10-week NICE programs
CORE CLASSES and LEVELS
All full-time students take FOUR 50-MINUTE CORE CLASSES Monday through Friday. These classes work together to provide a well-rounded English study program that emphasizes speaking and listening, but also includes some reading and writing. All classes integrate these skills into the learning experience, with some classes focusing on one particular skill.
The four core classes are offered at FIVE LEVELS: Basic, High Basic, Intermediate, High Intermediate, and Advanced.
Grammar: All full-time students take a Grammar class to work on the structure of English needed to communicate clearly and accurately in speaking and writing, in both formal and informal settings. All tracks offer the same Grammar curriculum.
Listening: In this class, students work on comprehending spoken English in contexts related to the focus of the track. Course format includes listening to textbook-related and real-world audio/video material, learning note-taking skills, understanding vocabulary in context, and discussing content. Track A and B students are combined for Listening. Track C has a separate Listening curriculum, offered at Basic through High Intermediate levels.
Oral Production: In this class, students build oral fluency in speaking situations appropriate to the focus of the track. Interchange — conversation practice sessions with University of Hawai‘i students — is an important component of the curriculum of this class. Track A offers Oral Production from High Basic through Advanced levels; Track B offers this class from Intermediate through Advanced levels; and Track C offers this class from Basic through High Intermediate levels.
Integrated Skills: This class combines and expands speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills through the study of contemporary topics related to the focus of the track. Track A offers Oral Production from High Basic through Advanced levels; Track B offers this class from Intermediate through Advanced levels; and Track C offers this class from Basic through High Intermediate levels.
LEVEL PLACEMENT AND PROGRESS
New students take three (3) placement tests on the first day of the session to determine their level in each class:
- a grammar test places into Grammar class;
- a listening test places into Listening class;
- on oral interview places into Oral Production and Integrated Skills classes.
Each class and level has two sets of curriculum, Curriculum A and Curriculum B. Students move to the next level after successfully completing BOTH Curriculum A and Curriculum B (two terms) OR by passing an exit test for the level after completing one term studying either Curriculum A or B.
Occasionally, it is necessary to blend two levels when there are not enough students to warrant two separate levels. NICE teachers have the training and experience to teach blended levels effectively.
Because the overall objectives and level criteria for Tracks A, B, and C are the same, students can move easily between tracks from term to term.
TIME OF DAY
NICE classes will be offered throughout the day, Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm.
TRACK A and B classes will be held between 8:30 and 2:30.
TRACK C classes will all be held from 12:30-4:30.
Depending on their level placement TRACK A and TRACK B students may have a choice of studying from 8:30-12:30 OR from 10:30-2:30. Students are asked for their study time preference upon application; however, they should understand that it may not always be possible to schedule them for their first choice.
