Communication for Academic and Professional Success (CAPS)

Students in this course will learn higher-level communication strategies necessary to achieve individual goals in academic, technical, and business environments. Upon completion of the course, students will demonstrate increased cultural and linguistic proficiency.

This course is designed to help international students develop skills in writing, reading and discussion as a means of discovering, questioning and analyzing ideas. Students will engage in reading a variety of texts on a theme, extrapolating key ideas, and developing their own claims through discussion, research writing, and presentation. Additionally, this course will provide support to address common writing issues for multilingual speakers of English as well as build intercultural competence in communication. Placement in this course is based on TOEFL/IELTS and/or placement exam results.

This English communication course will give international students the opportunity to expand their knowledge of Chicago’s history and culture while developing their voice through advanced conversation, presentation, and discussion skills. Through a storytelling and experiential lens, students will focus on articulating and responding to in-depth questions, applying advanced presentation skills, and using cultural and communicative skills to collaborate in dynamic city-focused discussions. Placement in this course is based on TOEFL/IELTS and/or placement exam results.

This reading and writing intensive course will give multilingual students the opportunity to engage with contemporary global topics affecting people across the world. Students will develop their critical reading skills through both fiction and non-fiction texts. Through writing-focused projects, students will grow their writing skills by evaluating evidence, integrating outside sources, and applying the writing process to create evidence-based and original texts. Placement in this course is based on TOEFL/IELTS and/or placement exam results.

This course focuses on the most important topic of all: YOU! You have a unique story to tell – whether in an interview, a discussion, or a professional presentation – and this course will give students the opportunity to develop advanced language skills around each student’s field of study and interests. Through engaging with audio and video materials, active reading, and intensive speaking practice, students will work to develop personalized responses to a variety of behavioral interview questions, research and contribute information from their individual fields into a group discussion, as well as write and present on a technical topic to a general audience of students. Placement in this course is based on TOEFL/IELTS and/or placement exam results.

Students in this course will learn higher-level communication strategies necessary to achieve individual goals in academic, technical, and business environments. Upon completion of the course, students will demonstrate increased cultural and linguistic proficiency.