Maryland English Institute – For Intensive English Students

Who is this Program for?

students from all over the world who are at least 18 years old
students who want to improve their English as quickly as possible
students who want an intensive program – 23 hours of instruction per week
students who want to improve their reading, writing, speaking and listening

When are Courses 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
See the current class schedule

What is the placement test for the Intensive English Program?

The placement test has three parts: a writing test, the iTEP exam, and an oral interview
The writing test is a 30-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. You can find out more about the test here: itepexam website (NOTE: you will only take the grammar, listening, and reading portions of the test).
The oral interview is an 8-10 minute conversation with two MEI faculty

What Classes Can I Take In The Fall Or Spring?

five levels of instruction – from beginner to advanced
reading, writing, and grammar – 5 times per week, 3 hours per session
listening and speaking – 4 times per week, 2 hours per session

What Classes Can I Take In The Summer?

three levels of instruction – beginner, intermediate, advanced
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

What Extra Classes Can I Take in the Summer?

Preparation for Academic Study
Presentations
Vocabulary
Exam Preparation

What Does the Program Cost?

Visit the Dates and Costs page for detailed cost information, including tuition and fees, together with help in estimating living expenses.

How Can I Apply?

Apply Now!

What Will I Learn in the Fall and Spring?

When you first come to MEI, you will be given a placement test to determine your English level. There are five levels in the fall and spring semesters: 001, 002, 003, 004, and 004C. The tables below show what you will learn to do in each level.

UMEI 001 – Beginning and High Beginning

Reading, Writing, Grammar	Read a beginning level text of at least 500 words Read at a rate of 100 words per minute Read with at least 70% comprehension Make simple statements and questions Use the writing process to find ideas and write a paragraph Write a paragraph of at least 5 sentences in 30 minutes
Listening and Speaking	Understand a 2 to 3 minute listening selection Understand and participate in simple social situations Speak for 1 to 2 minutes on a familiar, personal topic

UMEI 002 – Intermediate I

Reading, Writing, Grammar	Read an intermediate level text of at least 500 words Read at a rate of 120 words per minute Read with at least 70% comprehension Use the writing process to draft a three paragraph essay Write a variety of correct sentence structures Write a paragraph of at least 7 sentences in 30 minutes
Listening and Speaking	Understand a 3 to 5 minute listening selection Understand and participate in a variety of social situations Give a 2 to 4 minute prepared presentation on a familiar topic

UMEI 003 – Intermediate II

Reading, Writing, Grammar	Read an intermediate level text of at least 800 words Read at a rate of 150 words per minute Read with at least 70% comprehension Use the writing process to draft a 3 to 4 paragraph essay Use modality, clause structure, and passive voice Write a well-built 3 paragraph essay in 50 minutes
Listening and Speaking	Understand a 5 to 10 minute academic listening selection Speak on a range of academic and non-academic topics Make a well-organized 3 to 5 minute prepared presentation on a social or simple academic topic

UMEI 004 – Intermediate III

Reading, Writing, Grammar	Read a low-advanced level text of at least 1000 words Read at a rate of 200 words per minute Read with at least 70% comprehension Use the writing process to draft a 4 to 5 paragraph essay Better control sentence structure and tense sequences Write a well-built 4 to 5 paragraph essay in 50 minutes
Listening and Speaking	Understand a 10 to 15 minute academic listening selection Effectively participate in and lead a group discussion Speak clearly on a range of academic and non-academic topics Give a well-organized 5 to 7 minute prepared presentation on an academic topic

UMEI 004C – Advanced

Reading, Writing, Grammar	Read an advanced level text of at least 1500 words Read at a rate of 250 words per minute Read with at least 70% comprehension Use the writing process to draft an essay of 5 or more paragraphs Construct writing pieces in a variety of rhetorical forms Write a well-built 5+ paragraph essay in 50 minutes
Listening and Speaking	Understand a 15 to 20 minute academic listening selection Participate effectively in open-ended academic speaking tasks Speak with ever improving clarity and comprehensibility Give a structured 8 to 10 minute prepared presentation on a well-researched academic topic

What Will I Learn in the Summer?

There are three intensive levels in the summer semester: 011, 012, and 013. You also take from 1 to 3 extra courses (electives). The tables below show what you will learn in each level and in the electives.

UMEI 011 – Elementary

By the end of the course, students will:
Reading	Read a beginning level text of at least 500 words with 75% or better comprehension.
Writing	Write a unified, coherent paragraph.
Listening	Understand the main ideas and some details of a 2 to 3 minute listening selection on a familiar or personal topic.
Speaking	Understand and participate in simple social interactions. Speak briefly on familiar, personal topics,

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

Summer Electives

The table below shows what you will do in the extra classes that are offered in the summer.

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	effective 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.

Apply Now!