OVERVIEW OF CURRICULUM
AEIS helps international students develop expertise in English for academic purposes while they are taking other classes at the University of Oregon. Academic English courses at the 100 level carry graduation credit (4 credits per course). AEIS courses are taught by faculty in the American English Institute (AEI) in the Linguistics Department. The answers to the following frequently asked questions (FAQ's) are listed below. Course Descriptions are also available.
TESTING AND PLACEMENT, FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)
Before Placement:
1. How do I know if I have AEIS requirements?
2. What are the different kinds of placement tests?
3. When can I take a test and get my results?
4. How do placements happen?
5. Can students retest?
After Placement:
6. How do I register for AEIS courses?
7. When should I take AEIS courses?
8. Are the AEIS courses sequential courses?
9. Are AEIS courses graded?
10. Where do I go for counseling or advice concerning AEIS?
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1. How do I know if I have AEIS requirements?
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Placement Tests indicate whether Academic English courses are required. The results are used to identify which courses a student must take.
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All international students (undergraduate and graduate) whose TOEFL scores are below 575 on the paper-based test or below 88 on the Internet-based test (IBT) are required to take all of the Academic English Placement Tests after arriving at the University. Graduate students who have earned a degree from a U.S. college or university are exempt from all Academic English Placement tests.
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All international undergraduate students (regardless of TOEFL scores) who need to take Writing 121 (Freshman Composition) are required to take the Academic English Writing Placement test.
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Undergraduate students who have already received transfer credit for Writing121 do not have to take the Writing portion of the Academic English Placement Test.
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2. What are the different kinds of placement tests?
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Part 1: Writing Test (30 minutes )
Students are given three questions and must choose one to write a 30-minute essay.
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Part 2: Listening and Structure Tests (1 hour and 45 minutes)
A) Listening Test: This is a multiple choice test. Students listen to questions and statements and choose the best answer. There are 90 items and the test is 30 minutes long.
B) Structure Test: This is also a multiple choice test that covers grammar, vocabulary, and reading. There are 100 items and it is 1 hour and 15 minutes long.
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3. When can I take a test and get my results?
4. How do placements happen?
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Initial placements are made based upon the results of the Academic English testing. Instructors in each course do additional specialized testing and make observations the first few days of class to verify placement. This gives students additional time and different conditions under which they can demonstrate their proficiency. Anyone who feels his or her placements are inaccurate or who has questions about testing should contact AEIS advising aeisinfo@uoregon.edu.
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Placements for the writing courses are based primarily on your writing test. All papers are read by at least two faculty from the American English Institute.
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Placements for Comprehending Oral Academic Discourse and Producing Oral Academic Discourse are based primarily on the listening test. There tends to be a correlation between a person's speaking and listening abilities, so initial placement into Producing Oral Academic Discourse is based on the listening test results. The instructor will then do additional testing in class to verify placement. Placement for Comprehending Written Academic Text is based primarily on the Structure Test. The instructor gives an additional reading test to diagnose any reading problems and verify placement on the first day of class.
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5. Can students retest?
6. How do I register for AEIS courses?
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Your placement report will be at the Office of International Programs, Room 330 Oregon Hall. The Academic English Program Coordinator will pre-authorize you for the classes you have placed into. You will then be able to register for Academic English classes through DuckWeb.
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You can look at AEIS and UO course offerings on the UO Class Schedule .
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You register for AEIS courses online in DuckWeb.
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7. When should I take AEIS courses?
8. Are the AEIS courses sequential courses?
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The Comprehending Oral Academic Discourse (AEIS 103), Producing Oral Academic Discourse (AEIS 105) and Comprehending Written Academic Text (AEIS 107) courses are not sequential courses. You may test into some but not others. They may be taken in any combination or in any order. However, students placing into both Comprehending Written Academic Text (AEIS 107) and any of the Written Discourse classes are strongly recommended to take Comprehending Written Academic Text as a prerequisite to or concurrently with Written Discourse III (AEIS 112).
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The Written Discourse I, II, and III (AEIS 110, 111, and 112) courses are sequential; that is, the courses are increasingly difficult. At the end of Written Discourse I (AEIS 110), the instructor will evaluate your progress and decide what your next course should be. See the AEIS Courses web page for more information.
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9. Are AEIS courses graded?
10. Where do I go for counseling or advice concerning AEIS?
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