English Language Bridge (ELB)

Upon completion of Level 1, you will be able to:

• Read to identify main ideas and details, as well as answer comprehension questions and recognize different styles of texts.
• Write simple sentences, identify parts of speech, and revise your writing.
• Listen to speakers to recognize their attitudes and identify main ideas.
• Speak your opinion in group discussions and ask for clarification.

Upon completion of Level 2, you will be able to:

• Read with skimming and scanning techniques to locate specific information and predict content with prior knowledge.
• Write compound and complex sentences and understand the features of effective sentence structures.
• Listen for modal verbs to better understand speakers and use prior knowledge to predict the content and structure of speech.
• Speak with proper grammar and intonation to answer questions and express your personal beliefs.

Upon completion of Level 3, you will be able to:

• Read critically to identify a writer’s bias, different organization patterns, and the purpose of a text.
• Write a variety of paragraph types, construct outlines, use sensory language, and more.
• Listen carefully to speed, pitch, tone, and stressed and unstressed syllables to better recognize meaning and identify bias.
• Speak with techniques to maintain a listener’s interest, encourage others to continue speaking, and change topics during a conversation, in addition to doing presentations individually and with small groups.

Upon completion of Level 4, you will be able to:

• Read to locate specific information, understand context better, distinguish fact from opinion, and more.
• Write an essay using research, an outline, various organization patterns, and more.
• Listen to reasons, keywords, the results of a study, and more, all to prepare you for academic lectures and conversations.
• Speak with repetition and signal words for emphasis, persuasive language to sway opinions, and more.

Upon completion of Level 5, you will be able to:

• Read different types of academic texts with advanced vocabulary, as well as scan through long, complex texts to locate relevant information for research.
• Write academic essays, summarize and paraphrase longer texts, vary the structure of your writing, and more.
• Listen for specific information, identify stages of an argument, take notes while listening, and more.
• Speak with advanced collocations naturally, formulate arguments in political discussions, give clear, detailed descriptions on a wide range of subjects, and more.

Upon completion of Level 6, you will be able to:

• Read lengthy, complex academic texts, scan through texts to assess their relevance, critique information in texts, and more.
• Write clear, well-structured texts on complex topics, use unity for clarity and persuasion, and more.
• Listen to extended discussions on abstract and complex topics, integrate information from multiple sources, and more.
• Speak with levels of formality appropriate to the conversation, maintain a conversation on abstract and complex topics, and more.