• ISC courses are classified as remedial or developmental (1.4.3.1.). Though these courses count towards full-time academic load (Sec. 6.10.), they do not count in the semester hours required for any Oglethorpe degree (Sec. 8.5.).

ISC 011 Listening & Speaking I (4 Hours)
This course provides short and focused activities to help students improve their English listening and speaking skills. It includes practice in understanding main ideas and key words, phrases and specific sounds to assist students in developing better speaking and comprehension skills. Students will learn and use new vocabulary, pronunciation, and conversation skills while giving academic presentations as well as speaking in small groups and individually. Students will also work to better understand academic lectures and practice basic note-taking skills.

ISC 012 Grammar I (4 Hours)
Grammar I will focus on grammatical structures that enable students to better understand and use academic English. Students will learn and apply grammatical knowledge to express themselves confidently and appropriately in different academic situations, as well as social situations that they might experience while studying in the U.S. Students will learn and practice parts of speech, word forms, clauses, and sentence construction in all skill areas: reading, writing, listening, and speaking.

ISC 013 Reading I (4 Hours)
The purpose of Reading I is to prepare students for the reading tasks they will face when taking academic classes. In this course students will learn and practice the skills necessary for comprehending academic texts. Readings of different types that cover different topics will be used to develop students’ reading comprehension, speed, and vocabulary, as well as writing, listening, and speaking skills. Students will also work to build an appropriate academic vocabulary for greater comprehension in reading and expression in both writing and speaking.

ISC 014 Writing I (4 Hours)
In this course students will learn and apply the writing skills essential for academic success including sentence, paragraph, and basic essay writing. This course is aimed at students planning to study, or are already studying, at university level in English. Course work will focus on planning and writing clear paragraphs and essays, as well as on improving sentence structure, vocabulary, and grammar in written work. Students will practice planning and organizing, drafting, and revising their work and will better understand the requirements of academic-style writing in the U.S.

ISC 021 Listening & Speaking II (4 Hours)
In this course students will learn and apply the listening, note-taking, and presentation skills essential for academic learning, inquiry, and communication in the context of authentic academic listening and speaking tasks. Students will work to build fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary skills through extensive and intensive listening tasks of increasing complexity. Contemporary academic lectures and seminars will be used to develop students’ critical thinking skills. Students will work to improve note-taking and organizational skills, and understand how lectures and presentations are organized. Students will work to improve their pronunciation of individual sounds in English and practice rhythm, intonation, and correct use and pronunciation of academic vocabulary.

ISC 022 Grammar II (4 Hours)
This course will focus on high-intermediate grammatical structures that enable students to better comprehend and use academic English. Students will learn to appreciate the relevance of acquiring and applying grammatical knowledge to express themselves confidently and appropriately in different academic situations, as well as social situations relevant to the American college context. This course aims to build students’ accuracy and fluency in spoken and written English by increasing awareness of complex sentence structures commonly used in academic reading, writing, and verbal interaction. Students will have opportunities to apply new constructions and to practice correcting errors in both speaking and writing.

ISC 023 Reading & Writing II (4 Hours)
In this course, students develop and apply the reading skills essential for academic learning and inquiry, in the context of authentic academic reading tasks. Students will work to build fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary skills through extensive and intensive reading tasks of increasing complexity. This course will serve as preparation for college composition course and any writing intensive courses. There will be a number written tasks and prompts that will stimulate free writing practice and introduce students to various styles of writing. Students will also use these written tasks to develop editing skills through the writing process and to apply level-appropriate grammar rules and vocabulary to their work.

ISC 031 Listening & Speaking III (4 Hours)
In this course students will learn and apply listening, note-taking, and presentation skills essential for academic learning, inquiry, and discourse in the context of authentic academic listening and speaking tasks. Students will work to build fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary skills through extensive and intensive listening tasks of increasing complexity. Students will listen to academic lectures, presentations, and discussions, detect the speaker’s intonations and attitudes, and identify details and main ideas. Students will develop the ability to actively participate in discussions and conversations as well as manage opposing viewpoints and turn taking in a conversation. This course also focuses on critical thinking skills and increasing the students’ abilities to make inferences and analyze arguments.

ISC 032 Grammar III (4 Hours)
Grammar III builds on students’ prior knowledge of academic writing, speaking, and grammar structures to reinforce and improve the fluency and accuracy of advanced-level students. Students will use highlighted grammar structures in academic context and structured exercises while improving vocabulary and academic content knowledge. Through grammar in academic context, explicit instruction, error analysis, and authentic examples of grammar in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, students will increase their ability to utilize advanced grammar forms and become more proficient in writing and speaking in academic situations.

ISC 033 Reading & Writing III (4 Hours)
Reading and Writing III is designed to help students read and write academic English and to facilitate development in these skills for success in future university studies. Students will be provided opportunities to analyze and express ideas in academic writings while reading and critiquing the work of others. Students will write essays to become familiar with aspects of conducting research and following APA and/or MLA guidelines to produce academically acceptable papers. Students will improve upon and apply the reading skills essential for academic learning, inquiry, and discourse in the context of authentic academic reading tasks. Students will build vocabulary through extensive and intensive reading tasks of increasing complexity. Contemporary academic texts about writing will be used to develop students’ critical reading, academic vocabulary, and complex writing skills.

ISC 046 Recitation (4 Hours)
The recitation course is structured as language and study skill support for academic courses in which the students are enrolled. This course is a structured, scheduled academic environment providing the opportunity for students to complete assignments and work closely with their language instructor. Students are assigned to an instructor for the class period and required to adhere to behavioral and academic expectations. Instructors utilize students’ content materials to develop activities and discussions that will increase comprehension of material and further students’ abilities to work independently in academic settings. Each week, the course will focus on the language skills and vocabulary needed for the students’ content courses. Additionally, there will be a focus on study skills and time management needed for success in academic settings. Students will leave the course better equipped for university level academic course work and a thorough understanding of time management and appropriate study habits for the university.

ISC 047 College Life (4 Hours)
College Life focuses on the study and life skills necessary for students to be successful in an American university setting. Students will develop critical skills and strategies for incorporating researched materials into written work, working in groups, giving presentations, navigating an American university campus, and building language skills through immersion in the new culture. In addition, students will prepare for their future careers through the Career Ahead Program. This course will equip students with the skills to survive and thrive in a new academic setting, and more importantly, provide the opportunity to examine and refine students’ learning, organization, and time management skills to enable them to become successful students. Students will reflect upon their own learning styles and strategies and apply new skills and strategies in their daily life and habits.

ISC 048 US Culture (4 Hours)
US Cultures offer students a means for analyzing and evaluating the complex social and moral issues that are specific to the landscape of the United States. As students examine their own cultures and compare them with others, culture shock and cultural conflict may be lessened and appreciation for cultural differences may be strengthened. Students will engage in interactive tasks, including researching and case analysis of topics and social, academic and professional issues, especially those suggested by the extensive reading component of this course. Through the process of reading, discussion, analysis and writing students in this class will enrich their understanding of today’s global society while at the same time they are sharpening their academic English skills. The exploration and comparison of students’ own cultural backgrounds with their classmates through discussions and interactive tasks will allow for the fostering of cultural sensitivity and lessening of culture shock.

ISC 049 Critical Thinking (4 Hours)
The purpose of this course is to develop the critical thinking skills needed to interpret and assess arguments and information. This course will highlight the language skills essential for critically analyzing and discussing the quality of the information and opinions presented in authentic texts and listening selections. The course will concentrate on detecting errors of reasoning in short and long passages, evaluating evidence in written and verbal arguments, detecting logical inconsistencies, removing vagueness and ambiguity through word choice and phrasing, and identifying the point or purpose of someone’s remark. Through examining these topics, students will be able to thoughtfully respond to others’ opinions in a clear, logical, and informed way. Students will leave the course better prepared to collect, synthesize, and evaluate information and feel more confident in presenting their perspectives in an academic setting.

ISC 050 Research Skills (4 Hours)
Research Skills is an advanced-level preparatory course to guide students in the process of conducting undergraduate research at an American university. Students will learn and practice a variety of research and research-writing skills, including citation, documentation, quoting, and paraphrasing, and summarization. Students will also learn why research is needed, the different types of research they might conduct, and why documentation is so vital in U.S. academic and professional settings.