Introduction
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
