English For Academic Purposes

The application deadline for the 2013 Summer Programs is May 10, 2013.

Click here to apply to a program.

The dates of the 2013 ELI Summer Programs are: 
June 26 - August 9, 2013

Summer Programs:

English for Academic Purposes (EAP)

English for Business Studies (EBS)

English for Legal Studies (ELS)

A deposit of $500.00 must be received before your application can be processed.  

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Program Description - English for Academic Purposes

The English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program is a seven week noncredit program of intensive academic English. It is designed for undergraduate and graduate students who are proficient in English and who have been accepted to an English-speaking university for the fall term. The primary focus of the EAP program is on developing the academic language skills necessary to effectively participate in an academic setting.

The EAP program provides approximately 20 hours of instruction per week. Classes meet Monday through Friday and are scheduled between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. All students take all classes. The program also provides students extensive opportunities to become accustomed to a U.S. university environment, with the goal of easing students' transition into a full time academic curriculum. Students can expect to gain a good understanding of the U.S. university system, instructor expectations, and student responsibilities.

All students should plan to attend the entire seven week session. Program participants are expected to attend all classes and complete daily homework. Small class size and student-teacher conferences provide opportunities for individual attention. A certificate is awarded upon successful completion of the program.

The EAP program is committed to extending the students' use of English beyond the hours spent in the classroom. Staff members plan a variety of activities, such as picnics, field trips, and sports events. These activities provide students with opportunities to use English in both social and educational settings. In addition, students in the EAP program are considered fully enrolled in the University of Michigan and have access to all libraries and computing centers on campus.

EAP Program Course Descriptions

Academic Writing

The goal of this class is to help students develop writing skills needed to successfully complete university writing assignments. Focus is on the general characteristics of academic writing as well as typical patterns in academic prose. The skills that are practiced include editing and organizing. Students write a series of short papers and discuss their writing with their instructors in individual conferences.

Discussion

This class provides practice in effective speaking skills in an academic environment. Primary emphasis is placed on participating in formal discussions as well as on developing appropriate language for asking questions, stating a point of view, responding to opposing viewpoints, and arguing a position. In addition, students work on developing fluency, enlarging speaking vocabulary, and fine-tuning spoken grammar. Students also have the opportunity to organize and present material in a formal speaking format. Class time is spent on methods of organization, common presentation tasks, and development of a clear speaking style.

Speaking Fluency: Pronunciation or Presentations

Increased intelligibility, communication skills and self-confidence in speaking English are the learner goals in these classes. Students are placed into one of these courses based on an initial oral interview. Students requiring work on the sound systems of English will receive a review of the English systems of (1) consonant sounds, (2) vowel sounds, and (3) stress, rhythm and intonation.

Students with more experience speaking English will receive instruction on the fundamentals of making presentations and be expected to present several longer presentations. Small class sizes for both of these courses provide opportunities to work on individual problems. Both courses also make use of video or audio taped feedback to help learners assess their own strengths and weaknesses.

Reading and Analyzing Academic Texts

Topics covered in this class are designed to help students improve their reading strategies for processing academic texts. Skill areas covered include inferencing, critical analysis, predicting and evaluating points of view, and reading between the lines. Strategies for handling large reading loads, increasing reading speed, and acquiring vocabulary are also presented.

Listening Comprehension

This class provides students with a variety of academic listening activities, including lectures by university professors and web-based video materials. The goal of the class is to help students improve their listening skills; diversify the kinds of strategies they use for lecture comprehension; and to develop effective note-taking strategies. Students will learn about academic speaking styles, approaches to effective note taking, and the relationship between lectures and classroom success.