Three/Twenty-Two Hours per Week - Eight Week Sessions
Collegiate and Professional English (CAPE) Program courses aim to equip students with communication skills comparable to those of first-year college or university native speakers. Depending on the particular course, students will gain skills in research, reading, and writing, give and participate in collegiate-level presentations, and interact with invited guest speakers.
While guiding students according to their needs and specific interests, instructors employ creative strategies and approaches that will challenge students to maximize their potential.
In addition to three hours each week with an instructor, F-1 students are required to take 19 hours of instructor-guided self-study/lab work (on campus).
TUITION (Includes Books)
$912
Times: Mornings or Late Afternoon/Evenings
Prerequisite
Successful completion of all seven levels of AEI's Intensive English Course
OR: score higher than Level Seven on AEI's placement test
OR: successfully passed professional exams in English
This course aims to equip learners with communication skills needed for professional and collegiate success on par with native-English speakers. Students will enhance their research skills, and give and participate in collegiate-level presentations relevant to their specific field of interest or study.
Learners will gain complete proficiency in MS PowerPoint while learning to prevent PowerPoint from taking over. Post-Intensive level students will learn strategies and approaches that will challenge them to maximize their potential. Students will learn the vocabulary to begin meetings and presentations, to transition to different components of a presentation, to take and address questions, and to conclude. Students will gain confidence in their leadership skills, even when they need to lead native English speakers.
The Information Age places a demand on readers and writers to proficiently extract and process relevant information from academic, professional, and other literary sources for advancement in the professional as well as personal spheres.
This Critical Reading-Listening and Summary Writing Course is designed to move post-intensive level students to collegiate-level reading comprehension and its counterpart, summary writing. The course will empower students through progressively challenging readings, mastery of reading techniques, written summaries of the readings, written summary of one short movie, and discussions.
Experiencing weekly progress in critical communication areas is the hallmark of this course!
The learners will experience growth in several major areas:
Post-Intensive learners have a receptive knowledge of many words but have a need to develop a more productive knowledge. This course aims to help Post-Intensive level students develop productive vocabularie needed for academic writing or spoken reports. Productive competence will be achieved through cause-effect, general description, description of processes, and compare/contrast course work. Coupled with vocabulary development, this course emphasizes acquiring elements of pronunciation that most affect intelligibility.
An outstanding feature of this course is that it examines the difference between formal versus informal and spoken versus written varieties of the language. Coupled with practical idioms useful in speech and writing, this course will facilitate students development in confidence needed to communicate on a multi-faceted level. Students that have mastered structure will gain near-native communicative proficiency as they learn the uses of grammar coupled with opportunities to apply idioms in authentic situations.
Twenty-first century leaders are able to communicate about topics of global, current importance. This course is designed to enhance the students' leadership communication skills as to lead discussions, perform cooperative learning activities, and express opinions needed to succeed in school as well as in the work place. Using integrated learning strategies, the student will be challenged not only to discuss issues, but also to make meaningful decisions. By researching and writing about relevant topics and issues, the student will develop a solid foundation to think critically and respond appropriately in given situations. This course also features global topics coupled with contemporary textbook lessons that will require the student to conduct internet or other media research in preparation for presenting the latest findings about high-interest news, articles or issues.
This course introduces students to some of the major themes and works of American literature, and develops collegiate-level skills of critical and textual analysis. Therefore, in addition to carrying a strong reading component, students’ will develop their verbal and written ability, through discussions and essays, to interpret and respond to a text.
The source of interest in literature may be one’s ability to derive or create meaning in a literary work. This can mean discovering the truth of a text by bringing to light new ideas and interpretations that expand our notions of the work’s timelessness and value. Literary criticism and analysis, which are part and parcel of university humanities (academic disciplines which study the human condition), explore possible alternative explanations of a text by employing various approaches to theorizing about a text’s meaning. In addition to extensive readings and essay writing, students will learn and discuss more about literary criticism.
This course introduces students to the culture of America by examining the country’s major holidays and traditions of various celebrations. Due to America’s diverse population with numerous ethnic groups and religious beliefs, this course will illustrate a panoramic view of holidays. Interestingly, and connected to this, some of these holidays have their roots in foreign countries where some of the AEI students come from.
This course contains a strong reading component where students will continue to increase the level of their written and verbal abilities. Readings from magazines, journals, periodicals and print media will be assigned throughout the course. However, in order to provide maximum exposure to the holidays covered, videos and music will also be employed.
Students will be assessed based on their essay writing, short reflection papers and discussion, during which time they will be asked to interpret and reflect on texts, films, and music. Depending on the scheduled season/time when this course is offered, students will be encouraged to participate in the actual celebration of holidays – at least to intentionally observe how we Americans recognize and participate in these annual national rituals.
This course is designed to provide advanced level students with opportunities to enhance their language skills in all four critical areas of reading, writing, listening, and speaking, through an in-depth study of the history, structure, and function of American Government. Language-focused activities and student-centered, structured assignments are integrated with content knowledge about American Government, allowing students to practice and develop advanced language skills while gaining knowledge of an important part of American society. Textbooks and media-based sources will provide content knowledge in these and other areas: The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the three branches of government, the enactment of laws, citizen rights and responsibilities, voting, and current issues and events in government. The course will also help facilitate student adjustment to American culture.
The news can be read or watched on a number of levels: to stay updated professionally (e.g. business news); to think critically about our world and the media itself; or just for pleasure. This course is designed for any type of news reader, or for someone who is interested in English & American news but does not currently read it. The course will raise students’ awareness of current events, improve reading skills, and help develop strong verbal and discursive abilities – worthwhile goals whether a student is interested in academics, professional life, or simply personal growth. The course centers on readings from the textbook, newspapers, magazines, and the internet, as well as excerpts from other media sources, such as radio, TV, and films.
In addition to the reading component, the course offerings will develop students’ verbal skills as they discuss and present their views on various current events, including issues in politics, business, the arts and entertainment, technology, and health. Students will be encouraged to read/view/listen to the news media on a regular basis and to respond to the perspectives offered.
The course will also focus on the role of the American media and how it influences our understanding of reality. As students examine the values and views of reality held by the American media, they will gain a better understanding of American culture.
This course will help students build the writing and critical thinking skills necessary to not only survive, but thrive, in college-level courses with a composition emphasis. This course will also benefit professionals for whom extensive writing and critical analysis are job components. Students will enhance skills in researching and analyzing a topic; brainstorming essay topics, theses, and main ideas; drafting an outline; writing an effective introduction, body, and conclusion; as well as following MLA or APA citation guidelines; and putting the finishing touches on a completed essay.
In addition to content provided by the instructor, available on the internet, or found in local public libraries (which, optionally, may be pursued through a class field trip), students will use a text of classic American stories as a springboard for critical discussion and responsive writing. Students will maintain a journal used in and/or outside class, related to course content, as a pre-discussion or evaluative technique.
“Let’s agree to disagree.” This is a popular expression in American English which demonstrates that two friends can have a difference of opinion and still remain friends. More formally, the writer Evelyn Beatrice Hall once stated, “I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” The individual’s right to hold their own opinion, even when we are sure they are wrong, is a strong value of American culture and individualism. However, how can two friends strongly disagree on an important issue and not fight? How can they communicate in a powerful, persuasive way, without hurting the other person’s feelings? This course develops the skills necessary to talk about – and disagree on – controversial topics, while maintaining total respect and the ability to always listen to others.
The course will make a powerful impact on every area of students’ communicative abilities: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Pupils will improve their listening and speaking by discussing and informally debating hot topics in American culture. Learners will sharpen their writing skills by composing a number of persuasive essays (similar to those needed for TOEFL and higher academics). Participants will also enhance their reading and vocabulary knowledge through a course text book and independent research concerning controversial topics. The ability to persuade is an essential communication skill. At the same time, when you cannot persuade another, and they cannot persuade you, the ability to “agree to disagree” is of paramount importance.
