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English Language Programs
University of Pennsylvania
110 Fisher-Bennett Hall
3340 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6274 USA
Email: elp@sas.upenn.edu
Phone: 215-898-8681
Fax: 215-898-2684
- Academic Speaking
- Academic Writing Essentials
- Advanced Grammar
- Advanced Reading and Discussion
- Conversational Strategies
- Directed Study
- Issues in Business
- Listening to Lectures
- News in English
- Reading Academic Texts
- Refining Academic Writing
- Speaking Accurately and Clearly
- TOEFL Preparation
- Vocabulary Development
- Writing the Library Research Paper
Advanced Level Elective--Academic Speaking (Fall 2, Spring 2, and Summer 2 sessions): The aim of this course is to develop and improve your ability to communicate effectively in the following academic situations: a) getting information on campus, b) controlling a conversation in the classroom, c) making appointments with teachers and effectively using the time spent in the teacher's office, d) participating in and leading group discussions, e) getting and receiving advice, f) giving presentations, and g) completing a group project. The focus will be on identifying common strategies for each setting. The teacher will assist you with the linguistically and socially
appropriate language for these strategies.
Advanced Level Elective--Academic Writing Essentials (Fall 2, Spring 2, and Summer 2 sessions): At the university level, students are frequently asked to demonstrate knowledge through writing. This knowledge usually is based upon reading, understanding, and integrating text from a variety of sources, and then selecting and shaping the necessary information into a clearly written and well organized paper. This course gives you practice to develop all these skills and strategies in English. Together as a class, you will study and write about topics from the humanities,
social sciences, and physical sciences.
Advanced Level Elective--Advanced Grammar (Fall 2, Spring 2, and Summer 2 sessions): Look at or listen to real data, and use it to test and refine the grammar 'rules' you know, and to develop a more complete and realistic picture of how English grammar works when people talk or write. By paying close attention to what people say and write in many situations, you get a clear picture of the connection between grammar, context of use, and intended meaning. You practice and experiment with grammar structures through various kinds of communication (in speaking and writing). The instructor gives feedback on whether your choice of grammar form expresses your ideas and attitudes clearly and appropriately. The instructor (and sometimes other members of the class) comment on your errors or mistakes. This course is open to students at the 700 or 800 levels.
Advanced Level Elective--Advanced Reading and Discussion (Fall 2, Spring 2, and Summer 2 sessions): This course is designed to improve your reading skills and ability to participate in class discussions, as well as your appreciation for different styles of writing in English. You read one novel, a variety of American short stories, and several poems. Student choice is central to this course: you select your own novel, design your own projects, and vote on which stories will be discussed in class. Students are encouraged to debate your personal interpretations as well as examine cross-cultural differences in all the class members'
interpretations.
Advanced Level Elective--Conversational Strategies
(Fall 2, Spring 2, and Summer 2 sessions): This course encourages more spontaneous and natural use of English in social and community settings. You develop effective conversational skills by (1) taking part in simulated and real conversational interactions (starting a conversation, making small talk, continuing a conversation, closing a conversation); (2) developing interactive listening (clarifying or checking understanding, giving signals of attention or misunderstanding); and (3) choosing appropriate language for specific situations (like giving invitations, making excuses, complaining).
Advanced Level Elective--Directed Study: This course provides highly individualized yet supervised fieldwork experiences to a small number of students who have completed at least one session of study at the advanced level. The site for the fieldwork may be on
campus or off campus.
Intermediate Level Elective--Issues in Business (every session): This course strengthens your ability to read about themes such as corporate culture, management styles, technology in business, environmental issues, and global economics. It is of interest to people working in business and business students, who want to explore issues of constant importance. Specific reading skills and team discussions allow you to understand the content of articles more easily, and judge the validity of authors' arguments. Vocabulary-building strategies will encourage you to learn and use more business-related words and expressions. This course is open to students at the 700 or 800 levels.
Advanced Level Elective--Listening to Lectures (Fall 1, Spring 1, Summer 1, and Summer 2 sessions): The goal of this course is to develop the listening comprehension skills you need in order to understand academic lectures and the writing skills you need to take effective notes while listening to a lecture. In class and for homework, you listen to audiotaped lectures on topics of general interest, cross-cultural communication and language learning issues, and on subjects related to specific academic disciplines. You work with classmates and the teacher to ensure that your notes reflect the essential content and organization of the lecture. This course is recommended for individuals who want to increase their comprehension of long, connected passages of spoken English presented in typical lecture style. This course is open to students at the 700 or 800 levels.
Advanced Level Elective--News in English (Fall 1, Spring 1, Summer 1 and Summer 2 sessions): The aim of this course is to increase your ability to comprehend and evaluate the news in American English. You are exposed to all forms of the media through which the news is reported, including: television, radio, newspapers, and news-related periodicals. You increase your vocabulary and improve your reading and listening comprehension skills in general, and more specifically, in relation to current events. Furthermore, you become familiar with the role of the news media in American society. The course requires extensive reading, viewing television news and documentaries, and listening to news broadcasts.
Advanced Level Elective--Reading Academic Texts (Fall 1, Spring 1, Summer 1, and Summer 2 sessions): Professors and students both agree that the ability to read with understanding is the most important skill for students at American universities. This course helps you improve your reading comprehension, study skills (particularly note-taking), critical thinking, library search skills, and your ability to use reading assignments to complete typical university-level assignments. You read selections from textbooks and journal articles in various academic disciplines and discuss the organization, content, vocabulary and difficult grammatical forms characteristic of academic writing. The course exposes you to academic writing characteristic of the different academic areas. All of this knowledge, by saving you time, makes you a more efficient reader who is better able to understand the content and arguments of academic texts.
Advanced Level Elective--Refining Academic Writing (Fall 1, Spring 1, and Summer 1 sessions): At the university level, students are frequently asked to show what they've learned by presenting their own opinions. These opinions are based upon information and ideas from a variety of sources. The student must first read and understand academic articles, then select and shape the relevant information into a clearly written and well organized argument. This course gives you practice in basic rhetorical strategies for writing effective arguments for an academic audience. You apply these strategies to assignments in which you make persuasive arguments based on information from course readings as well as your own experience. The course also focuses on the writing process, encouraging you to consider effective methods for organizing your writing, and also for editing and revising your work. [NOTE: There are two academic writing courses at advanced level, given in alternate sessions. If you plan to study in the USA you should take both. It is preferable to take Academic Writing Essentials first, but they can be taken in either order.]
Advanced Level Elective--Speaking Accurately and Clearly (Fall 1, Spring 1, Summer 1 and Summer 2 sessions): This course stresses accuracy in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. It helps you be understood easily, both in terms of what you say, and the way you say it. It makes you more effective in a variety of everyday situations when you want to achieve a particular goal — by describing, narrating, explaining, supporting an opinion, hypothesizing, and expressing needs, hopes, and wishes. You put your verbal skills to use in scenarios that involve unexpected complications which you have to resolve with well-chosen language.
TOEFL Preparation (every session): This course helps you develop the language skills and test-taking strategies needed
to increase your scores on the Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). All areas of the TOEFL are addressed: listening comprehension, reading comprehension, grammar and vocabulary. You analyze test content and have substantial opportunity for focused practice and feedback on your performance. In addition, you learn tips and strategies for generating and organizing supporting ideas and composing a response to essay questions, such as those on the Test of Written English (TWE). This course is also offered as a Super-Intensive course option. The course may be scheduled in either or both the daytime or evening, depending upon enrollments.
Advanced Level Elective--Vocabulary Development (every session, alternating A and B version): This course increases your knowledge of English words and idioms. Vocabulary is classified and learned according to notions (i.e. color; size), topics (i.e. family; weather), functions (i.e. inviting; asking for directions), and use (public speaking; showing respect). You have opportunities to practice new vocabulary in ways that require you to speak, read, and write, and you learn new ways to discover and remember words and expressions that you will find particularly useful in your daily life. In addition, this course helps you improve upon your dictionary skills. (The A and B versions of the course use different chapters and materials, so you may take this course more than once; you do not need to take “A” before “B”.)
Advanced Level Elective--Writing the Library Research Paper (Summer 2 session): In this course you are led through the process of writing papers based on the research you do on a topic of your choice. Even if you have written papers before in your home country, you may find the conventions of organization and style in an American university new and difficult. In this course you are introduced to the university library and use the library's electronic search facilities to collect and evaluate sources. You take notes and learn how to quote, paraphrase and synthesize information. You become familiar with and demonstrate mastery of one particular standardized format for writing citations of your sources, and you write a series of drafts leading up to a final paper with proper references and citations.