Abstract

The curriculum at the English Language Center (ELC) at Brigham Young University (BYU) currently has two programs: Foundations and Academic. In order for students to progress from Foundations to the Academic Program, they must pass their Level Achievement Tests (LATs), which are administered as final exams. Each semester there are students who do not pass their LATs. The question then is what should happen to these students? Should they be asked to leave the ELC, should they have to repeat the same level until they pass, or should they be promoted without passing their LATs? This project presents an alternative solution to this situation through a curriculum specifically designed for these students. Outlined in this document are the analysis, design, development, and results of implementing that curriculum. The main elements of the course consist of 3 main classes: Reading, Listening/Speaking, Writing/Grammar, and an individualized Language Learning Plan (LLP) that allows the curriculum to be tailored to meet the individual student needs. These LLPs are an integral part of the curriculum and both the problems and benefits associated with them are set out in this paper. The course is woven together using a themed textbook series, which recycles vocabulary and helps to ensure that the students experience an integrated system despite having 3 separate classes. Budgeting is always a consideration for any school, and methods to increase the cost effectiveness of the curriculum are also discussed at various points of the document. Finally, the outcomes and value of the program to the different stakeholders and lessons learned are outlined in order to provide a summary of the overall usefulness and effectiveness of the General Academic Prep (GAP) curriculum.

Degree

College and Department

Humanities; Linguistics and English Language

Rights

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