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.
The focus of the program is academic:
- The reading course uses social science textbook material from actual UMD classes.
- The writing course emphasizes summarizing and discussing source material, in preparation for College Writing.
- The editing course connects with College Writing, allowing students to bring language and style work to the papers they are writing in other classes.
- The listening/speaking class focuses 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 2 AELP courses 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.
Multilingual Learning Community
The Multilingual Learning Community is designed for students who have graduated from U.S. high schools but whose ACT scores indicate a benefit from a transition program in the first year of college classes. By putting UMD classes together in a learning community, the focus of the program is on building academic skills for college: reading and annotating textbook material, taking detailed lecture notes, studying for exams, writing academic papers. Fall semester, students take 4 courses together: Human Diversity, English for Academic Writing, Topics in Academic Reading, and Academic Interactions: Listening and Speaking in the College Classroom. Spring semester involves two courses in the learning community: Editing for Writers and Topics in Academic Reading II.Â
Contact
Jill Boettcher
218-726-8181