Program Description

FAU's Intensive English Institute utilizes highly qualified and experienced ESL instructors to lead small, intimate classes. This ensures a comfortable, friendly, and stimulating atmosphere for learning English.

Students can choose to attend the program during one of three fourteen-week semesters, or one of two seven-week sessions. A four-week summer institute also occurs in August.

IEI maintains a state of the art computer lab. Students may utilize the lab to increase their knowledge and to work on projects after class.

1. Beginning
2. High Beginning
3. Low Intermediate
4. High Intermediate
5. Advanced
6. Bridge Program (depending on enrollment)

Each IEI level of instruction consists of four subject areas: Grammar, Reading/Writing, Conversation, and Listening. Students in levels four and five, who qualify with a pre-test score, may choose to enroll in the TOEFL elective class instead of the Conversation class.

GRAMMAR - IEI recognizes that the nuances of English grammar require more than rote memorization of grammatical rules for effective learning. In fact, this method of instruction is boring and unsuccessful for both student and teacher. Our English grammar classes utilize a situational approach, allowing students to learn in a more real-life atmosphere. Evaluations given during the semester measure each student's progress.

READING/WRITING - The design of the Reading/Writing class is to increase participants' English reading and writing abilities through the comprehensive study of sentence organization and punctuation. Students learn to organize and create sentences, paragraphs, and essays according to their own abilities, which increase as the class progresses.

CONVERSATION - Through activities such as situational conversation, topical discussion, note taking, and oral presentations, students strengthen their English vocabulary and learn correct pronunciation in this course. The design of this class rapidly increases each student's level of fluency.

LISTENING - This class utilizes a variety of audio lessons that increase in length and difficulty as the student progresses. Students will spend one hour per week in the computer lab participating in computer aided audio activities that relate to the materials covered in other classes.

Each student is assigned one hour of lab class per week in IEI's own 20 station wireless computer lab. This hour will include the use of language instruction software and other computer based work assigned by instructors. The computer lab is open 8:30 A.M to 10:00 P.M, Monday through Friday, and may be used for internet access, email, or other student needs.

The Institute's faculty members are highly trained and experienced professionals who specialize in teaching English as a Second Launguage. Drawing from backgrounds in writing, curriculum development, teaching English in foreign countries, and counseling, our teachers are extremely adept at providing top quality instruction using current teaching techniques and materials.

Each semester, students are taken on a field trip to one of South Florida's many attractions. In addition, special themed parties are also held throughout the year. These activities give students opportunities to experience American culture and the chance to practice English outside of the classroom.