Intensive English Program

Who is this program for?

• Students from all over the world who are at least 18 years old
• Students who want to improve their English as quickly as possible
• Students who want an intensive program – 23 hours of instruction per week
• Students who want to improve their reading, writing, speaking and listening

When are the courses offered?

Three times per year – fall, spring, and summer

• Fall: September to December – 14 weeks
• Spring: January to May – 14 weeks
• Summer: June to August – 7 weeks

What is the placement test for the Intensive English program?

• The placement test has three parts: a writing test, the iTEP exam, and an oral interview.
• The writing test is a 30-minute essay on a general topic. It is very similar to task 2 on the IELTS writing exam and the Independent task on iBT TOEFL.
• The iTEP exam is a test of listening, grammar, and reading. (NOTE: you will only take the grammar, listening, and reading portions of the test).
• The oral interview is an 8-10 minute conversation with two MEI faculty.

What classes can I take in the fall or spring?

• Five levels of instruction – from beginner to advanced
• Reading, writing, and grammar – 5 times per week, 3 hours per session
• Listening and speaking – 4 times per week, 2 hours per session

What classes can I take in the summer?

• Three levels of instruction – beginner, intermediate, advanced
• Integrated English (all skills) – 4 times per week, 3.5 hours per session
• One extra class – 2 times per week, 2 hours per session
• Optional extra classes – up to 8 more hours of instruction per week
• Schedules can be designed to leave Friday, Saturday, and Sunday free

What extra classes can I take in the summer?

• Preparation for Academic Study
• Presentations
• Vocabulary
• Exam Preparation

What will I learn in the fall and spring?

When you first come to MEI, you will be given a placement test to determine your English level. There are five levels in the fall and spring semesters: 001, 002, 003, 004, and 004C. The lists below show what you will learn to do in each level.

UMEI 001 – Beginning And High Beginning

Reading, Writing, Grammar

• Read a beginning-level text of at least 500 words
• Read at a rate of 100 words per minute
• Read with at least 70% comprehension
• Make simple statements and questions
• Use the writing process to find ideas and write a paragraph
• Write a paragraph of at least 5 sentences in 30 minutes

Listening and Speaking

• Understand a 2 to 3 minutes listening selection
• Understand and participate in simple social situations
• Speak for 1 to 2 minutes on a familiar, personal topic

UMEI 002 – Intermediate I

Reading, Writing, Grammar

• Read an intermediate level text of at least 500 words
• Read at a rate of 120 words per minute
• Read with at least 70% comprehension
• Use the writing process to draft a three paragraph essay
• Write a variety of correct sentence structures
• Write a paragraph of at least 7 sentences in 30 minutes

Listening and Speaking

• Understand a 3 to 5 minutes listening selection
• Understand and participate in a variety of social situations
• Give a 2 to 4 minutes prepared presentation on a familiar topic

UMEI 003 – Intermediate II

Reading, Writing, Grammar

• Read an intermediate level text of at least 800 words
• Read at a rate of 150 words per minute
• Read with at least 70% comprehension
• Use the writing process to draft a 3 to 4 paragraph essay
• Use modality, clause structure, and passive voice
• Write a well-built 3 paragraph essay in 50 minutes

Listening and Speaking

• Understand a 5 to 10 minutes academic listening selection
• Speak on a range of academic and non-academic topics
• Make a well-organized 3 to 5 minute prepared a presentation on a social or simple academic topic

UMEI 004 – Intermediate III

Reading, Writing, Grammar

• Read a low-advanced level text of at least 1000 words
• Read at a rate of 200 words per minute
• Read with at least 70% comprehension
• Use the writing process to draft a 4 to 5 paragraph essay
• Better control sentence structure and tense sequences
• Write a well-built 4 to 5 paragraph essay in 50 minutes

Listening and Speaking

• Understand a 10 to 15 minutes academic listening selection
• Effectively participate in and lead a group discussion
• Speak clearly on a range of academic and non-academic topics
• Give a well-organized 5 to 7 minute prepared presentation on an academic topic

UMEI 004C – Advanced

Reading, Writing, Grammar

• Read an advanced level text of at least 1500 words
• Read at a rate of 250 words per minute
• Read with at least 70% comprehension
• Use the writing process to draft an essay of 5 or more paragraphs
• Construct writing pieces in a variety of rhetorical forms
• Write a well-built 5+ paragraph essay in 50 minutes

Listening and Speaking

• Understand a 15 to 20 minutes academic listening selection
• Participate effectively in open-ended academic speaking tasks
• Speak with ever-improving clarity and comprehensibility
• Give a structured 8 to 10 minute prepared presentation on a well-researched academic topic

What will I learn in the summer?

There are three intensive levels in the summer semester: 011, 012, and 013. You also take from 1 to 3 extra courses (electives). The lists below show what you will learn at each level and in the electives.

UMEI 011 – Elementary

Reading

• Read a beginning-level text of at least 350 words
• Read with 70% or better comprehension

Writing

• Write a paragraph of at least 5 sentences
• Demonstrate paragraph unity and cohesion

Listening

• Understand the main ideas and some details of a 2 to 3 minute listening selection on a familiar or personal topic

Speaking

• Understand and participate in simple social interactions
• Speak briefly on familiar, personal topics

UMEI 012 – Intermediate

Reading

• Read an intermediate level text of at least 500 words
• Read with 70% or better comprehension

Writing

• Write a unified and coherent three-paragraph essay
• Develop a topic with a clear claim and supporting evidence

Listening

• Understand the main idea and some details of a 5 minutes listening selection on a social, simple academic or professional topic

Speaking

• Participate in group discussions on social, simple academic or professional topics

UMEI 013 – Advanced

Reading

• Read a low advanced level text of at least 800 words
• Read with at 70% or better comprehension

Writing

• Write a unified and coherent five-paragraph essay
• Advance a thesis with clear claims and relevant evidence

Listening

• Understand the main idea and most of the details of a 10-12 minute listening selection on an academic or professional topic

Speaking

• Effectively participate in group discussions on a range of academic, non-academic and professional topics

Summer Electives

The lists below show what you will do in the extra classes that are offered in the summer.

Preparation for Academic Study

• Practice university-level reading and writing skills
• Develop advanced fluency skills for academic purposes
• Practice academic research skills
• Learn to write strong, clear, and convincing papers
• Learn to participate in the academic culture of a U.S. university

iBT TOEFL Test Strategies

• Prepare for the Internet-based TOEFL exam
• Practice the language and academic skills the TOEFL requires
• Apply proven test-taking strategies for the iBT TOEFL
• Work with the most up-to-date, realistic TOEFL practice tests
• Identify specific TOEFL skills you need to improve and learn techniques to improve those skills

IELTS Exam Preparation

• Prepare for International English Language (IELTS) exam
• Practice the language and academic skills the IELTS requires
• Apply proven test-taking strategies for the IELTS
• Work with the most up-to-date, realistic IELTS practice tests
• Identify specific IELTS skills you need to improve and learn techniques to improve those skills

Focus on Conversation

• Learn the language and rules for English conversations
• Practice the roles you’re expected to play in conversations
• Learn to use the special signals used in English conversations
• Develop your ability to express yourself in everyday situations
• Get the practice you need to become a more fluent speaker

Focus on Grammar

• Develop a higher-level understanding of English grammar
• Experiment with different styles and grammar choices
• Deepen your knowledge of grammar and idiomatic expressions
• Improve your accuracy in real-life writing and speaking
• Identify your need for corrections and stylistic development

Vocabulary

• Develop effective strategies for making new words part of your long-term memory
• Get a better understanding of what it means to “know” a word
• Use online sources to help you understand how to use new words
• Find out which words are used frequently in academic texts
• Play fun games that promote vocabulary mastery