English Bridge Program
Overview
Aimed at building academic and professional communication skills, the English Bridge Program (EBP) offers not only a head start in university education to madrasa-educated students and others; it also seeks to equip its participants with proficiency in entrepreneurial and social interaction in the English language. The structure and content of EBP is curated for its target population of learners. Spread over three terms, the program lays a functional foundation for the students’ academic and professional needs in English.
The program draws on a wide range of cutting-edge resources for language learning including AI-enabled software, interactive ‘intelligent’ technologies as well as traditional tools and instructional methods. * This is a non-residential program.
Program Structure
| Program Structure | 2 Semesters + Boot Camp |
|---|---|
| Total Number of Credit Hours | 80 Credit Hours. |
| Program Shifts & Timings | Regular - Full Time |
The English Bridge Program begins with a 21-day intensive called the EBP Bootcamp. The idea behind this kick-starter is three-fold: one, to appetise the newly admitted cohort by building rapport between the program staff, the faculty and the students, as well as by giving them a hands-on preview of the program; two, to sift through the relative talents and strengths of the admitted students, while identifying their common and individual areas for improvement; and three, to test-run teaching and testing methods and streamline academic and administrative processes.
During the bootcamp, students focus on acquiring primary concepts and a core skillset within the various domains of communicative proficiency. They put what they learn immediately into practice and work to develop a trusted system of continuous learning, and look to build their own communicative trustworthiness. The bootcamp culminates in a gala in which students display their learning in distinct communicative projects that they have accomplished.
In the first semester, which spans 14-16 weeks, participants gradually scale up from an elementary level of proficiency to the higher level in key domains of communicative mastery. While the foundations of language learning (grammar and vocabulary, listening and speaking, reading and writing)will be predominantly emphasized upon, in this semester, students will also learn to effectively engage with physical and digital platforms of communication.
One central goal of the program is to bring all students at par with one another in terms of their motivation and to streamline their competencies in ways that would benefit the majority of the
The second semester reinforces the learning outcomes of the first semester but the spotlight now is on applying the skills acquired in specific domains of social and virtual interaction.
Students enhance their grasp of English sound and meaning structures while applying their skills to achieve specific communication goals.They hone their English proficiency in Semester 2 by indulging in blogging, podcasting and bilingual translation projects. Students also work towards independence in academic literacy, engaging in multidisciplinary reading and writing as well as university-grade speaking and listening assignments.
Courses
Vocabulary modules are built around three objectives: laying a foundation in academic vocabulary; building an expanding repertoire of situational phrases and thematic words and expressions; and setting up a broad-based system for vocabulary growth and lexical troubleshooting.
Work in the area of listening comprehension introduces learners to a variety of English accents—not merely to familiarize them to the different styles and rhythms of World Englishes but to enable them to comprehend speakers of English from different parts of the world. Also, listening modules expose participants to different genres of communication including talks, presentations, interviews, discussions, vlogs and documentaries.
Units on pronunciation seek to standardize the patterns of natural speech of learners. While learners are formally introduced to the sound system (pronunciation, stress and intonation) of British and American English, the objective here is to make their speech intelligible not only within the Pakistani university settings, but also internationally. Given the multilingual classroom context, pronunciation work requires individual customisation, based on the native language of each learner.
Coursework in this area covers reading strategies and skills that enable students to tackle journalistic prose as well as academic writing according to various reading purposes. Work on ‘extensive reading’ builds their reading stamina, even as they develop micro and macro speed reading skills. Work on intensive reading empowers students to critically examine texts and raise and respond to analytical questions.
This component of the EBP curriculum focuses on developing analytical and persuasive writing skills of students, which they deploy in various project domains. Through a communication process approach, students not only learn to craft some of the major types of composition but learn to produce book reviews, academic summaries and project reports.
Under PDS, students learn how to construct, design and deliver a presentation. They also learn how to participate in meetings and how to engage in discussions which are steered towards decision-making.