Level Placement & Level Change Policies
How are the levels set up in the Conversation & Culture Program?
Our program has six levels, A through F, ranging from beginning to advanced. The program is designed so that it should take a student two 4-week sessions to complete each level. (This differs from the longer 10-week Intensive English Program, in which successful students are ready to move to the next level at the completion of one term.) Curricula, textbooks, and instruction in the 4-week program are tailored to this two-session design; we plan carefully so that students will not be repeating material if they are in a level for the second time.
Our Levels: Click here for a more detailed level description
Level A: Beginning
Level B: High beginning
Level C: Low intermediate
Level D: Intermediate
Level E: High intermediate
Level F: Advanced
How are students placed in levels?
What happens if a student wants to change levels?
We have confidence that our system places students in the best level for them in the great majority of cases. If a student feels that he/she is not in the appropriate level, he/she should follow this procedure:
What is the goal of this level change policy?
Our goal is to place each student in the level that best fits his/her ability—the level where he/she will learn the most and feel the most comfortable. Moving to a level that is above the student’s ability is not beneficial and will not result in increased learning—only in stress and frustration for the student, the teacher, and other members of the class. Students should remember that the teachers and administrators of our program have many years of experience in evaluating students’ proficiency and placing them correctly. Our students are of the greatest importance to us, and we will make every effort to place each one in the most appropriate level.
If you have any questions about this policy, or if you think there has been a mistake in your level placement, please talk to the Conversation & Culture Coordinator by coming into the ESL Office or by using the "Contact Us" tab.
Return to Classes in the Conversation & Culture Program
Our program has six levels, A through F, ranging from beginning to advanced. The program is designed so that it should take a student two 4-week sessions to complete each level. (This differs from the longer 10-week Intensive English Program, in which successful students are ready to move to the next level at the completion of one term.) Curricula, textbooks, and instruction in the 4-week program are tailored to this two-session design; we plan carefully so that students will not be repeating material if they are in a level for the second time.
Our Levels: Click here for a more detailed level description
Level A: Beginning
Level B: High beginning
Level C: Low intermediate
Level D: Intermediate
Level E: High intermediate
Level F: Advanced
How are students placed in levels?
- New students: On orientation day, new students take the Cambridge Michigan English Placement Test, which includes sections on listening, grammar, vocabulary, and reading. Click here for more details about the test. Students are placed in the appropriate level based on their scores on the test.
- Continuing students: Students continuing from the previous month’s 4-week Conversation & Culture program will be placed in the same level as in the previous month, unless they have already spent two months in that level. (It takes two months to move from one level to the next.)
- Students from other IP programs: Students who have successfully completed a quarter in the ECI 10-Week Intensive English program will be placed in the level that is equivalent to the next level after the one they completed in the 10-week program. (For example, a student who has successfully completed Level 2 in the 10-Week Intensive English Program would be placed in Level C in the Conversation & Culture program.) If a student returns to IP’s 10-week Intensive English Program, placement will still be in the level following the 10-week level the student had successfully completed. (For example, a student who moves from Level 2 to Level C will go on to 10-week Level 3.)
What happens if a student wants to change levels?
We have confidence that our system places students in the best level for them in the great majority of cases. If a student feels that he/she is not in the appropriate level, he/she should follow this procedure:
- If the student wants to move to a higher level, he/she will be required to take a test consisting of a timed essay writing and an oral interview with two teachers. If this assessment indicates that the student is significantly above the proficiency range of his/her current level, then he/she may be moved to a higher level, provided there is space in that level.
- If a student wants to move to a lower level, he/she should speak to the Conversation & Culture coordinator within the first few days of the program. He/she may be moved to a lower level, provided there is space in that level.
What is the goal of this level change policy?
Our goal is to place each student in the level that best fits his/her ability—the level where he/she will learn the most and feel the most comfortable. Moving to a level that is above the student’s ability is not beneficial and will not result in increased learning—only in stress and frustration for the student, the teacher, and other members of the class. Students should remember that the teachers and administrators of our program have many years of experience in evaluating students’ proficiency and placing them correctly. Our students are of the greatest importance to us, and we will make every effort to place each one in the most appropriate level.
If you have any questions about this policy, or if you think there has been a mistake in your level placement, please talk to the Conversation & Culture Coordinator by coming into the ESL Office or by using the "Contact Us" tab.
Return to Classes in the Conversation & Culture Program
