Overview of the Language Center Curriculum
Our Approach
The following information applies ONLY to the Language Center students with a TOEFL entry score of 480 or above. Students with a TOEFL score below 480, automatically take all courses in level 1, that is, 20 hours per week.
Each student will follow a schedule of courses which is made to fit his/her academic English needs. This approach has been found to be very effective because each student can focus on those courses which he/she needs to improve on. There are TWELVE Language Center courses which fall into three categories:
- 1- Academic Listening, Speaking and Notetaking 1 (ALS 1001)
- 2- Academic Reading 1 (ARD 1001)
- 3- Academic Writing 1 (AWT 1001)
- 4- Grammar in an Academic Context 1 (GAC 1001)
- 1- Academic Listening, Speaking and Notetaking 2 (ALS 1002)
- 2- Academic Reading 2 (ARD 1002)
- 3- Academic Writing 2 (AWT 1002)
- 4- Grammar in an Academic Context 2 (GAC 1002)
- 1- Academic Listening, Speaking and Notetaking 3 (ALS 1003)
- 2- Academic Reading 3 (ARD 1003)
- 3- Academic Writing 3 (AWT 1003)
- 4- Grammar in an Academic Context 3 (GAC 1003)
All the students coming to the University should have taken the TOEFL. Students have been assigned to courses in level 1, level 2, a combination of both levels, or the super-intensive track according to their TOEFL scores, the Writing Placement Test and Language Center guidelines. Therefore, the courses to which you are assigned correspond to your TOEFL score and other LC criteria.
Hours per Week in Language Center
Students with a TOEFL entry score below 450 will study 20 hours per week in the Language Center (all level 1).
Students with a TOEFL entry score of 480 or above will take 5, 10, 15 or 20 hours per week of Language Center courses, depending on their results in the Writing Placement Test (WPT) and their TOEFL subscores for Listening, Grammar and Reading.
Students with a TOEFL entry score ranging between 450 and 477 will take 30 hours per week exclusively in Language Center.
Every Language Center course takes place 5 or 7.5 hours per week depending on whether it is regular track or fast track, in building 4.
Following are the four scenarios for Language Center students with a TOEFL entry score of 480 or above:
1. Students will study 5 or 10 hours per week in the Language Center plus 2 CAD courses plus 1 other credit-bearing language course (Arabic, Math, etc.).
2. Students will study 15 hours per week in the Language Center plus 2 CAD courses (optional: may take an additional 5 hours in the LC).
3. Students will study 20 hours per week in the Language Center plus 1 CAD course.
4. Students will study 30 hours per week in the Language Center only.
The Theme-based Curriculum
The courses which the Language Center offers constitute the Intensive English Program. The Language Center curriculum is theme-based, which means that all English language study will be related to a set of specific topics. This semester the topics are Language and Education; Human Relationships; The Mind and Medicine; The World of Work, Business and Finance; Science and Computers; and The Environment. Language skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking) as well as grammar will be studied in the context of these themes. This approach will become clear to you as the semester progresses.
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