Concentration is on building better communication skills through the study of the American English sound system and its patterns of stress, rhythm and intonation. Students are familiarized with great American authors and their work of fiction in written and dramatized forms. Listening skills developed through video presentations, writing skills through book reports, reading skills through analysis of texts, and oral skills through oral reports. Students are sensitized to the difficulties inherent in cross-culture encounters, and they are provided with adjustment strategies and information about American life to help them in their cultural adjustment. This course is designed to stimulate students' language development through discussion, debate, and readings on topics of current interest in the news.
Emphasis is on word building through a study of roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
Dictionary skills are also emphasized. Ana C. Burgamy International Programs and Development, an administrative unit of Academic Affairs and the School of Continuing Education and Special Programs, provides coordination and direction for the University's international contacts by functioning as a liaison in activities for the development of international educational programs and policies. The Program also maintains information on governmental and private funding institutions that provide support for students, staff, and faculty who wish to study, to do research, travel, or teach abroad. Administrative support is also provided for off-campus foreign studies programs such as USA in Paris, Latin America, and British Studies. International Programs internally reviews and disseminates information on established University programs and provides support for new initiatives in international education.