General Education Courses

The following courses are taught by instructors in the Intensive English program and are open to all USU students. IELI 2475 confers 3 credits towards USU's General Education requirement. LANG 2420 is designed to help all college writers but may be of special benefit to writers whose primary language is one other than English.

IELI 2475 Cross-Cultural Explorations (Breadth Social Sciences)

Brings together students from a variety of ethnic backgrounds for the purpose of cultural exploration. Students examine the influence of culture on beliefs, behaviors, and values.

Course Goals:

  • Learn about various definitions of culture and how cultures influence behavior, beliefs, and values
  • Increase their awareness of cross-cultural similarities and differences in area such as communication, life-styles, business practices and institutional settings
  • Gain an understanding of the stages and symptoms of culture shock
  • Gain an understanding of fundamental value systems that inform and determine all cultural practices
  • Explore the value systems of the culture of the United States and the cultures of the international students enrolled in the class

LANG 2420 Writing (Communication Literacy 1– Equivalent to ENG 1010)

After completing this course, students do not have to take English 1010 but can register for English 2010.

Introduces students to academic writing demands. Students gather information from various sources, such as interviews, surveys, and academic texts; analyze and summarize 
the information; and write documented essays and reports.

Course Goals:

  • Academic research skills needed in university-level coursework 
  • Academic writing skills 
  • The computer skills necessary to participate in a writing class 

Benefits of Taking These Courses

  • Small number of students in a class
  • Culturally and linguistically diverse students
  • Experienced and culturally-sensitive faculty
  • Faculty with advanced degrees in teaching cultural topics and academic literacy skills