The English as a Second Language Institute (ESL Institute)
Intensive Program Overview
The ESL Institute Program is intended for continuing education students who are interested in studying ONLY English as a Second Language (ESL).
The program that the ESL Center offers is designed to meet the educational needs of our full-time ESL students and to comply with AAIEP accreditation standards. These students are required to enroll in four ESL classes during the fall and winter semesters and three courses during the summer semesters. After completing the initial placement test, students are placed into a specific level for the three core course areas of reading, writing, and speaking/listening which are taught at three proficiency levels. For the fourth course, recommendations are given to each student based on the student's language abilities and needs. Possible recommendations include a course for academic communications which is offered at three levels (beginning, intermediate and advanced), for English grammar (online course) which is offered for one level (intermediate or advanced) ), and for test preparation (partially online) which is offered for one level (advanced only). In addition, during the fall and winter terms, the ESL Center employs a graduate assistant who provides small group and one-on-one tutoring by appointment for free.
Important
- Continuing education students in the ESL Institute may enroll in an intensive ESL program each term.
- During the fall and winter semesters the classes are 14 weeks long. During the summer, there are two sessions that are each 7 weeks long.
- Full-time students must enroll in four ESL classes each fall and winter semester at their placement level.
- Students do NOT receive academic credit for these courses; however, students may receive a certificate of completion if enrolled full-time and complete all courses satisfactorily (4 courses per semester which equals 16 hours).