At the beginning of each Academic Year, those new students who register to ICU undergraduate (Lisans) and vocational (Ön lisans) programs take an English Language Proficiency Exam (ELPE), those who score 60 or above on this exam can attend their faculty programs, and, those who do not pass this exam or cannot provide proof of having passed other recog- nized international English Language proficiency exams have to attend an intensive English Language Program on ICU Üsküdar Campus.
Structure of the ICU Intensive English Language Prep. Program:
This is a four-level (Elementary, Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate, Upper Intermediate), four-session language program which runs intensively for 32 weeks, 25 hrs/week, 800 hrs in total, during one academic year for both vocational and undergraduate students. English Prep. students are placed in one of the three levels (Elementary,Pre-Intermediate,Intermediate) on the basis of their Placement Exam scores. Those who successfully complete the English program at the end of the first semester can start their faculty or Vocational Higher School studies in the second semester.
Description of the Intensive English Language Prep. Program:
The program is designed to cater to students in all levels, including zero-beginners. The ‘face2face’ package, a Cambridge University Press (CUP) production with 4 levels, is the main textbook of the program. In addition, integrated reading-writing materials, study skills for listening and note-taking, and some other supplementary materials are also used.
Objectives of the Intensive English Language Prep. Program:
The main goal is to get the students’ English Language proficiency to Upper Intermediate (CEFR B2) level to enable the students to carry out their academic activities in English during their undergraduate and graduate studies at ICU, and also, communicate fluently and effectively in a wide range of professional and social contexts. To attain this competence, all of the four language skills, Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking, are inculcated in the students through communicative, content-based, and interactional approaches. The secondary objective is to help students acquire correct and effective study habits, study skills, time planning, and proper and acceptable social habits in an academic environment.
Attendance:
Attendance at ICU English Prep. Program is compulsory, as it is in all intensive language programs around the globe. Starting with the 2011-2012 Academic Year, English Prep. students are required to attend a minimum of 85 % of the 200 hours in one session (8 weeks). Those whose attendance falls below this, for any reason, will fail and repeat the level.
Attendance is taken regularly by instructors, and students are responsible for keeping track of their own absences.
Assessment: In addition to fulfilling the attendance requirement, a student’s success is measured and assessed on the basis of weekly quizzes, projects and assignments, one mid-term exam (given at the end of the 4th week), and one final exam (given at the end of the 8th week, the end of the session).
The weights these components carry are:
Weekly Quizzes: 20 % ; Projects & Assignments: 15 % ; Mid-Term: 25 % ; Final: 40 %
A student has to obtain an average of 60 % minimum to successfully complete the level.