Objectives for Level 2

Level 2: high beginning to low intermediate level

Reading objectives:
In completing Level 2, students should be able to:
o Use and comprehend popular American idioms.
o Read and comprehend different types of reading selections and
show their comprehension by correctly answering 80% of the
questions posed to them about the reading.
o Define, understand and use important basic every day and
academic vocabulary. Students will study a minimum of 150 new
vocabulary words,
o Identify main ideas and supporting ideas with 80% accuracy.
o Write short summaries of the reading selections with 80% accuracy.
o Write simple outlines stating the thesis and main ideas presented
by the author in a reading selection with 80% accuracy.
o Comprehend simple short stories by answering questions on them
with 70% accuracy.
o Identify inferences made by the author.
o Recognize the divergent points of view on a subject and discuss
these in class and in writing.
o Use prior knowledge to predict what the reading selection will be
about.

Writing Skills, Grammar and Handwriting skills:

In completing Level 2, students should be able to:
o Penmanship skills: begin or continue to produce and be able to
read cursive writing with 60% accuracy [students starting the
program at level 2 will be beginning to develop these skills;
students who started the program at level 1 will be continuing to
develop their cursive writing skills.] Students will use the DNealian
cursive style.
o Use pre-writing strategies such as graphic organizers to help them
compose paragraphs and short essays.
o Write short summaries of the reading selections with 80% accuracy.
o Write simple outlines stating the thesis and main ideas presented
by the author in a reading selection with 80% accuracy.

o Write different types of paragraphs and short essays: opinion,

descriptive, cause/effect, comparison/contrast, etc.
o Write paragraphs/essays with a strong, argumentative thesis
statement and with topic sentences that support the thesis.
o Write appropriate supporting sentences that provide details,
examples, etc.
o Write using correct grammaruse of different tenses, subject/verb
agreement; correct use of pronouns; comparative adverbs, writing
using parallel structures, etc. with 80% accuracy.
o Use the appropriate transition words and phrases within
paragraphs and between paragraphs when writing different types of
paragraphs/essays.
o Define and use at least 150 new vocabulary words in their oral and
written language. [Vocabulary is determined by the chapters in the
textbook]
o Prepare and type all written work following the MLA style format.

Speaking and Listening Comprehension Skills:

In completing Level 2, students should be able to:
o Express ideas, defend ideas, answer questions, and participate in
short conversations and interviews.
o Understand and use different types of spoken Englishformal,
academic English, informal English used with peers, etc.
o Recognize, understand, and use non-verbal cues used by the
average American English speaker.
o Listen to simple conversations, reports, interviews, announcements
and answer basic questions about any of these with 80% accuracy.
o Acquire and correctly use important basic every day and academic
vocabulary.
o Define and use at least 150 new vocabulary words in their oral and
written language. [Vocabulary is determined by the chapters in the
textbook]
o Speak in an organized fashion so that others understand their ideas
and follow their arguments.
o Identify different tones, inflections in spoken English and the
information they may carry.
o Take simple dictations in order to sharpen their listening skills and
complete these with 80% accuracy.
o Identify main ideas and details in spoken language with 80%
accuracy.

Pronunciation Skills:
In completing Level 2, students should be able to:
o Produce approximated sounds and intonation of American English
with 70% accuracy.

Enunciate similar sounds through the practice of tongue twisters.

o Produce and be able to hear the reductions and omissions of
sounds in spoken English with 70% accuracy.

Conversational Skills:
In completing Level 2, students should be able to:
o Participate in short conversations in informal situations.
o Produce the sounds they have learned in the pronunciation class to
make their language intelligible.
o Use phrases and ritualistic discourse patterns (gambits;
conversation patterns) in short conversations.
o Participate in small talk conversations.

Other objectives for this level:

In completing Level 2, students should be able to:
o Exhibit classroom behaviors typical of American universities and
colleges:
Participate in classroom discussions.
Voice and support their opinions
Work in small groups or pairs
Understand the meaning of and avoid plagiarism.
Organize their classroom materials.
Recognize and explain the importance of a syllabus