The Basic English Program
The Basic English Program is designed to help students develop communicative skills that are fundamental to engaging in simple but meaningful communication about everyday life. Students in this program concentrate on developing the ability to engage in very simple, face-to-face conversations on familiar topics. The Basic English Program curriculum provides students with opportunities to work on fundamentals that are often unavailable at other institutions, such as course offerings dedicated specifically to the difficulties students often encounter with English pronunciation.
Students placed in the Basic English Program are expected to be able to participate in casual conversations about daily habits, work, family, and common, routine matters upon exit from the program.
Course requirements for the Basic English Program are as follows:
- Beginning Grammar I, II, and III
- Beginning Conversation I, II, and III
- A minimum of 240 hours (i.e., 20 hours/week per 12-week term) of beginning-level elective coursework.*
Program requirements for students who are placed at the beginning of the Basic English Program can be met in as little as one year. Students can take elective coursework in the program beyond the 240-hour minimum requirement; however, they must complete all program requirements within two years.
*Beginning-level elective coursework in the Basic English Program can be chosen from among the following subject areas: Pronunciation, Vocabulary, and Reading/Writing and Listening/Speaking course pairings.