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Faculty
Our teachers are experienced professionals with advanced
degrees in Teaching English as a Second Language, Applied
Linguistics or a related field. 80% of our teachers are
full-time. Our teachers
regularly participate in professional development activities
and professional service. For example, they participate
in local and international conferences, give presentations
and workshops, serve on committees, pursue advanced studies,
and publish articles. We provide substantial support to
all staff for participation in such professional activities.
Curriculum
At the Tutorium in Intensive English, our methods and materials
reflect current practice in second language teaching. Our
adult students bring different educational and work experiences
to our program, and we want them to develop their skills
quickly and effectively. For this reason, we teach both
language skills and language learning skills.
In particular,
we emphasize
- Meaningful
communication
- Integration
of skills
- Interaction
among students
- Student
responsibility for learning
Our
students come from all over the world, and we encourage
them to learn from each other. As they work closely together,
our students improve all of their language skills, and they
develop valuable cultural awareness.
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Intensive
English Program
Our full-time Intensive English Program curriculum develops
- Conversation
- Pronunciation
- Vocabulary
- Grammar
- Reading
- Composition
- Listening
comprehension
- Academic
and professional preparation
- Cultural
awareness
- Computer
skills
Class
activities often include
-
Discussions
- Role-plays
- Video
viewing
- Library
research
- Field
trips
- Other
special events
During
a special Electives Week in the middle of the session, our
students choose from a variety of special short courses,
such as Business Writing, America in the 1960s, Focus on
Film, and Exploring Chicago.
Our
Intensive English Program students have homework every day,
and this homework includes reading, writing, listening,
and speaking practice. For their homework, our students
regularly use books, newspapers, magazines, radio, television,
telephones, libraries, and computers.
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English
for International Professionals Series
This series is for working professionals or academics who
wish to improve specific areas of English communication
to be more successful in their careers. Each course introduces
essential concepts and theories and relates them to practical
activities that focus on the challenges of the everyday
work environment.
TOEFL
iBT Preparation Course
The curriculum for the TOEFL iBT Preparation Course emphasizes
test-taking strategies for each section of the exam. Extensive
test-taking practice helps students to reduce test anxiety
and to review selected areas of English.
Evaluation
We use evaluation to improve every aspect of our program.
There is regular and thorough evaluation of the administration,
faculty, courses, services, and facilities, as well as of
the students. Administrators, faculty, and students participate
in evaluation. In addition, professional organizations evaluate
our program regularly. For example, the Commission on English
Language Program Accreditation (CEA) requires regular reports
and inspections. We review these evaluations carefully,
and we regularly modify aspects of our program as a result.
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