Beginning Spring 2024, a language test score will be required for conditional admission and/or admission to the Intensive English Institute. The Intensive English Institute offers Academic English courses for students who have the following minimum language test scores.
- IELTS 4.5
- TOEFL iBT 42
- Duolingo 65
- Pearson PTE 40
Levels and courses: There are 3 levels in the IEI. In each level, students take six courses. Each IEI course is categorized as either Core or Complementary. The Core courses are Writing, Reading, Listening, and Speaking. The Complementary classes are Grammar and Cultural Experiences. All courses rely heavily on student’s interacting in English. Core and Complementary courses are equally important in the IEI and share the same expectation for maintaining a standard of excellence. The only difference is that the final score for Complementary courses is derived solely from work done in the class, and the final score for Core courses is derived from a combination of the in-class grade and the departmental final exam grade.
Lifetime Learning offers two online courses for beginner level English language learners.
English Language for Beginners (CEFR A1)
English Language for Beginners (CEFR A2)
A particular focus of this level is critical thinking skills. While students have learned about critical thinking in previous levels, this level increases the reading and writing difficulty, focusing on textual analysis, and reinforces this with other skills areas. This level can be challenging as many students struggle with critical thinking and questioning in the classroom.
- 141: Level 4 Writing
This course continues the exploration of the academic essay and students will write multi-paragraph essays and incorporate sources.
- 142: Level 4 Grammar
This course builds on previously learned grammar concepts and adds more complex features such as compound complex sentences various verb tenses, parts of speech, and paragraph structure.
- 143: Reading
This course focuses on improving reading fluency through reading a variety of academic texts. Students will begin to analyze, evaluate, and demonstrate a holistic understanding of the text.
- 144: Level 4 Speaking
In this course, students continue to learn and master the skills of participating in and leading academic classroom discussions in a culturally and pragmatically appropriate way. Additionally, there is a focus on improving pronunciation.
- 145: Level 4 Listening
Students continue to focus on academic lectures and the necessary skills to comprehend their content. Students learn to use their notes to successfully answer both detail-level and “big-picture” comprehension questions about a lecture.
- 180: Cultural Experiences
The goal of this course is to help prepare the student for academic expectations and immerse the student in cultural experiences at Ball State University. This course is for levels 4, 5, and 6.
In this level, students continue to focus on critical thinking in all skills. Students are also stretching their skills to accommodate common lengths in an academic classroom. The focus is on lengthening reading texts and listening to longer passages.
- 151: Level 5 Writing
The primary goal is for students to write essays that contribute to an existing conversation in a meaningful way. The major assignments of this course ask students to think critically about an issue and ultimately support a claim about that issue.
- 152: Level 5 Grammar
This course continues to reinforce grammatical concepts and adds more verb tenses, parts of speech, complex interrogative sentences.
- 153: Level 5 Reading
This course focuses on improving fluency and comprehension by reading a variety of academic texts and increasing the student's personal lexicon. Students should analyze and evaluate reading materials to participate in informed discussions and make text comparisons.
- 154: Level 5 Speaking
In this course, students focus on creating and delivering academic presentations. Students learn about delivery and presentation skills as well as focus on creating strong content using appropriate sources. Additionally, students will focus on pronunciation and persuasive tone.
- 155: Level 5 Listening
This course reinforces overall listening skills developed at previous levels. Students practice critical thinking skills that they need to comprehend and analyze arguments presented in various forms.
- 180: Cultural Experiences
The goal of this course is to help prepare the student for academic expectations and immerse the student in cultural experiences at Ball State University. This course is for levels 4, 5, and 6.
The purpose of this level is to provide final preparation for students for academic classes. By the end of the level, they should be able to take notes and participate in an academic classroom, as well as read any assigned text or complete any type of assigned writing. This level can be challenging, as instructors must make sure that students are up to the standard of an academic class before allowing them to pass the level.
- 161: Level 6 Writing
In this course, students learn and practice the various steps necessary to do effective research. The focus of this course is to write a well-supported and well-organized research-driven argumentative academic essay of approximately 1,200-1,500 words. Students will use library databases to search for sources, identify a research topic of their own, and create an annotated bibliography. All of this work culminates in the writing of an argumentative academic essay.
- 162: Level 6 Grammar
In this course, students will work on meaning and production while continuing to build on previous knowledge from past grammar courses. Students should also focus on self-correction and using the grammar learned in this course in authentic and meaningful ways.
- 163: Level 6 Reading
This course focuses on improving fluency and comprehension by reading a variety of academic texts and increasing the student's personal lexicon. Students should demonstrate a deep level of comprehension to discuss the text at an academic level, and to make informed text comparisons.
- 164: Level 6 Speaking
In this course, students focus on presentations and debates to develop critical argumentative and thinking skills. Students will become aware of pronunciation difficulties and create goals for improvement.
- 165: Level 6 Listening
This course provides instruction in advanced listening comprehension. the ability to take efficient and accurate notes of an academic lecture and use those notes to answer comprehension questions is a fundamental course outcome. Recorded lectures provide the bulk of course material.
- 180: Cultural Experiences
The goal of this course is to help prepare the student for academic expectations and immerse the student in cultural experiences at Ball State University. This course is for levels 4, 5, and 6.
Students who provide an approved English language proficiency test score, may be admitted into the IEI Academic Bridge Program. Academic Bridge students are in level 6 and conditionally admitted. These students would take some classes in the IEI and some classes in their academic program.
Full-time IEI students have 20 hours of class every week. A student receives 1.5 nontransferable BSU credit hours for each course. Successfully completing an IEI level will result in an IEI grade of “Credit” (CR) for each course.” When a student fails an IEI level, the student receives an IEI grade of “No Credit” (NC) for each course. Credits earned for IEI courses do not count toward a student’s degree program and are not included in grade point average calculations at Ball State University. IEI credits allow students to become regular Ball State students after mastering the language skills necessary for academic study.
To learn more about IEI curriculum, please review the IEI Achievement Scale.
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