Level 3

Overview

Practice the writing of research-based argument essays.
Learn how to find and cite academic-level texts and scholarly articles, using the UC Denver library database
Develop academic vocabulary and reading skills, specifically focusing on academic material.
Practice pronunciation and listening skills by working with conversation partners, listening to University lectures, and targeting specific accents
Improve their academic readiness by visiting the UC Denver campus, attending lectures in their future fields of academic study and becoming familiar with academic expectations and standards at American universities
Get to know the city of Denver through field trips and after-school activities

Course Objectives

Grammar

Level 3 grammar focuses on adding more advanced structures to many features the students have already studied. Present perfect forms and adjective clauses are solidified. Past perfect, the passive voice, past modals, gerunds and infinitives, unreal conditionals, and noun clauses are introduced. Upon completion of this level, students will be able to produce correct sentences in all tenses studied and begin to incorporate the new elements into sentences.

Writing

Level 3 writing focuses on expanding the length of essays and places a strong emphasis on correctly incorporating academic sources using APA in-text citations. Correct sentence structure (simple, compound, complex) is stressed and attention is called to how articulating relationships between items is possible by varying sentence structure. Student essays must exhibit academic rigor, both in content and complexity of thought. Upon completion of this level, students will be able to write 3-4 page typed essays showing cause/effect relationships on academic topics.

Reading

Level 3 reading continues to build on and solidify skills learned in previous levels. Students are now required to outline texts, analyze textual forms and components, and apply texts to other texts and contexts. Students still use the Academy Way to help break down texts, particularly as texts become longer with more complex topics. At this level, longer texts should be given to students to help them grasp how to tackle academic texts of several pages in length by using the Academy Way. Vocabulary, reading aloud, and summarizing and paraphrasing are still practiced. Upon completion of this level, students will be able to successfully navigate academic texts of several pages in length and begin to critically analyze such texts.

Listening & Speaking

Level 3 listening & speaking builds on the foundation created in the Level 1 and Level 2 levels, while adding new elements. Students expand their skills by lengthening speeches and listening to longer lectures while learning an additional form of note-taking. Attending a public lecture/speech requires the students to use the skills they have learned in a non-sheltered setting. Upon completion of this level, students will be able to use the skills learned in the classroom to successfully navigate a public academic setting.

Rhetoric & Logic

Rhetoric & Logic is designed to expose students to Western constructions of critical thought, and to engage in exercises to produce comfort with classic Western ways of thinking and problem-solving. Students will engage in critical analysis of a variety of topics, focusing on how to recognize relationships between various elements, problem-solve in a variety of situations, distinguish between logical and illogical reasoning, and provide examples of their own logical reasoning supported by evidence. Students also navigate how to practice respect and tolerance both for varying perspectives and ambiguity. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to transfer these skills to a variety of contexts, including academic classes, GRE & GMAT rhetorical analysis testing, and social contexts.

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Level 3

Overview

Course Objectives

Grammar

Writing

Reading

Listening & Speaking

Rhetoric & Logic

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Plaza Building Is Closed

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Level 3

Overview

Course Objectives

Grammar

Writing

Reading

Listening & Speaking

Rhetoric & Logic