Programs of Study

Intensive English Program

Chatham's English Language Program has two levels: Developing, for students whose English is lower intermediate to intermediate (A2/B1), and Bridging, for students whose English is high intermediate to low advanced (B1/B2).

Developing Level

The Developing level is for students whose English is lower intermediate to intermediate (A2/B1). The level is offered in three semesters with the overall goal of boosting students’ overall proficiency level to high intermediate (B1/B2) upon completion of the level.

Students will take classes in listening/speaking, grammar, writing, and U.S. culture. Language courses focus on students’ everyday communication skills as well as academic English knowledge and skills.

In addition to classroom instruction, students participate in out-of-class activities such as conversation hours, international parties, cultural exchanges and excursions.

After finishing the Developing level, students will be able to:

1. interact with ease with teachers, classmates, and offices on campus about topics related to their studies and daily life (oral interaction)
2. interact confidently in common everyday situations, such as going shopping, ordering food, and traveling (oral interaction)
3. describe a place, an event, and a future plan, using a variety of sentence structures, cohesive devices, and tenses (speaking)
4. express their opinion in a short talk with clear organization, sufficient support, and comprehensible delivery (speaking)
5. comprehend lengthy stories and descriptions and simple academic talks at a reasonable level of accuracy (listening)
6. comprehend academic texts with relatively straightforward arguments at a reasonable level of accuracy (reading)
7. write a relatively well-developed essay on an academic topic that contains a clear thesis, topic sentences, supporting details, and conclusion (writing)
8. Demonstrate knowledge of U.S. culture, values, traditions, history, social issues, and ways of life (culture)

Bridging Level

The Bridging level is for students whose English is high intermediate to low advanced (B1/B2). The level is offered in three semesters with the overall goal of preparing students to be ready for college-level academic course work.

Students will take classes in academic communication, academic writing, U.S. culture, and either academic reading or advanced grammar or American Literature. Rigorous courses focus on students’ English knowledge and skills that will allow them to participate in courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels after successful completion of the program.

In addition to classroom instruction, students participate in out-of-the-class activities such as conversation hours, international parties, cultural exchanges and excursions.

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By the end of the Bridging levels, students will be able to:

1. express and support opinions on various general and academic topics with a high level of fluency, coherence, clarity, and accuracy (speaking)
2. talk about past events and future plans, using tenses in all time frames, appropriate cohesive devices, and various sentence structures with a high level of accuracy, fluency, and clarity (speaking)
3. give a well-organized and well-developed academic presentations with a high level of accuracy, fluency, and clarity (speaking)
4. comprehend college-level academic lectures at a high level of accuracy (listening)
5. comprehend college-level academic texts at a high level of accuracy (reading)
6. write a well-organized essay that incorporates various types of evidence to support their position in a clear, coherent, and accurate manner (writing)
7. write a well-organized research paper that incorporates outside sources in a clear, coherent, and accurate manner (writing)
8. Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of U.S. culture, values, traditions, history, social issues, and ways of life (culture)