Our Intensive English program combines high-quality instruction with friendly, personalized service.
EPI's Intensive English program provides an opportunity for international students to improve their English language skills before entering a university in the United States. It is also beneficial to individuals who need to improve their professional English skills. Our office is here to help international students feel comfortable and succeed in their new environment.
EPI offers five terms per year beginning in January, March, May, August, and October. Each term is 8 weeks long (7.5 weeks of instruction), and each week students receive 20 hours of supervised English instruction. Classes are held Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and Friday from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. There are three core courses: Writing/Grammar, Reading/Vocabulary, and Speaking/Listening. There are no classes on Friday afternoons.
A Typical Week in the Intensive English Program
| Time | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 am | Writing / Grammar | Writing / Grammar | Writing / Grammar | Writing / Grammar | Writing / Grammar |
| 10:20 am | BREAK | BREAK | BREAK | BREAK | BREAK |
| 10:40 am | Reading / Vocabulary | Reading / Vocabulary | Reading / Vocabulary | Reading / Vocabulary | Reading / Vocabulary |
| 12:00 pm | BREAK | BREAK | BREAK | BREAK | No classes, free time (lunch, community service, sports, shopping trips, etc.) |
| 1:20 pm | Speaking / Listening | Speaking / Listening | Speaking / Listening | Speaking / Listening | |
| 3:00 pm | BREAK | BREAK | BREAK | BREAK | |
| 3:55 - 5:10 pm | (non-EPI course ENFS)* | (non-EPI course ENFS)* | (non-EPI course ENFS)* | (non-EPI course ENFS)* |
*ENFS is a support class for USC international students.
Intensive English program classes range in average size from 15 to 18 students of
similar English level. However, individual classes may be larger. Additionally, some
class levels may be combined when made necessary by enrollment. In this case, instructors
will still strive to maintain differentiated instruction for students of distinct
levels. Six levels of proficiency are offered, from beginning to advanced.
Students are placed in their classes based on the results of tests administered at
the beginning of each term. In addition to scheduled classes, students have access
to EPI's four computer labs and the University’s labs during the week.
Three Core Courses are offered for a minimum of 20 instructional hours per week:
- Writing/Grammar (WG) (6.67 hours per week) Writing instruction and practice are combined with grammar instruction so that EPI students develop the knowledge they need to use grammar to produce clear English writing. Students spend one WG class per week in a computer lab, working on word processing and/or grammar software with their teacher.
- Reading/Vocabulary (RV) (6.67 hours per week) Reading instruction is combined with vocabulary development. Instruction focuses on improving reading comprehension skills and reading speed. Summary writing is a regular part of RV classes. RV students spend one hour per week in the computer lab.
- Speaking/Listening (SL) (6.67 hours per week) Speaking instruction is combined with improving listening skills and developing clear English pronunciation. Students spend one SL class per week in a computer lab, working with their teacher on pronunciation and listening software/internet activities.
The Student Achievement Scale [pdf] outlines the measurable and observable outcomes that a student can expect to achieve upon successful completion of each course of each level in the Intensive English program.