Language & Culture
Language and Culture Courses
Accent Reduction Part 1
Practice new pronunciations with direct feedback from our professional, speech-language pathologist. As you change pronunciation, learn American formal and informal expressions in a relaxed, workshop-style course setting. Limited to 15 students.
What will be covered:
- Recognition of the difference between the targeted American English sounds and error productions
- Pronunciation of a number of sounds the American way in isolation, words and sentences
- Inclusion of these new productions in oral reading and in your spontaneous speech
- Introduction of American formal and informal expressions
After this class, you will be able to:
- Recognize the difference between the targeted American English sounds and error productions
- Pronounce a number of sounds the American way in isolation, words and sentences
- Begin to include these new productions in your spontaneous speech
Au Pair Enrichment ESL Course
40 hours of ESL education including in-class work + independent assignments led by a certified instructor. Designed specifically to help au pairs improve their English skills while learning about American culture/customs. Internet/email access required.
A certified ESL instructor will provide conversation practice, grammar instruction, and group interaction utilizing an engaging and easy-to-follow ESL text that highlights important topics in American Culture, such as getting around, dining out, handling an emergency, visiting the doctor, and more. Additionally, students will practice reading for comprehension and explore story-telling using well-known American children’s literature, as well as stories from their own cultures.
The additional 20 hours of text-guided independent study will focus on American holiday traditions and customs. For 8 weeks following the classroom session, students will follow an online program of activities and assessments, working at their own pace, studying grammar, vocabulary, idioms, and common usage, listening to audio lessons, and submitting assignments through the online portal. This portion of the course will cumulate in a final exam.
To ensure the best possible learning experience, it is highly recommended that all students have access to a computer, laptop, or tablet.
After completing this course, participants will be able to:
- Practice conversation, grammar, and usage learned during in-class activities and group work
- Demonstrate writing proficiency based on feedback provided on weekly writing assignments
- Demonstrate reading and listening comprehension
- Practice oral presentation skills through preparation and telling of a children’s literature story
- Discover, review, and practice vocabulary, idioms, and common language related to traditional American culture, celebrations & holidays
CLICK HERE FOR 1st REQUIRED BOOK
CLICK HERE FOR 2nd REQUIRED BOOK
CLICK HERE FOR 3rd REQUIRED BOOK
Compelling American Conversations for Non-Native English Speakers
Practice conversational English in the classroom through a series of activities -- game playing, presentations, role playing, and others -- to help with pronunciation, vocabulary, and confidence. Students will practice in pairs and small groups.
Students will practice in pairs, small groups, and with the class as a whole. Additionally, students will be expected to do approximately 2 hours each week of preparation for the next class session to include outside reading, research, or textbook exercises.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE REQUIRED BOOK
After completing this course, participants will be able to:
- Practice real-world conversations to gain confidence with the English language
- Practice vocabulary, pronunciation, and usage to improve comprehension, expand word and phrase bank, and increase fluency
- Choose appropriate idioms and phrasal verbs to include in conversations
- Practice listening and responding through stories, conversation activities, and class discussions
English Refresher
Identify the principles of effective writing, basic mechanics, and correct usage. Via writing and grammar exercises, work to improve grammar and punctuation skills by learning how they work in the context of your own writing and that of professionals.
CLICK HERE FOR REQUIRED BOOK
After this class, you will be able to:
- Use your increased knowledge of English grammar
- Know the eight parts of grammar
- Use improved writing skills
- Use improved vocabulary
- Use increased reading skills
Accent Reduction Part 2
Expand your knowledge, vocabulary and use of American expressions in areas such as descriptive language, oral explanations, guided discussions, and examining how to reply in conversational situations. Limited to 10. Prerequisite: Accent Reduction: Part 1 Tuition: $250.
PREREQUISITE: You must complete Accent Reduction Part 1 before taking this course.
CLICK HERE FOR REQUIRED BOOK
What will be covered:
- Learning to produce the target sounds in multi-syllable words through extensive oral reading
- Analysis of short video clips for auditory discrimination, humor and vocabulary/American expressions
- Oral explanations, conversation, discussion with attention to inclusion of all target sounds
After this class, you will be able to:
- Pronounce the target sounds more consistently in both oral reading and in spontaneous speech
- Better discriminate discrete words in rapid speech, even when the words are not fully spoken
- Expand your knowledge and use of American expressions in areas such as descriptions, explanations, paraphrasing and replies
Improving Writing Impact for Non-Native English Speakers
Explore several different writing formats so you can learn how to write more clearly and use grammar correctly. Participants will practice identifying and correcting grammar errors pertaining to verb tenses and form, sentence structure, and more. Tuition: $345.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE REQUIRED BOOK
After completing this course, participants will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of grammar use in writing
- Write related sentences to form paragraphs and narratives using the building block of writing
- Identify areas of weakness in writing and develop strategies for reducing errors
- Demonstrate the ability to self-edit writing material
- Practice writing skills through a variety of communicative writing activities