The Academic English Language Program (AELP) is designed for undergraduates at UMD who are admitted and able to take academic coursework. Students register for a combination of academic classes and AELP classes until they have reached full proficiency.
Features of the AELP
- Class size is small: 12-18 students in a class.
- Instructors are experienced teachers, with master's degrees in ESL and years of dedication and creativity in the classroom.
- Courses are at an advanced level and offer college credit.
- Each course focuses on reading, writing, listening, and speaking broadly
The focus of the program is academic
- Reading selections are taken from academic journals and represent a variety of college level student texts.
- Writing exercises emphasize summarizing and discussing source material in preparation for College Writing.
- Editing exercises allow students to bring language and style work to the papers they are writing in other classes.
- Listening and speaking exercises focus on the kinds of listening and speaking done in college classrooms, from lecture comprehension to participation in class discussions.
Proficiency Level
The Academic English Language Program (AELP) accepts students with the following English proficiency scores:
TOEFL 68 - 79 (IBT) or an IELTS score of 6.
Students in this test range are required to take EDUC 2301 English for Academic Writing during fall semester and may be asked to also take Educ 2304 Editing for Writers in the spring based on the progress they have shown in Educ 2301 English for Academic Writing. This progress is measured based on a folder of work that is turned in at the end of Educ 2301. Students are evaluated on their ability to write introductions, respond appropriately to assignment topics, explore abstract or nuanced ideas, use specific examples to support ideas, connect ideas within paragraphs, stay on topic, demonstrate control over grammar, and write conclusions. They are expected to also show an emerging understanding of paraphrasing, quoting, using precise vocabulary, arranging ideas logically, developing arguments, and connecting ideas between paragraphs.
AELP Course Information
Educ 2301 English for Academic Writing (3 credits)
Students in this course build fluency and comfort writing for various purposes. They work on summarizing, quoting, and using sources to develop an organized essay as well as practicing drafting and revising. Students present their work and develop increased speaking and listening skills.The course prepares students for Writ 1120, College Writing.
Educ 2304 Editing for Writers (2 credits)
This language course focuses on editing for grammatical accuracy and academic style. Students produce a variety of writing for various audiences. Students examine features of formal academic writing, review grammar, practice with a variety of sentence structures, and develop strategies for editing and proofreading. Students present their work and develop increased speaking and listening skills. Can be taken concurrently with Writ. 1120.
Program Outcomes
- AELP students will write academic text that follows conventions of organization, language use, and style (Educ 2301 - English for Academic Writing & Educ 2304 Editing For Writers).
- AELP students will accurately comprehend and interpret a range of written academic texts (Educ 2301- English for Academic Writing & Educ 2304 Editing For Writers).
- AELP students will effectively present ideas and opinions to an audience (Educ 2301- English for Academic Writing & Educ 2304 Editing For Writers).
- AELP students will revise and reduce the frequency of sentence-level errors (Educ 2301- English for Academic Writing & Educ 2304 Editing For Writers).
Contact
Jill Boettcher
[email protected]
218-726-8181