Conversational English Program at Centro de Estudios Interamericanos

Philosophy Statement
The conversational English program at Centro de Estudios Interamericanos is a multi-level conversational
course for young adults and adults who wish to improve their English conversation skills. The course builds
on the foundation already established in the English language courses provided at the Center by extending
grammatical and functional skills and incorporating them into listening and speaking activities. The primary
goal of the course is to teach communicative competence, that is, the ability to communicate in English
according to the situation, purpose, and role of the participants. Emphasis is placed on fluency and building
confidence while improving accuracy, not simply learning grammar or memorizing phrases.
This program is designed to be learner-centered. Therefore, through different kinds of pre-assessments and
ongoing needs analysis throughout the course, we try to understand the students inter-language, proficiency
level, and their goals for studying the language. It is with such knowledge that we can provide authentic
tasks and meaningful content that is not only comprehensible, but also interesting for the students.
Throughout the program, the students are presented with both formal language appropriate for business and
academic contexts, as well as more casual everyday English. In addition, the students have the
opportunity to personalize the language they learn by creating individual vocabulary journals, making use of
their own knowledge and experiences, and expressing their ideas and opinions through interaction with
fellow students and our supportive English teachers. This is not a course specifically in English for academic
or business purposes. The institute provides a solid grounding in English language, and our desire is to
improve our students communicative ability in any of a wide array of contexts in which they will
subsequently find themselves.
Our native-speaking teachers are an integral part of our program because they not only facilitate language
learning, but also serve as cultural mentors to the students. This cultural mentorship is vital because we
believe that culture is embedded in language, and for the students to communicate successfully, they need
to communicate in culturally appropriate ways. At the end of this program, students will be able to
authentically and confidently present themselves in the different situations they may encounter in the future.

Structure
The classes will be divided into three instructional levels, beginner, intermediate, and advanced, as
determined by the paper test developed by the institute and entry interview by native-speaking teachers.
Each level will meet for four hours a week over a sixteen-hour semester. Classes will meet three days a
week: two afternoon classes that meet for one and a half hours and one evening class that meets for one
hour.
Sample structure for a weekly timetable
Monday 1:00-2:30
p.m.

Wednesday 1:00-2:30 p.m. Thursday 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Focus on specific grammar/vocabulary, functions,

and skills.
Moving from more controlled and guided activities
to some free-speaking activities.

Conversation focus.
Goal is for students to produce
language independently. Opportunity to
apply what theyve been learning and
practicing.

Program exit criteria

In order to exit the conversational English program, students must demonstrate at least intermediate-level
proficiency by meeting the following criteria:
A score of meets the standards on class assessments
A TOEFL score of 50-58 in the Listening Comprehension section
Students placed in the intermediate level have the option of continuing in the second semester to the
advanced level, but are not required to.
Students placed in the advanced level may not revert to the intermediate level. They will meet the additional
exit criteria shown below in order to demonstrate progress.
A TOEFL score of 59-68 in the Listening Comprehension section
A score of meets the standards or exceeds the standards on class assessments