PROGRAM STRUCTURE
The English Preparatory Program consists of four levels. Students are placed into the appropriate level based on their results in the English Placement Test administered at the beginning of the academic year. The levels offered in the program and their durations are as follows:
Elementary:
At this level, students develop their foundational vocabulary and grammar while building basic reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. The aim is to enable students to use English at a level sufficient to meet their everyday communication needs. The duration of this level is approximately 8 weeks.
Pre-Intermediate:
At this level, students continue to develop the four core language skills, with particular emphasis on improving their vocabulary and grammar. Students are supported in becoming more fluent and accurate in their communication. The duration of this level is approximately 8 weeks.
Intermediate:
At this level, students are assumed to have a solid foundation in English. In addition to general English skills, the program focuses on developing academic reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. This process is supported by the necessary vocabulary and grammar instruction. The duration of this level is approximately 8 weeks.
Upper:
At this level, advanced English instruction is provided. Students are expected to express themselves effectively in academic contexts, both orally and in writing. The program is skill-based and includes academic reading, writing, listening, and speaking, as well as academic vocabulary and grammar. The duration of this level varies between 8 and 16 weeks.
Upper Success:
This program is designed for students who have successfully completed all levels but have not achieved a sufficient score on the English Proficiency Exam (EPE). The aim is to further develop students’ existing advanced English proficiency and prepare them fully for academic study.
Except for Upper Success students, all students are required to successfully complete the Upper or Upper Extended level in order to be eligible to take the EPE.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES, AIMS, AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
The learning outcomes of the English Language School (ELS) are determined in alignment with the Global Scale of English (GSE). GSE is an internationally recognized scale developed to measure learners’ language development and provides descriptors indicating what learners can do in speaking, listening, reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary across a scale ranging from 10 to 90 (Pearson, 2019).
GSE offers different versions for academic, adult, professional, and young learners. The outcomes used in the ELS program are based on the framework developed for adult and academic learners and have been adapted to meet the specific needs of the institution’s student profile.
GSE provides a clear and systematic roadmap for all stakeholders. Students can monitor their own progress through GSE-based self-assessment tools. Teachers are provided with clear guidance on what to teach, how to teach it, and how much time to allocate to each learning outcome. Similarly, assessment units are equipped with structured guidelines on how to evaluate each skill. In this way, GSE contributes to the consistent and coherent structuring of all components of the program.
Within the ELS program, learning outcomes progress from approximately GSE 10 at the entry level to GSE 70 at the exit level.
The ELS aims to prepare students effectively for their academic studies at the university. To achieve this, the program is continuously reviewed and updated based on feedback received from students and academic departments. Analyses have revealed that there is a particular need to further develop productive skills, especially writing and speaking.
In response to these needs, the GSE ecosystem has been adopted as the foundational framework for the revised curriculum. This decision was made following a careful evaluation of the detailed and measurable learning outcomes provided by GSE.
The granular structure of GSE enables students to track their progress step by step, thereby increasing motivation throughout the learning process. With this approach, both students and teachers can clearly identify the learner’s current level, progress, and the learning objectives to focus on next.
Within this framework, the following elements are considered essential for an effective learning ecosystem:
- Clear definitions of what it means to be at each level
- Teaching and learning materials aligned with level objectives
- Comprehensive assessment tools designed to measure proficiency across the four core language skills
Thanks to the structure provided by GSE, the ELS can design courses and materials tailored to students’ needs and systematically determine grammar targets and skill-based level progression.