelling patterns in complete sentences for various purposes. (e.g. to contrast minimal pairs, diphthongs)
This level introduces English academic skills and is for students who need more study about and practice using English.
Intermediate Reading and Writing will help develop the reading skills and strategies needed for academic and general reading in English. Students will work on improving comprehension. Materials will include selections of various types and genres. This class will also focus on developing an academic style of writing in English. Students will write and revise a number of essays during this course and will also be evaluated on their ability to write clearly, cohesively, and meaningfully with adequate control of grammar and vocabulary.
Intermediate Reading and Writing Student Learning Outcomes
SLO 1: Ideation and Development, 25%
Able to explain purpose, main ideas and connections between ideas in reading and express own main ideas and connections in controlled writing tasks.
SLO 2: Understanding the Sources, 25%
Able to identify elements and arguments from a reading that may be used as source ideas and develop own idea in a writing which responds to selected text(s).
SLO 3: Organization and Flow, 25%
Able to identify simple cohesive and organizational strategies in simple texts and apply these strategies to write paragraphs on focused topics with clear organization and flow.
SLO 4: Lexicogrammar, 25%
Able to explain and use vocabulary, collocations and grammar in order to build ideas and change words and sentence structures to fit different purposes. (“Play with sentences.”)
In Intermediate Language Analysis and Accuracy students increase their knowledge of grammatical structures and improve control of using those structures in speaking and writing. This course focuses on accuracy and meaningful use of grammatical structures in different contexts.
Intermediate Language Analysis and Accuracy Student Learning Outcomes
SLO 1: Academic Text Analysis, 20%
Able to identify lexico-grammatical features and flow in simplified academic texts and explain the purpose of the structure in context.
SLO 2: Interactional Text Analysis, 20%
Able to identify lexico-grammatical features in simplified interactional texts and explain the purpose of the structure in context.
SLO 3: Choices in context: using lexico-grammar in selected written or spoken genres and tasks, 30%
Able to achieve a communicative goal in simple, selected contexts, while accurately and appropriately using selected lexico-grammatical features.
SLO 4: Using lexico-grammar to write or speak with development and flow, 30%
Able to express one’s own ideas in a specified task, with accurate and appropriate use of selected vocabulary and grammatical structures.
Students will develop listening, discussion and note-taking skills to prepare for academic coursework, participate in small group discussions, and complete projects, both group and individual. Assignments include listening to recordings or other media and developing a discussion on a particular topic.
Intermediate Speaking and Listening Student Learning Outcomes
SLO1: Genres in Speaking and Listening, 30%
Able to explain main ideas and details in spoken academic texts and convey a coherent sequence of key ideas in spoken academic genres.
SLO2: Interactional Speaking and Listening, 30%
Able to perform interpersonal dialogic tasks in academic and general settings using selected politeness strategies (in tasks such as asking questions & follow-up questions, acknowledging and countering other’s assertions, making and responding to requests).
SLO 3: Lexico-grammar, 20%
Able to convey ideas and cohesively, by using provided academic vocabulary and grammar structures accurately and meaningfully.
SLO 4: Pronunciation, 20%
Able to present an idea using general and academic vocabulary with clear pronunciation and stress at word level, and with good use of stress and intonation to deliver key points in a message.
Students at this level work on English skills necessary for academic work at US colleges and universities.
High Intermediate Reading and Writing will improve students’ reading fluency. Students will discuss texts in class, write journals as responses to the texts, summarize main ideas, and complete assignments based on the readings. Students will learn the elements of rhetorical styles and the steps of the writing process in order to produce clear, cohesive and meaningful writing.
High Intermediate Reading and Writing Student Learning Outcomes
SLO 1: Ideation and Development, 25%
Able to analyze in reading and apply in writing the development of ideas in narrowly defined contexts and specific, defined rhetorical strategies.
SLO 2: Understanding the Sources, 25%
Able to analyze sources in reading and use them in writing, in way that follows guided patterns through summaries, paraphrases, or quotes for an original purpose.
SLO 3: Organization and Flow, 25%
Able to analyze conventional patterns of cohesion in reading and apply these strategies to convey ideas in multi-paragraph writing.
SLO 4: Lexicogrammar, 25%
Able to explain and use selected vocabulary, collocations and grammar to elaborate or transform ideas, across a variety of contexts (varying purposes, formality, etc). (“Play with words in paragraphs.”)
In High Intermediate Language Analysis and Accuracy students increase their knowledge of advanced grammatical structures and improve control of using those structures in speaking and writing. This course focuses on accuracy and meaningful use of advanced grammatical structures in different contexts.
High Intermediate Language Analysis and Accuracy Student Learning Outcomes
SLO 1: Academic Text Analysis, 20%
Able to identify selected lexico-grammatical features and flow in academic texts and explain the purpose of these structures in context.
SLO 2: Interactional Text Analysis, 20%
Able to identify selected lexico-grammatical features in interactional texts and explain the purpose of these structures in context. (e.g. email chain; conversation transcript, service encounter, etc.)
SLO 3: Choices in context: using lexico-grammar in selected written or spoken genres and tasks, 30%
Able to achieve a set of related communicative goals in selected contexts, while accurately and appropriately using selected sets of lexico-grammatical features to clearly control topic, audience and organization.
SLO 4: Using lexico-grammar to write or speak with development and flow, 30%
Able to express and connect one’s own ideas in a specified genre, with accurate and appropriate use of selected academic vocabulary and grammatical structures.
In this course, students acquire the listening, note-taking and discussion skills necessary for academic classwork. Students learn the conventions of academic discussion in order to question, analyze and respond to authentic listening material. Students learn to effectively present with a clear point of view, incorporating appropriate sources.
High Intermediate Speaking and Listening Student Learning Outcomes
SLO1: Genres in Speaking and Listening, 30%
Able to analyze relationships (cohesion) among general and specific ideas in spoken texts and express ideas cohesively and with support in academic genres, drawing from provided source material.
SLO2: Interactional Speaking and Listening, 30%
Able to perform interpersonal dialogic tasks in academic settings with a variety of politeness strategies (e.g. using hedges, downgraders, familiarity-boosting, and indirection in tasks such as asking questions & follow-up questions, acknowledging and countering other’s assertions, making and responding to requests).
SLO 3: Lexico-grammar, 20%
Able to convey both general ideas and details cohesively, by using appropriate academic vocabulary and by selecting structures and sentence types appropriate to the purpose of the spoken message.
SLO 4: Pronunciation, 20%
Able to present ideas coherently using academic vocabulary with clear pronunciation, phrase stress and sentence stress, with regular control of rhythm and intonation.
At this level, students are required to read academic readings, make presentations, and learn the conventions of academic writing. Students may be allowed to take one academic course when they reach this level of study.
This advanced writing and reading course is designed for international students to develop, practice, and perfect their academic writing and reading skills at the college level. This course concentrates on the content, structure and organization of academic paragraphs and essays of different types, as well as on the language skills and reading strategies necessary for efficient processing of academic texts.
Advanced Writing and Reading Student Learning Outcomes
SLO 1: Ideation and Development, 25%
Able to explain relationships among complex, implicit ideas in a variety of selected genres and develop and apply ideas in prompts and problems defined by the instructor.
SLO 2: Understanding the Sources, 25%
Able to explain source use and their purposes in readings and integrate and use sources for a variety of purposes in their own writings.
SLO 3: Organization and Flow, 25%
Able to explain the organization of a variety of text types and apply a variety of cohesive strategies to convey ideas in writing.
SLO 4: Lexicogrammar, 25%
Able to express concepts and relationships in academic domains through accurate and varied vocabulary, collocations and grammar, with appropriate interpersonal choices (formality, friendliness, etc.) (“Show off you know the best words for a fancy concept.”)
In Advanced Language Analysis and Accuracy students rehearse and perfect skills to apply complex grammatical structures effectively in various writing and speaking assignments on a college level. Emphasis is also placed on meta-cognitive skills needed to analyze and explain complex grammatical structures and usage.
Advanced Language Analysis and Accuracy Student Learning Outcomes
SLO 1: Academic Text Analysis, 20%
Able to analyze and explain the interdependence between genre-specific content and selected lexico-grammar features in and across academic texts.
SLO 2: Interactional Text Analysis, 20%
Able to analyze and explain the interdependence between the content and selected lexico-grammatical features in and across interpersonal texts. (e.g. email chain; conversation transcript, service encounter, etc.)
SLO 3: Choices in context: using lexico-grammar in selected written or spoken genres and tasks, 30%
Able to achieve a set of related communicative goals, in a variety of selected contexts, while accurately and appropriately using a range of complex academic vocabulary and grammatical structures. (e.g. re-organize a multi-part text for a different audience or purpose)
SLO 4: Using lexico-grammar to write or speak with development and flow, 30%
Able to express, elaborate and connect one’s own ideas in a specified genre, with accurate and appropriate use of varied academic vocabulary and grammatical structures.
In this course, students listen to lectures and idea-based discussions and compare and contrast arguments and recognize overall connections among ideas, including supporting details, anecdotes, and natural digressions. Students distinguish between speaker purposes such as eliciting debate or inquiry vs. argumentation or exposition. Students lead discussions and make presentations incorporating conceptual material and sources from listening and reading.
Advanced Speaking and Listening Student Learning Outcomes
SLO1: Genres in Speaking and Listening, 30%
Able to analyze ideas and flow in spoken academic genres, and develop and express one’s own ideas with flow in similar spoken genres.
SLO2: Interactional Speaking and Listening, 30%
Able to perform spoken interpersonal tasks which extend or modify meanings in discussion or change the flow of communication in discussion. (e.g. checking for understanding, explaining, expressing opinions, re-directing)
SLO 3: Lexico-grammar, 20%
Able to convey ideas with lexico-grammatical cohesion by choosing grammatical structures, word forms, collocations and word sets which convey meaning appropriately in academic domains and genres.
SLO 4: Pronunciation, 20%
Able to present relationships among ideas using academic vocabulary with clear word-stress and pronunciation and with steady control of rhythm and intonation, to make important ideas salient.
Students refine the English academic skills necessary for success in university courses while taking full- or part-time academic courses if eligible. Separate courses are offered to undergraduates and graduates at this level to meet the different academic needs of these students.
Students will practice various techniques to improve their writing in preparation for academic work and to understand and process the academic readings encountered in RIT academic courses. Coursework will include reading and analyzing the structure of academic persuasive essays and articles and writing academic persuasive essays.
Academic Writing and Reading Student Learning Outcomes
SLO 1: Ideation and Development, 25%
Able to develop and support an original position that clearly expresses its own stance, through a process where authorial perspectives and positions in scholarly articles are analyzed and synthesized.
SLO 2: Understanding the Sources, 25%
Able to support ideas for one’s own authorial purpose through well-chosen citations, in a way which demonstrates an awareness of a variety of scholarly purposes and uses of citation and which clearly distinguishes own ideas from source material.
SLO 3: Organization and Flow, 25%
Able to write with cohesion (at lexical, sentence and discourse level), demonstrating understanding of conventional rhetorical moves and formats appropriate to the genre of the writing.
SLO 4: Lexicogrammar, 25%
Able to build meaning cohesively in writing by using varied and appropriate vocabulary and grammatical structures, in a way that fits the purpose and genre of the writing.
Academic Language Analysis and Accuracy is designed for international students with an advanced level of English proficiency. The course presents a review of grammar topics and speaking/writing strategies to enhance students’ grammar, speaking, writing, and meta-cognitive skills. The course prepares students for college level work in their academic classes.
Academic Language Analysis and Accuracy Student Learning Outcomes
SLO 1: Academic Text Analysis, 20%
Able to analyze and explain the interdependence between genre-specific content and lexico-grammar in a variety of academic texts, through independent work.
SLO 2: Interactional Text Analysis, 20%
Able to analyze and explain the interdependence between the content and lexico-grammar in a variety of interactional genres (e.g speeches, rich conversations; interviews, etc), through independent work.
SLO 3: Choices in context: using lexico-grammar in selected written or spoken genres and tasks, 30%
Able to achieve a (specified) multi-step communicative goal with complicating or conflicting sub-goals, while accurately and appropriately using complex academic vocabulary and grammatical structures.
SLO 4: Using lexico-grammar to write or speak with development and flow, 30%
Able to express, elaborate and connect one’s own ideas in a specified multi-part genre, with accurate and appropriate use of a variety of complex academic vocabulary and grammatical structures.
In this course, students listen to lectures and idea-based discussions and compare and contrast arguments and recognize overall connections among ideas, including supporting details, anecdotes, and natural digressions. Students distinguish between speaker purposes such as eliciting debate or inquiry vs. argumentation or exposition. Students lead discussions and make presentations incorporating conceptual material and sources from listening and reading.
Academic Speaking and Listening Student Learning Outcomes
SLO1: Genres in Speaking and Listening, 30%
Able to analyze and convey developed, complex ideas in spoken academic genres, distinguishing ideas clearly and critically from multiple other points of view.
SLO2: Interactional Speaking and Listening, 30%
Able to perform complex spoken interpersonal tasks in order to elaborate and develop ideas in discussion or control flow of discussion. (e.g. paraphrasing for understanding, responding positively to critique, chairing a meeting)
SLO 3: Lexico-grammar, 20%
Able to choose and use vocabulary and grammar appropriate for academic communication in a variety of genres and in order to express particular stance, tone, emphasis, and style.
SLO 4: Pronunciation, 20%
Able to present ideas in academic settings with clear English and pronunciation, and in well phrased sentences by varying rhythm, stress, and intonation to fit specific rhetorical needs (emphasis, contrast, sequence, affect).
Students examine and practice the language used to develop a research purpose. Students study generic conventions and rhetorical moves (e.g. establishing a niche for a thesis) as well as linguistic devices (e.g. lexicon, connectors, sentence and paragraph organization) which realize these rhetorical purposes. Students do library research to investigate lines of scholarly argument. Students produce written literature reviews, summaries, data analyses and short analytical writing assignments to rehearse and apply linguistic and rhetorical strategies. (Note: the aim of the course is not to produce a fully developed original research paper; such a goal is for the graduate programs.
Graduate Writing and Reading Student Learning Outcomes
SLO 1: Ideation and Development, 25%
Able to write by situating one’s own position among field-specific texts, through a process where authorial perspectives and positions in scholarly articles are analyzed and synthesized.
SLO 2: Understanding the Sources, 25%
Able to demonstrate appropriate use of citations in discipline-specific writing, showing awareness of discipline-specific purposes and conventions, and which clearly distinguishes own ideas from source material.
SLO 3: Organization and Flow, 25%
Able to write with cohesion (at lexical, sentence and discourse level), demonstrating understanding of discipline-specific patterns, rhetorical moves and formats.
SLO 4: Lexicogrammar, 25%
Able to build meaning cohesively in writing by using varied and appropriate vocabulary and grammatical structures, in a way that fits field-specific purposes and genres.
In this course, students are exposed to a variety of academic speaking genres that are expected of university level students. After analysis of the speaking samples, students organize and present their own presentations for each genre, such as object description, process description, defining a concept, problem-solution and presenting research.
Graduate Spoken Communication Student Learning Outcomes
SLO1: Genres in Speaking and Listening, 30%
Able to explain the rhetorical moves of discipline-specific discourse and formats in spoken academic texts, and apply them in a variety of spoken academic genres (e.g. presentation, panel, poster-session).
SLO2: Interactional Speaking and Listening, 30%
Able to comprehend and perform complex interpersonal tasks (e.g. paraphrasing for understanding, responding positively to critique, chairing a meeting) and elaborate own ideas in discussion
SLO 3: Lexicogrammar, 20%
Able to choose and use vocabulary and grammar appropriate to field-specific topics, and in order to express particular stance, tone, emphasis, and style.
SLO 4: Pronunciation, 20%
Able to present ideas in appropriate and field-specific vocabulary with clear English and pronunciation, and in well phrased sentences by varying rhythm, stress, and intonation to fit specific rhetorical needs (emphasis, contrast, sequence, affect).
