NATIONALITIES SERVICE CENTER

EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Departmental Links

The following is the list of classes we offer.  Please click on each title to read the description.

Future Courses Include:  GED Preparation, Citizenship, Family Literacy, and Intermediate Spanish

• Literacy
  This course is for students who need support with basic English reading and writing skills.  Focus is on writing and recognizing letters of the alphabet in print and in cursive writing and on sound-spelling correspondences.  Students learn to recognize common words that frequently appear in print.  Students are taught to read sentences, paragraphs, and simple text written for adult ESL students.
  
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• Introductory
  This course is for students who speak and understand little or no English, though they are expected to be familiar with the Roman alphabet.  Students entering this level may be able to make simple greetings and understand basic personal questions about their name, address, and phone number, but they generally will not be able to produce more.  In this class, students will be taught to make simple sentences, questions, and responses for basic communication.
  
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• Beginning 1
  At this level, students can form simple sentences and communicate simple ideas in English.  Their vocabulary is very limited, and often they struggle to express themselves.  In this course, students will be taught synonyms for basic vocabulary so that they have options in terms of how to express themselves.  They will also be taught simple verb tenses and conversation skills.  There is a strong focus on listening and speaking at this level.  Students generally understand only when spoken to slowly.  
  
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• Beginning 2
  Students in the Beginning 2 class are starting to combine sentences with connecting words.  They are expanding their vocabulary, and they now have more than one way to express an idea.  They still tend to make many grammar mistakes when they speak, and they often cannot find the right word when they need it.  They may ask English speakers to repeat often because their listening comprehension might still be weak.  In the Beginning 2 level, students are taught to use present and past tenses more accurately.  They continue to practice listening and speaking skills as they are exposed to speech that approaches more natural, native-like English.  
  
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• Intermediate 1
  At this level, students can communicate their ideas effectively.  They tend to make grammar mistakes, and they lack sophisticated vocabulary.  They have trouble understanding native speakers of English if they speak quickly or if they use idiomatic expressions.  In the Intermediate 1 class, students focus on using slightly more complex sentence structure and expanding their vocabulary, including vocabulary for reading comprehension.  Students begin to learn idiomatic expressions and formal vs. informal English.  Focus begins to be placed on accuracy in writing.
  
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• Intermediate 2
  At the Intermediate 2 level, students should be able to communicate their ideas with little difficulty.  They may not always speak accurately, but their thoughts begin to flow more easily.  In the Intermediate 2 class, students begin to focus on more complex sentence structures, grammatical accuracy in speaking and writing, and continued expansion of vocabulary, both in speaking and writing.  Intermediate 2 students begin to understand native speakers of English with less difficulty, as they begin to understand informal structures and connected speech forms.
  
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• Intermediate 3
  Intermediate 3 students can easily communicate their thoughts and ideas.  They have begun to use more complex grammatical structures, and through communication with native speakers of English, reading, the media, etc., they know several ways to express one concept.  At this level, students can begin to read simple material written for native speakers of English, and they begin to learn to write letters, articles, and compositions.  They begin to make a clear distinction between formal vs. informal language.  They will still need to practice and review verb tenses and grammatical structures, but practice will help to solidify their understanding.  
  
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• Advanced 1
  At this level, students are beginning to speak conversational English.  They are prepared to debate, converse, make speeches and presentations, and write articles and compositions, perhaps even in the form of a Center newsletter.  They continue to need support to understand the grammatical structures, but they are using complex structures and a wide variety of verb tenses.  
  
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• Advanced 2
  Advanced 2 students are preparing to enter community colleges or universities, or they are preparing to be promoted in the workforce.  At this level, students are sophisticated in their use of grammar and vocabulary, and they need support to make the move from speaking and writing like non-native speakers to speaking and writing more like native speakers of the language.  This does not mean that students speak the language almost perfectly; it means that they have a clear understanding of how the language works and that now what they need more than explanations is practice.
  
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 Other Courses Offered

·        Pronunciation
This class is for students at the Intermediate 3 to Advanced 2 levels.  It is a class for students who have trouble understanding native speakers of English or being understood.  There will be discussion of how sounds are articulated, stress, rhythm, and intonation, fast speech forms, and dialects of American English.  It is not a speaking/conversation class.  It is a class on how to articulate sounds and on how native speakers of English articulate sounds.

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·         Conversation
This class is for students Intermediate 3 to Advanced 2 levels.  It is a class for students who would like practice in speaking and listening skills.  There will be speaking and listening activities in different real-life contexts in order for students to practice speaking and understanding native and second-language speakers of English.

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·        Basic Writing Skills
This class is for students at the Beginning 1 and Beginning 2 levels.  The focus is on writing simple notes, paragraphs, and memos, and on taking telephone messages.  The purpose is to help students with basic, practical writing skills.  Students will do some writing in the computer laboratory.  

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·        Intermediate Writing Skills
This class is for students at the Intermediate 1 through Intermediate 3 levels.  Students will practice writing paragraphs and simple compositions.  They will keep daily journals describing their everyday activities, and they will learn to write personal and business letters.  They will also practice filling out application forms. 
Students will have the opportunity to use the computer lab to practice their writing skills.  

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·        *Advanced Writing Skills
This class is for students at the Advanced 1 and Advanced 2 levels.  Students will write compositions, articles and stories as well as formal and informal letters.  They will learn academic writing skills, essay writing, and writing for business.  They will have the opportunity to use the computer lab to practice their writing skills.

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·        *Family Literacy
 In this class, parents will go to their children’s schools, accompanied by an ESL teacher, to work directly with their children.  Parents will have the opportunity to practice their English skills while supporting their children and while learning how to help their children with the work that they need to do in order to succeed in school.  

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•   Workplace ESL
  This class is for students at the Intermediate 3 to Advanced 2 levels.  It is designed to   help students get a job in the field of their choice or to get promoted in their current job.  Students will be taught to fill out job application forms, to speak and behave appropriately at job interviews, to speak formally and informally on the telephone, to behave appropriately at meetings, and to give presentations.  Specialized vocabulary will be taught at the request of the students.
  
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·        Beginning Spanish
This class is for students who speak little or no Spanish.  Focus will be on practical conversation skills at a basic level.  Simple verb tenses and basic grammar will also be presented.  

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·        *Intermediate Spanish
This class is for students who can speak some Spanish but have limited vocabulary.  At this level, students make grammar mistakes and struggle somewhat to communicate.  The course will focus on conversation skills and vocabulary building.  Verb tenses and grammar tenses will be explained in greater detail than at the beginning level.  

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·        *Conversational Spanish
This course is for students who are able to converse in Spanish, even if they are not always grammatically accurate.  Students will be given topics each week, and there will be role-play activities, debates, dialogues, and presentations to practice speaking skills.  Grammar and pronunciation will be corrected, though the focus of the course is on fluency and vocabulary building.
 

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Courses Being Prepared for the Future *