About the Obligatory English Preparatory Unit

English Language Preparation Program (ELPP)

The main purpose of  ELPP is to provide you with an effective language learning process and the necessary language skills that may help you throughout your academic life.

Some of the goals of ELPP is to teach you how to think analytically, critically; how to self-learn and how to communicate in a different language. Our experienced team of instructors will support you in your language learning process. The students who attend the program actively and work efficiently can achieve a high level of English.

In ELPP, apart from language learning, you will be provided with activities and strategies for life-long learning and for a wider vision. In order to create an effective learning environment, we are ready to give you all the help and support that you need to improve your learning strategies and language skills.

The quality of our program has been proven since we have been accreditated by the international accreditation institution "Pearson Assured" in 2017. ELPP meets 40 quality standards in the fields of management, organization, learning and assessment and therefore has been certified as compliant with the standards by Pearson Assured.

This accreditation shows that the students at İstanbul 29 Mayıs University English Language Preparation Program receieve their language education from an internationally-certified institution. All the students who successfully complete the ELPP gain the right to apply for Pearson Assured certification at the end of the academic year.

Details of the Program

One academic year in ELPP consists of 4 tracks and 2 semesters. One track includes 8 weeks of classes and each week has 28 total hours of lessons, which consists of 20 hours of general English (grammar, vocabulary, reading, listening, speaking and writing) and 8 hours of specifically reading, writing, listening and speaking.

The lessons start at 9:00 in the morning and ends at 3:00 pm every week day, apart from Friday when the classes end at noon.

Educational Method and Principles

We adopt a student-centered language education strategy. The main goal of the education is to let the students gain communication, reading, listening and academic writing skills in the target language. During the teaching process, we use methods that allow students talk and engage more than the instructors.The main role of the instructors is to guide the students in their process of acquiring the language.

The mean of communication during the lessons is English. There might be Turkish explanations occasionally if the instructor believes it is needed. Detailed lesson plans are prepared by the instructors in order to increase the efficiency of the lessons. In the lesson plans, the materials to be taught and activities to be used are clearly stated. Reading, listening, speaking and writing are all integrated into almost each lesson. Instructors can also make use of extra materials depending on the needs of the students. Technology and visual materials are also utilized in order to support students. Instructors keep "students profiles" about each and every student in order to track the development of the students individually.

Exams at ELPP

  • Track Exams: At the end of each track, the track exam takes place. Track exams consist of two parts; written and speaking.
  • Quizzes: Throughout the track, there are quizzes included in the assessment.
  • Homework and Projects: In order to create an effective and innovative learning environment, throughout the academic year, students are asked to complete homework and some projects.
  • In-class activities: In-class activities are closely followed and reported by the instructors to be able to track the development of the students' perfornamce. Attending the classes actively, completing the activities, being in the classroom on time and having all the materials are taken into consideration in the assessment.
  • End-of-Year Presentations: At the end of the academic year, students are asked to give a presentation about a topic to the other students and instructors.

The Overall Grade

ELPP has 4 tracks. At the end of each track, students take a written and a speaking exam. Apart from these exams, all the quizzes, homework, participation and projects are part of the assessment system. The average of these grades makes up the overall grade for the academic year. This overall grade must be 70 or higher for the students to complete the ELPP successfully and start their departments.

Attendance

Attendance is closely tracked in every lesson. Students are obligated to attend 90% of the lessons.