Intensive English Program
Are you ready to take your English skills to the next level?
Whether you’re looking to advance your career, prepare for academic studies, or simply communicate more confidently, the Intensive English Program (IEP) at the Maryland English Institute (MEI) offers the perfect environment to achieve your goals.
This dynamic program is designed for motivated learners who want to improve their English quickly and thoroughly, all while being immersed in a supportive, multicultural community.
At MEI, we welcome students from all over the world who are eager to transform their English proficiency. The IEP is perfect for anyone who:
- is at least 18 years old
- wants to improve their English as quickly as possible
- wants an intensive program – at least 18 hours of instruction per week
- wants to improve their reading, writing, speaking and listening
The IEP is offered three times per year – fall, spring, and summer:
Fall: September to December – 14 weeks
Spring: January to May – 14 weeks
Summer: June to August – 7 weeks
At the start of the program we will conduct a placement test to determine your English level. The placement test has two parts: a writing test and the iTEP exam. The writing test is a 45-minute essay on a general topic. It is very similar to task 2 on the IELTS writing exam and the Independent task on iBT TOEFL. The iTEP exam is a test of listening, grammar, and reading. (NOTE: you will only take the grammar, listening, and reading portions of the test).
The IEP currently offers two intensive levels for each semester: 012 and 013. You also take one extra course (an elective). The program offers:
- integrated English (all skills) – 4 times per week, 3.5 hours per session
- one extra class – 2 times per week, 2 hours per session
- optional extra classes – up to 8 more hours of instruction per week
- schedules can be designed to leave Friday, Saturday, and Sunday free
UMEI 012 - Intermediate
| By the end of the course, students will: | |
|---|---|
| Reading | Read an intermediate level text of at least 800 words with 75% or better comprehension. |
| Writing | Write a unified and coherent three-paragraph essay. |
| Listening | Understand the main idea and some details of a 5 to 8 minute listening selection on a social, simple academic or professional topic. |
| Speaking | Participate in group discussions on social, simple academic or professional topics. |
UMEI 013 - Advanced
| By the end of the course, students will: | |
|---|---|
| Reading | Read a low advanced level text of at least 1500 words with 75% or better comprehension. |
| Writing | Write a unified and coherent five-paragraph essay. |
| Listening | Understand the main idea and most of the details of a 15-20 minute listening selection on an academic or professional topic. |
| Speaking | Effectively participate in group discussions on a range of academic, non-academic and professional topics. |
Electives
| The learning objectives for these courses are: | |
|---|---|
| Preparation for Academic Study | Demonstrate ability to appropriately and actively participate in the American academic setting. Demonstrate a basic understanding of faculty life, the tenure system, and faculty communications. Demonstrate familiarity with American student attitudes and the role of opinion in the American classroom. Demonstrate improvement in their academic note-taking, reading and writing skills. |
| Exam Preparation | Demonstrate familiarity with the format of the IELTS and TOEFL exams. Employ the strategies needed to achieve higher scores in their weaker skills areas. |
| Presentations | Effectively create and use visual aids. Effectively organize presentations. Effectively use strategies for connecting with an audience. Effectively use strategies for reducing presentation anxiety. |
| Focus on Conversation | Demonstrate familiarity with conversations between native American speakers. Demonstrate command of conversational tools and strategies. Demonstrate command of the lexis and grammar needed to engage in conversations with native American speakers. Pronounce English clearly enough so that it is intelligible to native English speakers. |
| Vocabulary | Master strategies for learning new words. Demonstrate ability to guess the meaning of words from various types of context. Become proficient at using online resources that are useful for learning about words. Acquire the habits necessary for consistent, ongoing vocabulary expansion into long-term memory. Use grammatical knowledge to enlarge vocabulary faster, more accurately, and more effectively. |
A Week at MEI, Summer 2025
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00AM-12:30PM | Integrated English | Integrated English | Integrated English | Integrated English | 10:00AM-12:00PM | Grammar |
| 12:30PM-1:30PM | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | 12:00PM-1:00PM | Lunch |
| 1:30PM-3:30PM | Grammar | 1:00PM-5:00PM | Activities |