How does it work
Course Lengths
Full-time students are in class approximately 20 hours/per week. Each program runs approximately 8 weeks.
Placement in Program
Students with the following IELTS or IBT TOEFL scores are not required to take classes at ILI:
College of Engineering | College of Architecture & Design | College of Business:
- IELTS score of 5.5 or higher
- IBT TOEFL 60 or higher
College of Law:
- IELTS score of 5.0 or higher
- IBT TOEFL 54 or higher
All students must take the ILI Placement Test or submit a recognized test score (as shown above) before their first session of study. The placement tests assess writing, speaking, listening, reading, and grammar skills. Based on their placement test scores, students will enter Levels 1, 2, 3 or 4. A student must successfully complete each ILI level with a passing score of 60 or higher before advancing to the next. Once the ILI language requirement is met, students can transfer to their desired college at Alasala.
- All students exit the ILI after successfully passing Level 4.
- A student may not move levels once assigned.
- Upon entry into ILI in Alasala, students will be considered as Alasala students enrolled on a conditional offer of study
List of all courses
Level 1 – Foundation English
Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) Language Level: Pre-A1
Level 2 – Beginning English
Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) Language Level: A1
Level 3 – Pre-Intermediate to Intermediate English
Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) Language Level: A2
Level 4 – Upper-Intermediate to Advanced English
Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) Language Level: B1/B1+
Detailed description of each course
Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) Language Level: Pre-A1
This level represents the initial stage of language learning, where learners lay the foundation for language acquisition by building basic vocabulary, comprehension skills, and communicative abilities.
Objectives:
- Acquire high-frequency words related to everyday life, such as colours, numbers, basic greetings, and common objects.
- Develop an understanding of basic grammatical structures, such as simple present tense verbs and very basic sentence construction (e.g., subject + verb).
- Ask and answer questions about topics related to everyday life, such as countries, jobs, and time.
- Develop some cultural awareness in the English language culture, such as greetings, customs related to food or clothing, and other everyday practices
- Establish some basic reading skills, such as reading for general understanding, reading for detail, scanning for key information, and reading for main ideas.
- Able to write basic sentences about everyday life topics.
Textbooks:
- Ostrowska, Sabina. (2017). Unlock Basic Skills, Student’s Book with Downloadable Audio and Video, First Edition. Cambridge University Press. 978-1-316-63645-9.
- Pathare, Emma and Pathare, Gary. (2017). Unlock Basic Literacy Student’s Book with Downloadable Audio. First Edition. Cambridge University Press. 978-1-316-63646-6.
Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) Language Level: A1
This level introduces essential English language skills for beginners. Students build basic vocabulary related to family, weather, activities, and jobs. Key grammar concepts include nouns, verbs, subject pronouns, present simple tense, and sentence structure. Reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities promote language development.
Objectives:
- Develop basic reading skills, such as previewing texts, identifying main ideas, scanning for details, and annotating.
- Build on repertoire related to everyday vocabulary, such as family, climate, free time, and jobs.
- Develop an understanding of sentence structure, articles, and parts of speech, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, subject pronouns, and the verb be
- Write short descriptive paragraphs and emails using simple sentences, correct word order, and appropriate punctuation.
- Hold conversations on familiar topics and simple routine tasks using correct sentence structures.
Objectives:
- White, N. M., Peterson, S., Jordan, N., and Sowton, C. (2021). Unlock Level 1: Listening, Speaking, and Critical Thinking Student’s Book with Digital Pack. Second Edition. Cambridge University Press. 978-1-009-03145-5. (Units 1-5)
- Ostrowska, S., Adams, K. and Sowton, C. (2021). Unlock Level 1: Reading, Writing, and Critical Thinking Student’s Book with Digital Pack. Second Edition. Cambridge University Press.978-1-009-03138-7. (Units 1-5)
Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) Language Level: A1/A2
This level represents a foundational to intermediate level of language proficiency, laying the groundwork for advanced language skills. It expands on beginner concepts, introducing a broader vocabulary, common expressions, and more complex sentence structures. Students work towards practical communication abilities and prepare for academic contexts through structured grammar, writing, and speaking tasks
Objectives
- Gain vocabulary related to buildings, food/drink, and transport.
- Acquire expressions related to describing graphs, providing evidence, and supporting arguments.
- Develop sentence structure using comparative adjectives, subject/verb agreement, and pronouns.
- Apply advanced grammar forms, including superlatives, time clauses, modals of necessity, infinitives of purpose, adverbs of frequency, and prepositions of time and place.
- Write coherent paragraphs with a clear topic sentence and supporting details on familiar topics using compound sentences.
- Practice various writing styles, including opinion, descriptive, comparison, explanatory, process, and narrative paragraphs.
- Acquire practical communication skills for common situations, including giving advice, reasoning, introducing reports, discussing surveys, making suggestions, and signalling opinions.
- Engage in structured conversation, focusing on expressing levels of agreement, time order, and cause and effect in presentations.
- Advance reading skills to make inferences and predictions, building comprehension for detailed academic and everyday contexts.
- Enhance listening and speaking exercises that strengthen communication in both social and academic settings.
Textbooks
- Dimond-Bayir, S., Russell, K., and Sowton, C. (2021). Unlock Level 2: Listening, Speaking, and Critical Thinking Student’s Book with Digital Pack. Second Edition. Cambridge University Press. 978-1-009-03146-2. (Units 1-8)
- O’Neill, R., Lewis, M., and Sowton, C. (2021). Unlock Level 2: Reading, Writing, and Critical Thinking Student’s Book with Digital Pack. Second Edition. Cambridge University Press. 978-1-009-03139-4. (Units 1-8)
Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) Language Level: B1/B1+
This level equips students with high-level academic and professional English skills, focusing on advanced grammar, vocabulary, and communication for academic and career-oriented settings. It introduces complex reading and writing tasks, advanced speaking practices, and field-specific projects that prepare students for success in their chosen academic disciplines.
Objectives
- Develop reading skills to make inferences, understand main ideas in academic texts, and identify purpose and audience.
- Refine academic vocabulary, incorporating synonyms to avoid repetition and expand expressive range.
- Identify and summarise reputable sources related to the student’s field, fostering research and citation skills.
- Apply complex grammar structures, such as first conditional, cause and effect, adverbs of frequency, and connecting words for coherence.
- Build discipline-specific vocabulary, creating a glossary of key terms, including definitions and usage examples for architecture, engineering, business, or law.
- Emphasise paragraph unity in summary and response paragraphs, ensuring clarity and coherence.
- Explore various writing styles, including comparison, descriptive, opinion, and explanatory paragraphs, enhancing skills for research-based and structured writing tasks.
- Develop a personal statement articulating the importance of critical reading, effective communication, and writing in the student’s future profession.
- Enhance speaking skills through structured presentations, engaging in discussion tasks, and responding to questions with clarity and confidence.
- Use connecting words to link ideas, provide counterarguments, and add emphasis with adverbs.
- Present coursework projects orally, practising clear, engaging delivery while responding to audience questions.
- Complete a research-based project simulating the demands of academic and professional environments tailored to the student’s major.
- Explore current trends and developments in the student’s field, analysing their significance and potential impact.
- Investigate interdisciplinary connections, broadening understanding of how the student’s major intersects with other fields.
- Research potential career paths, detailing job responsibilities and required skills, and aligning them with personal interests and goals.
Textbooks
- Ostrowska, S., Jordan, N. and Sowton, C. (2021). Unlock Level 3: Listening, Speaking, and Critical Thinking Student’s Book with Digital Pack. Second Edition. Cambridge University Press. 978-1-009-03147-9. (Units 1-8)
- Westbrook, C., Baker, L., and Sowton, C. (2021). Unlock Level 3: Reading, Writing, and Critical Thinking Student’s Book with Digital Pack. 2nd Edition. Cambridge University Press. 978-1-009-03140-0. (Units 1-8)