Programs & Levels
12-week courses · 18 hours per week · Monday–Thursday
Intensive English Program
Six levels, from CEFR A1 to C1+. Each level is one 12-week course of 216 contact hours; the full program is 1,296 contact hours. Students who pass a course with an overall grade of 70% or higher move to the next level.
All levels use the National Geographic Learning Life series, 3rd edition, with the Spark online platform for practice, quizzes and exams. Students bring a laptop or tablet to class.
| Level | CEFR | Textbook | Course focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning 1 | A1 | Life 1 | Basic everyday expressions; introducing yourself; simple questions about personal details. |
| Beginning 2 | A2 | Life 2 | Routine communication on familiar topics; describing your background, surroundings and past events. |
| Intermediate 1 | B1 | Life 3 | Connected speaking and writing on work, study, travel and current events; giving reasons for opinions. |
| Intermediate 2 | B2 | Life 4 | Complex texts on concrete and abstract topics; fluent discussion; detailed writing with supporting evidence. |
| Advanced 1 | C1 | Life 5 | Demanding texts and implicit meaning; academic and professional presentations and essays. |
| Advanced 2 | C1+ | Life 6 | Extended, specialized discourse; research essays and reports; precise use of English across registers. |
Advanced 2 is aligned to the publisher's C1+ designation for Life 6 (consolidating C1, with progress toward C2).
Conversation for Fluency
For intermediate and advanced students who want to speak with more confidence. Classes build conversation and fluency: vocabulary and phrasal verbs, pronunciation and intonation, and the strategies people use to start, keep and close conversations. Three levels; 216 contact hours (12 weeks) per level.
Conversation classes use the National Geographic Learning Reflect Listening & Speaking series on the Spark platform.
| Level | CEFR | Textbook |
|---|---|---|
| Conversation 1 | B1 | Reflect Listening & Speaking 2 |
| Conversation 2 | B2 | Reflect Listening & Speaking 3 |
| Conversation 3 | C1 | Reflect Listening & Speaking 4 |
Community Conversation Class
Our Miami Beach campus also offers a community conversation class on campus, Tuesdays 7:00–8:00 p.m. and Saturdays 12:00–1:00 p.m. The next session begins Tuesday, November 10, 2026. This non-credit class is separate from the Intensive English Program and the Conversation for Fluency program. Students purchase the Reflect Listening & Speaking e-book with Spark access ($60).
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Achievement scale
This scale lists every level we offer and what a student who passes each level can do in English, in observable and measurable terms. It is part of our grade reporting: your grade report names your course and level, and this scale explains what that level means. Each course syllabus lists the complete student learning outcomes.
Intensive English Program
| Level | Listening | Reading | Speaking | Writing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beginning 1 A1 | Identify familiar words, names, numbers, classroom commands and simple greetings in slow, clear speech (30–60 seconds). | Recognize familiar words and very short sentences on signs, labels, menus and forms (texts under 100 words). | Use words, set phrases and short memorized turns (under 20 seconds) to introduce yourself and meet immediate needs. | Complete forms with personal information; write single simple sentences from a model. |
| Beginning 2 A2 | Identify main ideas in short, clear listening texts (60–90 seconds) on familiar topics such as shopping, directions and daily routines. | Read short, simple texts (150–300 words) for gist and basic facts; identify the main idea and 2–3 supporting details. | Speak in organized turns of 20–40 seconds about yourself, family, places, routines and past events. | Write 60–100 words on a familiar topic with basic paragraph organization and connectors (and, but, because). |
| Intermediate 1 B1 | Identify main ideas, details and basic inferences in 2–3 minute texts; follow a line of argument and take simple notes. | Read 300–500 word texts for main ideas, details and inference; identify sequence, purpose and organization. | Speak in connected turns of 40–60 seconds; narrate experiences and express and support opinions. | Write 120–180 words in multiple paragraphs: description, narration, opinion and comparison. |
| Intermediate 2 B2 | Understand 3–5 minute texts for main ideas, details, speaker attitude and implied meaning; distinguish fact from opinion. | Read authentic 600–900 word texts for viewpoint, inference, tone and source reliability. | Speak in extended turns of 60–90 seconds; take part in discussions, debates and presentations and defend a position. | Write 200–300 words (opinion paragraphs, cover letters, reviews) with supporting evidence and varied connectors. |
| Advanced 1 C1 | Understand complex 5–8 minute texts including implicit meaning and speaker stance; synthesize information across speakers. | Read complex authentic texts of 900–1,400 words; analyze argument, attitude and style; synthesize across sources. | Speak fluently in turns of 90–150 seconds; deliver well-structured academic and professional presentations. | Write 300–450 word academic essays, formal letters and persuasive arguments with evidence and basic citations. |
| Advanced 2 C1+ | Follow extended, abstract discourse of 8–12 minutes with ease, including academic lectures and rapid colloquial speech. | Read texts of 1,400–2,000+ words in any genre; critically evaluate arguments and synthesize competing sources. | Deliver fluent, well-organized extended discourse (2–3 minutes) on complex topics, adapting style to audience and purpose. | Write 450–800+ words in academic and professional genres (research essays, critical reviews, reports, proposals). |
Conversation for Fluency
| Level | Speaking and fluency | Listening | Vocabulary and interaction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conversation 1 B1 | Sustain exchanges of 40–60 seconds per turn on everyday topics; start, keep and close conversations; express and support opinions with reasons and examples. | Identify main ideas, details and basic inferences in 2–3 minute conversational texts; recognize speaker attitude from intonation. | About 2,500–3,500 word families, common phrasal verbs and conversational formulas; use politeness formulas, requests, offers and apologies appropriately. |
| Conversation 2 B2 | Sustain extended exchanges of 60–90 seconds per turn on concrete and abstract topics; manage turn-taking, agreement and disagreement, and structured argument. | Understand 3–5 minute texts for main ideas, attitude and inferred meaning; distinguish fact from opinion. | About 4,000–4,500 word families including idioms and hedging; adapt register, tone and politeness to social, academic and semi-professional situations. |
| Conversation 3 C1 | Deliver structured presentations and take part in discussions, interviews, debates and role-plays; express and support opinions, report findings, present balanced views and summarize information accurately. | Listen effectively for main ideas, details, tone of voice and speaker purpose in academic and real-world talks. | Use clear pronunciation, stress, intonation, reductions and thought groups; apply upper-intermediate grammar (direct and indirect questions, modals, past perfect, unreal conditionals, passive voice, quantifiers, connectors, noun clauses) accurately in speaking and writing. |
Grading and progression
- Each 12-week course is graded on weekly quizzes, a midterm exam and a final exam/project, scored against level-specific rubrics.
- Students need an overall grade of 70% or higher to pass the course and move to the next level.
- Students who do not pass may repeat the course with an Individualized Learning Plan and are placed on academic probation for the next session. A course may be repeated a maximum of two times (36 weeks in the same course).
- Students receive a written grade report at the end of every 12-week course.
| Grade | Percent | Grade | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| A+ | 98–100 | C+ | 77–79 |
| A | 94–97 | C | 74–76 |
| A- | 90–93 | C- | 70–73 |
| B+ | 87–89 | D+ | 67–69 |
| B | 84–86 | D | 64–66 |
| B- | 80–83 | D- | 60–63 |
| F | 0–59 |
A through C- (70% and above) are passing grades.