ESL Course Descriptions

Level 1

Reviews the alphabet, numbers, days of the week and months. Students will learn the first 500 vocabulary words and become familiar with single and plural nouns. Teaches present and past of essential irregular verbs: be, do, go, come and have. Introduces simple conversations for everyday life, including greetings. (72 hrs.)

Level 2

Students will learn to use past, present and future with regular and common irregular verbs. Introduces present continuous and encourages students to generate and continue casual conversations, including asking and giving advice. Continues to build vocabulary. (72 hrs.)

Level 3

Students will study more complex verb tenses such as past participle, present perfect, present continuous and past continuous. Introduces gerunds, infinitives, phrasal verbs, clauses and prepositions. Continues to build vocabulary and helps students improve conversation skills using multiple verb tenses. (72 hrs.)

Level 4

Reinforces the use of phrasal verbs, conditional sentences and indirect questions. Students will learn the differences between passive and active voice, and to use dependent and independent clauses. Continues to build and apply academic vocabulary words in a wide range of writing tasks and encourages discussions of current events. (72 hrs.)

Level 5

Students will learn reported speech and will extend knowledge and use of grammar. Reinforces the use of present perfect forms and introduces defining and non-defining relative clauses, modals and phrasal modals, and passive of present continuous, present perfect, and future. Develops fluency and increases academic vocabulary use and knowledge. (72 hrs.)

Level 6

Students will learn idiomatic expressions, reporting clauses and to use cleft sentences. Reinforces past modals with the passive, the use of participle clauses and negative adverbs plus inversion, and introduces the subjective. Helps students to communicate fluently verbally and in writing in formal and informal situations. (72 hrs.)

Electives

In addition to our accelerated 6-level program, ESL@NVC also offers elective courses which target specific skill areas. The elective ESL courses are designed to complement the Level courses or to be taken alone. These additional classes prepare motivated ESL students to pursue their goals by targeting the areas they most need to improve.

Pronunciation (Levels 2-6)

This course helps students improve their accent by focusing on the pronunciation of consonant and vowel sounds with multiple combinations and spellings. Students will learn syllable stress, rhythm, and intonation. (24 hrs.) 

Reading & Writing (Levels 4-6)

Students will learn to write effective sentences, paragraphs, reports, and essay compositions. The course provides extensive practice through reading and writing comprehension, grammar and mechanics correction, and integrates critical thinking focusing on academic writing. (24 hrs.)

Business English (Levels 4-6)

Increases business vocabulary and develops essential communication skills needed to succeed in the workplace such as making presentations, negotiating, taking part in meetings, and writing business documents. (24 hrs.)

Intermediate Vocabulary & Conversation (Levels 2-4)

Designed to improve the ability of intermediate students to comprehend and speak English more fluently and increases academic vocabulary use and knowledge. Students will practice their conversational skills by engaging in authentic conversation about a variety of topics. (24 hrs.)

Speaking Through Grammar (Levels 2-4)

This course will help students learn and use proper basic grammar when speaking. Students will actively practice grammar while engaging in day-to-day conversations. (24 hrs.)

Advanced Vocabulary & Conversation (Levels 4-6)

Designed to improve the ability of high-intermediate and advanced students to comprehend and speak English more fluently and increases academic vocabulary use and knowledge. Students will practice their conversational skills by engaging in authentic conversation about a variety of topics. (24 hrs.)

Speaking & Listening: Modern Times (Levels 4-6)

Sharpens fluency skills and quicken response time by listening to reported speech, practicing and modeling various forms of conversation, and describing viewpoints. Students will learn to form and express opinions concerning issues facing our modern society. (24 hrs.)

Speaking & Listening: Idioms (Levels 4-6)

Helps students gain fluency by selecting and using idiomatic expressions and phrases in context. Students will learn and understand various idioms used in informal, personal, and professional conversations. (24 hrs.)

Grammar Workshop 1 (Levels 3-6)

Provides a quick overview of simple verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, nouns and pronouns, the passive, gerunds and infinitives, and conditional sentences. Helps students expand their abilities in speaking, writing, listening, and reading. (24 hrs.)

Grammar Workshop 2 (Levels 3-6)

Provides a quick overview of complex verb tenses, noun clauses, adjective clauses adverb clauses, modals, and complex conditional sentences. (24 hrs.)

Intermediate Grammar (Levels 2-4)

Encourages students to practice basic grammar structures by engaging in authentic conversations as well as completing written grammar exercises. The course is broken down in 3 sessions: Intermediate Grammar I, II, and III. (24 hrs. each)

Advanced Grammar (Levels 4-6)

Expands students’ grammar abilities in speaking, writing, listening, and reading. Engages students in various activities that enhance grammar usage, both speaking and writing, and promote easy, confident communication. The course is broken down in 3 sessions: Advanced Grammar I, II, and III. (24 hrs. each) 

TOEFL Preparation (Levels 5-6)

Helps build the skills necessary to successfully answer the questions and complete the tasks on the TOEFL® iBT test. Familiarizes students with the TOEFL test format and teaches test-taking strategies to help improve test scores. (96 hrs.)