English Language Learning and Acquisition

Course List

Code Course Description
ELLA 0001

Orientation and English Skills for English Language Learners

This is an orientation course designed for cohorts or groups of sponsored English language learners who are new to Douglas College. Through active and authentic integrated language skills practice, participants will learn how to function effectively as community members and college students. Complexity of language and tasks will vary depending on the needs and language level of the learners.

ELLA 0010

Lower Intermediate Speaking and Pronunciation for English Language Learners

This course is designed to help English language learners upgrade their speaking skills for personal, educational, and/or employment purposes. Students will communicate in a variety of settings in order to improve their confidence and develop their oral fluency and pronunciation. The course will also provide opportunities for language development including language functions, grammar, and vocabulary.

ELLA 0011

Lower Intermediate Listening Skills for English Language Learners

This course is designed to help English language learners upgrade their listening skills for personal, educational, and/or employment purposes. The course focuses on extending listening skills in routine situations to improve confidence and develop proficiency in listening. It will also provide strategies for monitoring individual improvement and opportunities for language development including grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary elements.

ELLA 0012

Lower Intermediate Reading and Vocabulary for English Language Learners

This course is designed to help English language learners upgrade their reading skills and extend their vocabulary for personal, educational and/or employment purposes. It aims to improve confidence and develop overall proficiency in reading through focused work on reading sub-skills and lexical structures. The reading practice will also provide opportunities for language development including grammar, speaking and writing skills.

ELLA 0013

Lower Intermediate Writing and Grammar for English Language Learners

This course is designed to help English language learners upgrade their writing skills and the accuracy of their written language expression for personal, educational and/or employment purposes. It aims to improve confidence and develop accuracy and overall proficiency in writing through focused work on grammar and syntax. The writing practice will also provide opportunities for language development including vocabulary, speaking and reading.

ELLA 0030

Lower Introductory Listening and Speaking for English Language Learners

This course is for students who wish to upgrade their speaking and listening skills for personal, educational and/or employment purposes. The course focuses on extending speaking and listening skills to improve confidence and develop basic proficiency in speaking and listening. Course activities will include speaking at Canadian Language Benchmark Levels 3 and 4 and listening at Canadian Language Benchmark Level 3 in a variety of communicative situations. The speaking and listening practice will also provide opportunities for language skill development including grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary and pronunciation .

ELLA 0040

Lower Introductory Reading and Writing for English Language Learners

This course is for students who wish to upgrade their reading and writing skills for personal, educational and/or employment purposes. The course focuses on extending reading and writing skills to improve confidence and develop basic proficiency in reading and writing. Course activities will include reading at Canadian Language Benchmark Levels 3 and 4 and writing at Canadian Language Benchmark Level 3. The reading and writing practice will also provide opportunities for language skill development including grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary.

ELLA 0050

Upper Introductory Listening and Speaking for English Language Learners

This course is for students who wish to upgrade their speaking and listening skills for personal, educational and/or employment purposes. The course focuses on extending speaking and listening skills to improve confidence and develop proficiency in speaking and listening. Course activities will include speaking at Canadian Language Benchmark Levels 4 and 5 and listening at Canadian Language Benchmark Level 4 in a variety of communicative situations. The speaking and listening practice will also provide opportunities for language skill development including grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary and pronunciation elements.

ELLA 0060

Upper Introductory Reading and Writing for English Language Learners

This course is for students who wish to upgrade their reading and writing skills for personal, educational and/or employment purposes. The course focuses on extending reading and writing skills to improve confidence and develop proficiency in reading and writing. Course activities will include reading at Canadian Language Benchmark Levels 4 and 5 and writing at Canadian Language Benchmark Level 4. The reading and writing practice will also provide opportunities for language skill development including grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary.

ELLA 0101

Lower Introductory English Language Immersion

This is the first level in a six-level English Language Immersion Program. This full-time program is designed to provide English language learners with a total immersion environment in which to develop communicative competence in English. Students will use only the target language. Program activities include formal classroom instruction, informal workshops, sports, field trips, and socio-cultural activities where students can apply their language skills in a natural communicative setting.

ELLA 0102

Upper Introductory English Language Immersion

This is the second level in a six-level English Language Immersion Program. This full-time program is designed to provide English language learners with a total immersion environment in which to develop communicative competence in English. Students will use only the target language. Program activities include formal classroom instruction, informal workshops, sports, field trips, and socio-cultural activities where students can apply their language skills in a natural communicative setting.

ELLA 0103

Lower Intermediate English Language Immersion

This is the third level in a six-level English Language Immersion Program. This full-time program is designed to provide English language learners with a total immersion environment in which to develop communicative competence in English. Students will use only the target language. Program activities include formal classroom instruction, informal workshops, sports, field trips, and socio-cultural activities where students can apply their language skills in a natural communicative setting.

ELLA 0104

Upper Intermediate English Language Immersion

This is the fourth level in a six-level English Language Immersion Program. This full-time program is designed to provide English language learners with a total immersion environment in which to develop communicative competence in English. Students will use only the target language. Program activities include formal classroom instruction, informal workshops, sports, field trips, and socio-cultural activities where students can apply their language skills in a natural communicative setting.

ELLA 0105

Lower Advanced English Language Immersion

This is the fifth level in a six-level English Language Immersion Program. This full-time program is designed to provide English language learners with a total immersion environment in which to develop communicative competence in English. Students will use only the target language. Program activities include formal classroom instruction, informal workshops, sports, field trips, and socio-cultural activities where students can apply their language skills in a natural communicative setting.

ELLA 0106

Upper Advanced English Language Immersion

This is the sixth level in a six-level English Language Immersion Program. This full-time program is designed to provide English language learners with a total immersion environment in which to develop communicative competence in English. Students will use only the target language. Program activities include formal classroom instruction, informal workshops, sports, field trips, and socio-cultural activities where students can apply their language skills in a natural communicative setting.

ELLA 0107

4-Week English and Culture Immersion Program

This full-time integrated skills program is designed to provide cohorts or groups of sponsored English language learners with a total immersion environment in which to develop communicative competence in English. Learners will use only the target language. Program activities include formal classroom instruction, informal workshops, sports, field trips, and socio-cultural activities where learners can apply language skills in a natural communicative setting. Complexity of language and tasks will vary depending on the needs and language level of the learners.

ELLA 0110

Discussing Culture and Community for English Language Learners

This course is the first level of an academic series designed to help students upgrade their speaking, listening, and presentation skills. It is most appropriate for students intending to take college or university courses. Activities will help students understand and communicate effectively in a variety of settings. The emphasis will be on participating in conversations and discussions, and communicating in routine situations. Students will also prepare and participate in a presentation on a topic related to culture and community. Through these activities, students will continue to develop their overall language skills.

ELLA 0120

Understanding Culture and Community for English Language Learners

This course is the first level of an academic series designed to help students upgrade their reading and listening skills. It is most appropriate for students who are intending to take college or university courses. Students will read a variety of texts at a reasonable rate, listen to materials from a variety of sources, and practice note-taking in both instances. Students will read and listen in order to create and present a basic visual representation of their learning about culture and community.

ELLA 0125

Canadian Culture and Identity for English Language Learners

This is an integrated skills course for English language learners who wish to improve their English skills while learning about Canadian society and culture. Emphasis will be on participating in extended communicative situations. Complexity of language and tasks will vary depending on the needs and language level of the learners.

ELLA 0130

Writing about Culture and Community for English Language Learners

This course is the first level of an academic series designed to help students upgrade their writing skills. It is most appropriate for students who have experience writing about familiar, concrete topics, and who have fluent basic writing ability and control of grammar. Students will work on improving their reading, composing and organizational skills for writing a descriptive and comparison/contrast paragraph about a topic related to culture and community, as well as for writing personal reflective texts and social messages. Students will also work on revising and editing skills.

ELLA 0135

Lower Intermediate General English Language

This course is designed for students wishing to upgrade their language skills for purposes of: 1) participating in day-to-day personal and social situations; 2) improving their employment opportunities; 3) preparing for further education or training. Students will practice strategies for listening, speaking, reading and writing to meet their personal, social, employment and/or educational needs. Course activities will include listening and speaking in a variety of communicative situations. Students will also complete both functional and skill-based reading and writing exercises. This course is offered at 4 levels. See attached appendix.

ELLA 0140

Developing Academic Accuracy for English Language Learners

This course is the first level of an academic series designed to help students upgrade the accuracy of their written language expression through focused work on grammar and academic vocabulary as related to the course content. It is most appropriate for students who are intending to take college or university courses. Students will receive instruction and practice in reading, proofreading and editing skills, as well as moderately complex grammar and syntax structures to be able to write on concrete topics.

ELLA 0145

Lower Intermediate Listening for English Language Learners

This course is the first level in a series for students who wish to upgrade their listening skills in order to continue their education or improve their employment opportunities. Exercises will help students understand and respond appropriately to communication in a variety of routine settings. Listening texts will be based on sources such as t.v., radio, films, tapes and guest speakers. The listening practice will also provide an opportunity for language skill development, including grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, sound discrimination, and recognition of basic stress and intonation patterns.

ELLA 0150

Lower Intermediate Listening and Speaking for Eglish Language Learners

This is an integrated listening and speaking course for students wishing to upgrade their listening and speaking skills for personal, educational and/or employment purposes. Listening and speaking activities will be based on sources such as television, radio, films, tapes and guest speakers, which will help students initiate and respond appropriately in a variety of settings. The listening and speaking practice will also provide an opportunity for language skill development, including grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, and pronunciation elements.

ELLA 0155

Lower Intermediate Conversation for English Language Learners

This course is the first level in a series for students who wish to upgrade their conversational skills in order to continue their education or improve their employment opportunities. Exercises will help students initiate and respond appropriately to communication in a variety of routine settings. The conversation practice will also provide an opportunity for language skill development, including grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary, as well as for pronunciation improvement.

ELLA 0160

Lower Intermediate Reading and Writing for English Language Learners

This course is for students who wish to upgrade their reading and writing skills for personal, educational and/or employment purposes. The course is designed for students who have basic reading and writing skills, but limited experience in reading and writing for specific purposes. This course focuses on extensive reading and writing practice to improve confidence and to further develop reading and writing competence. This course emphasizes reading for main ideas and using new vocabulary strategies. Students will also generate and organize ideas into short compositions, proofread for basic errors, and improve grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary.

ELLA 0165

Lower Intermediate Reading for English Language Learners

This is not a beginner’s course, but it is the first in a 4-level series. This series is designed to lead up to college reading standards, to improve work opportunities, and to meet day-to-day reading needs. ELLA 0165 is an extensive reading course. It is designed for the student who has learned some grammar and vocabulary and who can read simplified ELL material, but who has little experience reading in English without translation.

This course emphasizes reading for main ideas and using new vocabulary strategies. There are extensive reading assignments.

ELLA 0175

Lower Intermediate Composition for English Language Learners

This course is the first level in a four-level series for students who wish to upgrade their writing in order to continue their education or improve employment opportunities. It is designed for students who have functional listening and speaking skills and some basic writing skills, but limited experience in writing for specific purposes. This course is primarily concerned with providing extensive writing practice to improve confidence and to give a base for developing writing competence. Within the context of meaningful writing tasks, students will generate and organize ideas into short compositions, improve grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary, and proofread for errors.

ELLA 0210

Discussing Academic Issues for English Language Learners

This course is the second level of an academic series designed to help students upgrade their speaking, listening, and presentation skills. It is most appropriate for students intending to take college or university courses. Activities will help students understand and communicate effectively in a variety of settings. The emphasis will be on participating in conversations and discussions, and communicating in non-routine situations. Students will also prepare and participate in a presentation on a topic related to education and academic life. Through these activities, students will continue to develop their overall language skills.

ELLA 0220

Understanding Academic Issues for English Language Learners

This course is the second level of an academic series designed to help students upgrade their reading and listening skills. It is most appropriate for students who are intending to take college or university courses. Students will read a variety of texts at a reasonable rate, listen to materials from a variety of sources, and practice note-taking in both instances. Students will read and listen in order to create and present a visual representation of their learning about an issue in education and academic life.

ELLA 0225

Canadian Culture and Communication for English Language Learners

This is an integrated skills course for English language learners who wish to explore topics related to Canadian society and culture while improving their English skills and learning language appropriate for interaction in social, educational, and workplace settings. Emphasis will be on participating in extended communicative situations. Complexity of language and tasks will vary depending on the needs and language level of the learners.

ELLA 0230

Writing about Academic Issues

This course is the second level of an academic series designed to help students upgrade their writing skills. It is most appropriate for students who have experience writing expository paragraphs, informal reflective texts and social messages and who have reasonable control of grammar and sentence structure. Students will work on improving their reading, composing and organizational skills for writing a short cause/effect essay, a formal summary, and a response about a topic related to education and academic life. Students will also work on revising and editing skills.

ELLA 0235

Upper Intermediate General English Language

This course is designed for students wishing to upgrade their language skills for purposes of: 1) participating in day-to-day personal and social situations; 2) improving their employment opportunities; 3) preparing for further education or training. Students will practice strategies for listening, speaking, reading and writing to meet their personal, social, employment and/or educational needs. Course activities will include listening and speaking in a variety of communicative situations. Students will also complete both functional and skill-based reading and writing exercises. This course is offered at 4 levels. See attached appendix.

ELLA 0240

Improving Academic Accuracy for English Language Learners

This course is the second level of an academic series designed to help students upgrade the accuracy of their written language expression through focused work on grammar and academic vocabulary as related to the course content. It is most appropriate for students who are intending to take college or university courses. Students will receive instruction and practice in reading, proofreading and editing skills, as well as moderately complex grammar and syntax structures to be able to write on concrete and some abstract topics.

ELLA 0245

Upper Intermediate Listening for English Language Learners

This course is the second level of a series designed for students who wish to upgrade their listening skills in order to continue their education or improve their employment opportunities. Exercises will help students understand and respond appropriately when participating in longer conversations and communicating in non-routine situations. Listening texts will be based on sources such as t.v., radio, films, tapes and guest speakers. Some simple notetaking exercises, such as writing down key words and main points, will be introduced. Through these activities, students will continue to develop language skills.

ELLA 0250

Upper Intermediate Listening and Speaking for English Language Learners

This is an integrated listening and speaking course for students who wish to upgrade their listening and speaking skills for personal, educational and/or employment purposes. Activities will help students understand and communicate effectively in a variety of settings. Emphasis will be on participating in extended communicative situations. Students will continue to develop language skills, including grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, and pronunciation elements.

ELLA 0255

Upper Intermediate Conversation for English Language Learners

This course is the second level of a series designed for students who wish to upgrade their conversational skills in order to continue their education or improve their employment opportunities. Exercises will help students communicate appropriately in a variety of settings. The emphasis will be on participating in longer conversations, and communicating in non-routine situations. Some classroom speaking skills, such as making short, informal presentations and participating in discussions, will also be introduced. Through these activities, students will continue to develop language skills.

ELLA 0260

Upper Intermediate Reading and Composition for English Language Learners

This course is for students who wish to upgrade their reading and writing for personal, educational and/or employment purposes. The course is designed for students who have some composition experience and intermediate listening and speaking skills. The course emphasizes specific reading skills such as predicting, scanning, skimming, surveying, guessing meaning from context and notetaking. Students will use ideas from readings to write different types of expository paragraphs and short compositions. Students will also practice organizing ideas, revising and editing. Exercises will help students clarify and elaborate supporting points, proofread for errors, and use grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary accurately.

ELLA 0265

Upper Intermediate Reading for English Language Learners

This course is for students who wish to upgrade their reading for personal, educational and/or employment purposes. This course is designed for students who read short, non-academic materials in English without feeling a need for translation, but read slowly and uncritically. This course emphasizes specific reading skills such as predicting, scanning, skimming, surveying, guessing meaning from context, and notetaking.

ELLA 0270

Editing, Writing, Reading and Vocabulary for English Language Learners

This course supplements the four-level writing series for students who wish to upgrade their reading and writing for personal, educational and/or employment purposes. The course is designed for students who have experience writing paragraphs but consistently make errors in grammar and sentence structure. Students develop strategies for editing and proofreading. Working with short writing samples and their own and classmates’ compositions, students practice identifying problems and errors in language use, diction and mechanics. Students review writing academic paragraphs and summaries. Students also practice academic reading skills such as predicting, scanning and skimming, and identifying key ideas. In addition, students read extensively in order to increase reading fluency. Finally, vocabulary development work includes such skills as guessing meaning by using context clues as well as prefixes and suffixes.

ELLA 0275

Upper Intermediate Composition for English Language Learners

This course is for students who wish to upgrade their writing for personal, educational and/or employment purposes. It is designed for students who have some composition experience and intermediate listening and speaking skills. This course will provide practice in writing different types of expository paragraphs and short compositions. Students will generate and organize ideas into increasingly longer compositions and practice editing and revising. Exercises will help students clarify and elaborate supporting points, use grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary accurately, and proofread for errors.

ELLA 0285

Pronunciation Skills for English Language Learners

This is a basic pronunciation course for English language learners. Students will be introduced to the sound system of English and to phonetic symbols. Activities will focus on listening for sound distinctions and identifying the major stress and intonation patterns. Students will identify and work on their own pronunciation problems and develop some strategies for monitoring improvement. It is recommended that students take a conversation course at the same time.

ELLA 0310

Discussing Global Issues for English Language Learners

This course is the third level of an academic series designed to help students upgrade their speaking, listening, and presentation skills. It is most appropriate for students intending to take college or university courses. Students will improve their ability to understand and communicate in a variety of increasingly complex settings. They will also develop group discussion and leadership skills, and prepare and participate in a presentation on a global issue. Through these activities, students will continue to develop their overall language skills.

ELLA 0320

Understanding Global Issues for English Language Learners

This course is the third level of a series designed to help students upgrade their reading and listening skills. It is most appropriate for students who are intending to take college or university courses. Students will read a variety of longer texts at a reasonable rate, listen to materials from a variety of sources, and practice note-taking in both instances. Students will read and listen in order to lead a seminar discussion or multi-media presentation.

ELLA 0330

Writing about Global Issues for English Language Learners

This course is the third level of an academic series designed to help students upgrade their writing skills. It is most appropriate for students who have experience writing expository paragraphs, short essays and formal summaries and who have reasonable control of grammar and sentence structure. Students will work on improving their reading, drafting, and organizational skills for writing reports analyzing a global issue and for writing short timed essay exams using various rhetorical patterns, as well as on revising and editing skills. Students will also be introduced to basic research skills.

ELLA 0335

Lower Advanced General English Language

This course is designed for students wishing to upgrade their language skills for purposes of: 1) participating in day-to-day personal and social situations; 2) improving their employment opportunities; 3) preparing for further education or training. Students will practice strategies for listening, speaking, reading and writing to meet their personal, social, employment and/or educational needs. Course activities will include listening and speaking in a variety of communicative situations. Students will also complete both functional and skill-based reading and writing exercises. This course is offered at 4 levels. See attached appendix.

ELLA 0340

Advancing Academic Accuracy for English Language Learners

This course is the third level of an academic series designed to help students upgrade the accuracy of their written language expression through focused work on grammar and academic vocabulary as related to the course content. It is most appropriate for students who are intending to take college or university courses. Students will receive instruction and practice in reading, proofreading and editing skills, as well as in advanced forms of written expression to be able to write about concrete and some abstract topics.

ELLA 0345

Lower Advanced Listening for English Language Learners

This course is designed for students who wish to upgrade their listening skills for educational and/or employment purposes. This course is most appropriate for people who are intending to take college or university courses. Through listening to materials from a variety of sources on many subjects, students will improve their ability to understand and respond appropriately in increasingly complex or problematic situations. Students will also improve their listening skills for academic study by following formal discussions, taking good notes, and organizing and using these notes to complete simple academic assignments. Through these activities, students will also continue to develop language skills.

ELLA 0350

Lower Advanced Listening and Speaking for English Language Learners

This is an integrated listening and speaking course for students who wish to upgrade their listening and speaking skills for educational and/or employment purposes. This course is most appropriate for students who are intending to take college or university courses. Through listening to materials from a variety of sources on many subjects, students will improve their ability to understand and respond appropriately in increasingly complex or problematic situations. Students will also improve their listening and speaking skills for academic study by participating in and leading small discussion groups, making formal presentations, and taking notes and organizing these notes to complete academic assignments. Students will continue to develop language skills including grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary and pronunciation elements.

ELLA 0355

Lower Advanced Conversation and Discussion for English Language Learners

This course is designed for students who wish to upgrade their conversational and speaking skills for educational and/or employment purposes. This course is most appropriate for people intending to take college or university courses. Students will improve their ability to communicate in a variety of increasingly complex settings, especially in problem situations. They will also develop formal group discussion and leadership skills, and prepare and make formal presentations. Through these activities, students will continue to develop language skills, including grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary and pronunciation elements.

ELLA 0360

Lower Advanced Reading and Composition for English Language Learners

This integrated reading and writing course is for students who wish to upgrade their reading and writing skills for educational and/or employment purposes. The course is designed for students who have experience writing expository paragraphs and reasonable control of grammar and sentence structure. This course emphasizes reading longer passages at a reasonable rate, taking notes for study purposes, and writing for a variety of academic purposes. Students will work on improving composing and organizational skills for writing
5-paragraph academic essays, and revising, editing, and proofreading skills. Students will be introduced to simple research skills, such as finding appropriate sources and documenting source materials.

ELLA 0365

Lower Advanced Reading Skills for English Language Learners

This course is for students who wish to upgrade their reading skills for academic and/or employment purposes. The course is designed for students who need guided practice in developing academic reading skills and consolidating good reading habits. This course emphasizes reading longer passages at a reasonable rate, and taking notes for study purposes.

ELLA 0370

Advanced Practical Writing for English Language Learners

This is a general purpose writing course for students with some experience in writing English. It is designed for students who wish to upgrade their overall writing skills for personal, work-related or academic purposes. Students will write personal letters, notices, reports for school and work, resumes, and routine business correspondence. Students will also receive practice in proofreading for major errors of sentence structure, grammar, punctuation and vocabulary.

ELLA 0375

Lower Advanced Composition for English Language Learners

This course is for students who wish to upgrade their writing for educational or employment purposes. It is designed for students who have experience writing expository paragraphs, and have reasonable control of grammar and sentence structure. This course emphasizes writing for a variety of academic purposes. In addition to improving organizing, composing, editing, revising and proofreading skills, students will develop multi-paragraph academic essays. Students will be introduced to research skills, such as finding, using, and documenting source material.

ELLA 0376

Advanced Editing and Proofreading for English Language Learners

This course supplements the four-level series for students who wish to upgrade their writing for further education or improved employment opportunities. It is designed for students who have experience writing paragraphs and short essays and some control of grammar and sentence structure, but who still make consistent errors in language use. Students will develop strategies for editing and proofreading their own work. Working with short academic writing composition samples, students will practice identifying problems and errors in language use, editing for style, conciseness and accuracy, and proof-reading for basic errors in grammar, structure, diction and mechanics.

ELLA 0385

Advanced Pronunciation Skills for English Language Learners

This is an advanced pronunciation course for students with good listening and speaking skills. Students taking this course should have no major pronunciation problems. The course will provide a review of the sound system and major stress and intonation patterns introduced in ELLA 0285, as well as exercises in understanding English spoken in a variety of ways. Students will improve fluency by practicing some of the finer features of native speech, such as stress and intonation variation for emphasis or special meaning, phrasing, syllable reduction and linking. It is recommended that students take a conversation course at the same time.

ELLA 0435

Upper Advanced General English Language

This course is designed for students wishing to upgrade their language skills for purposes of: 1) participating in day-to-day personal and social situations; 2) improving their employment opportunities; 3) preparing for further education or training. Students will practice strategies for listening, speaking, reading and writing to meet their personal, social, employment and/or educational needs. Course activities will include listening and speaking in a variety of communicative situations. Students will also complete both functional and skill-based reading and writing exercises. This course is offered at 4 levels. See attached appendix.

ELLA 0445

Upper Advanced Listening for English Language Learners

This course is for English language learners who wish to refine their academic listening and notetaking skills. Students will improve their ability to understand longer lectures and other presentations, discussions and interviews, particularly those in which the participants are presenting or discussing views on unfamiliar subjects or controversial issues. Activities will focus on developing students’ critical listening skills and on developing more efficient notetaking skills. Students will practice using notes to complete a variety of assignments typical of first-year university level coursework. Students will continue to develop language skills including grammar, sentence structure, and vocabulary.

ELLA 0450

Upper Advanced Listening and Speaking for English Language Learners

This is an integrated listening and speaking course for students who wish to refine their academic skills in listening and notetaking, and participate in as well as lead formal and informal discussions in a variety of settings. Students will improve their ability to understand longer lectures and other presentations, discussions and interviews, particularly those on unfamiliar subjects or controversial issues. Students will use strategies appropriate in native-English speaking discussion situations. Students will also improve their ability to research, organize and make presentations, lead follow-up discussions, participate in debates and/or panels, and evaluate their own and others’ performance. Students will practice using notes to complete a variety of assignments typical of first-year university level coursework. Students will continue to develop language skills including grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary and pronunciation elements.

ELLA 0455

Upper Advanced Conversation for English Language Learners

This course is for students who wish to refine their skills at leading as well as participating in formal and informal discussions in a variety of settings. Students will practice using interactive strategies appropriate in native-English speaking discussion situations. Students will also improve their ability to research, organize and make presentations, lead follow-up discussions and evaluate their own, as well as others’ performance. Finally, they will participate in debates, learning how to state and defend their positions on controversial issues. Students will practice and complete a variety of assignments typical of first-year university level coursework. Students will continue to develop language skills including grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary and pronunciation elements.

ELLA 0460

Upper Advanced Reading and Composition for English Language Learners

This integrated reading and writing course is for students who wish to upgrade their reading and writing in order to continue their education. The course is designed for advanced level students who need to read academic materials efficiently and critically. Students enrolling in this course should have extensive experience writing paragraphs and short essays, good control of grammar and sentence structure and advanced listening and speaking skills. This course emphasizes reading for study purposes and writing from sources at a first-year university level. Students will read material from texts, academic/professional books and journals and literature. Reading exercises will emphasize understanding how information and ideas are developed and organized, summarizing important ideas and details, and identifying and evaluating arguments. In addition to improving overall expository writing and editing skills, students will develop persuasive essays and research papers. Class activities will help students to use source materials to generate topics, develop thesis statements and provide evidence. Exercises will also help students improve their skills at integrating material from several sources, documenting, summarizing, paraphrasing and quoting sources.

ELLA 0465

Upper Advanced Reading for English Language Learners

This reading course is for English language learners who wish to upgrade their reading skills in order to continue their education. The course is designed for advanced level students who need to read academic materials efficiently and critically. This course emphasizes reading for study purposes. Students will read material from texts, academic/professional books and journals and other sources. Reading exercises will emphasize understanding how information and ideas are developed and organized, summarizing important ideas and details, and identifying and evaluating arguments.

ELLA 0475

Upper Advanced Composition for English Language Learners

This course is for students who wish to upgrade their writing in order to continue their education. It is designed for advanced level students who have extensive experience writing paragraphs and short essays for a variety of purposes, and have good control of grammar and sentence structure. This course emphasizes writing with a sophistication of content and style, and a level of conciseness and accuracy expected of first-year university students. In addition to improving overall expository writing and editing skills, students will plan and develop persuasive essays and research papers. Class activities will help students to use source materials to generate topics, develop thesis statements and provide evidence. Exercises will also help students improve their skills in integrating material from several sources by documenting, summarizing and quoting.

ELLA 0680

Professional Development for English-Language Educators

This course is designed for Foreign-trained English-language educators (referred to as "trainees") to complement the knowledge and experience they have already acquired. The course will focus on interactive techniques, strategies, and methods, and will provide the trainees with a portfolio of ready-to-use activities for the classroom, as well as the pedigogical theory to support practical applications. Best practices in the teaching of the four skill areas will be covered along with an overview of the linguistic challenges faced by English language learners. Special attention will be paid to the use of educational technology including social media, video, and the Internet.

ELLA 0750

Listening and Speaking Skills for Upper Intermediate Students of English as an Additional Language

This is an integrated listening and speaking course for students who wish to upgrade their listening and speaking skills for personal, educational and/or employment purposes. Activities will help students understand and communicate effectively in a variety of settings. Emphasis will be on participating in extended communicative situations. Students will continue to develop language skills, including grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary, and pronunciation elements.

ELLA 0760

Reading and Composition Skills for Upper Intermediate Students of English as an Additional Language

This course is for students who wish to upgrade their reading and writing for personal, educational and/or employment purposes. The course is designed for students who have some composition experience and intermediate listening and speaking skills. The course emphasizes specific reading skills such as predicting, scanning, skimming, surveying, guessing meaning from context and notetaking. Students will use ideas from readings to write different types of expository paragraphs and short compositions. Students will also practice organizing ideas, revising and editing. Exercises will help students clarify and elaborate supporting points, proofread for errors, and use grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary accurately.

ELLA 0850

Listening and Speaking Skills for Advanced Students of English as an Additional Language

This is an integrated listening and speaking course for students who wish to upgrade their listening and speaking skills for educational and/or employment purposes. This course is most appropriate for students who are intending to take college or university courses. Through listening to materials from a variety of sources on many subjects, students will improve their ability to understand and respond appropriately in increasingly complex or problematic situations. Students will also improve their listening and speaking skills for academic study by participating in and leading small discussion groups, making formal presentations, and taking notes and organizing these notes to complete academic assignments. Students will continue to develop language skills including grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary and pronunciation elements.

ELLA 0860

Reading and Composition Skills for Advanced Students of English as an Additional Language

This integrated reading and writing course is for students who wish to improve their reading and writing skills for educational and/or employment purposes. The course is designed for students who have experience writing expository paragraphs, summaries and personal/professional correspondence. Students should also have reasonable control of grammar and sentence structure. This course emphasizes reading a variety of longer academic texts at a reasonable rate, taking notes for study purposes, and writing for a variety of academic purposes. Students will work on improving composing and organizational skills for writing multi-paragraph academic essays and summaries as well as revising, editing, and proofreading skills. Students will be introduced to simple research skills, such as finding appropriate sources and documenting source materials.

ELLA 0950

College Preparatory Listening and Speaking Skills for Students of English as an Additional Language

This is an integrated listening and speaking course for students who wish to refine their academic skills in listening and notetaking, and participate in as well as lead formal and informal discussions in a variety of settings. Students will improve their ability to understand longer lectures and other presentations, discussions and interviews, particularly those on unfamiliar subjects or controversial issues. Students will use strategies appropriate in native-English speaking discussion situations. Students will also improve their ability to research, organize and make presentations, lead follow-up discussions, participate in debates and/or panels, and evaluate their own and others’ performance. Students will practice using notes to complete a variety of assignments typical of first-year university level coursework. Students will continue to develop language skills including grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary and pronunciation elements.

ELLA 0960

College Preparatory Reading and Composition Skills for Students of English as an Additional Language

This integrated reading and writing course is for students who wish to upgrade their reading and composition skills in order to continue their education. The course is designed for advanced level students who need to read academic materials efficiently and critically. Students enrolling in this course should have extensive experience writing paragraphs and short essays, good control of grammar and sentence structure and advanced listening and speaking skills. This course emphasizes reading for study purposes and writing from sources at a first-year university level. Students will read material from textbooks, academic/professional books and journals and literature. Reading exercises will emphasize understanding how information and ideas are developed and organized, summarizing important ideas and details, and identifying and evaluating arguments. In addition to improving overall expository writing and editing skills, students will develop persuasive essays and research papers. Class activities will help students to use source materials to generate topics, develop thesis statements and provide evidence. Exercises will also help students improve their skills at integrating material from several sources, documenting, summarizing, paraphrasing and quoting sources.

TESL 1104

Tutoring of English to Adult Speakers of Other Languages

This is one of a group of five courses that together lead to a Douglas College Certificate in Teaching and Tutoring English to Adult Speakers of Other Languages. Students learn how to help individual English as an additional language (EAL) learners improve their language skills and increase their academic success through learning strategies development, language development, and cultural awareness. Topics include learning about how to assess an EAL learner’s needs, structure tutoring sessions, choose approaches and techniques, maintain ethical standards, and keep records. A five-hour tutoring practicum is included in the course. The course is delivered in the hybrid format, with 2 hours/week in the classroom and 2 hours online.