College of Arts & Sciences
   


English as a Second Language

Narrative

The program is designed to teach English to students whose native language is not English. The main goal of the ESL program is to prepare those students for academic life in a University setting. The intensive, academics program covers the following areas: grammar, reading, writing, and speaking/listening.

For Whom Is The Program Designed

Any adult who is not a native speaker of English and who has completed a high school education may apply. Even though most students in the program continue on to pursue studies at UDC that is not a requirement to join the program. No minimum level of English proficiency is required. An applicant to the program does NOT need to take the TOEFL exam. If a student has taken the TOEFL, a score of 525 (for undergraduate students) and 550 (for graduate students) will exempt a student from the ESL program.

Current Status

At the present time, over three quarters of the ESL faculty have doctorates. The remaining faculty members have M. A.'s and certification in the teaching of English as a Second Language. The program has a language laboratory with both audio and video facilities. The students may use the facility during certain classes or individually, before or after class.

Program of Study

The program has three levels: basic, intermediate, and advanced. The basic level is composed of Basic I/Basic II, a one-semester course. The intermediate level is composed of Intermediate I/Intermediate II, a one-semester course. The advanced level is composed of two courses of Advanced I and Advanced II. Each of the two advanced courses is one semester long. The Advanced II course is a requirement in order to exit the ESL program.

The Basic I/Basic II and the Intermediate I/Intermediate II courses each meet for a four-hour block of time three days a week. The student has a choice of attending school either in the morning or in the evening.

The morning schedule is from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Monday/Wednesday/Friday. The evening schedule is from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Monday/Wednesday/Friday. The four-hour block is divided into four, one hour-long classes. On any given school day, the student will receive one hour of each of the following skills: grammar, writing, reading, and speaking/listening.

The Advanced I class also meets on Monday/Wednesday/Friday but for duration of three hours each day. The Advanced II class meets on the same days for a period of two hours each day.

How Long Will It Take To Complete Program

The length of the program depends on two variables:

  1. the point at which the student enters the program,and
  2. the student's performance (grades) once he/she is in the program.
Based on a UDC-administered placement exam (i.e. the C.E.L.T.), a new student will be placed at the appropriate level. The student will progress from one level to the next if he/she achieves a minimum "C" average. Assuming the student enters the program at the Basic I/Basic II level, and the performance is satisfactory, the maximum length is two years.

While attending the ESL program, a student is allowed to start taking non-ESL courses at the Intermediate I/Intermediate II level. Students at this level are encouraged to take a mathematics course, thus fulfilling one of the University-wide requirements.At the Advanced I level the average ESL student takes one course in his area of concentration. At the Advanced II level, most students take two courses in their major.

How to Enroll

In order to enter the ESL program, the individual must first enroll as a UDC student. This is the case even if the student is only interested in attending UDC for the sole purpose of studying ESL. After being admitted to UDC, the student will be informed of the date in which to take the C.E.L.T. (Comprehensive English Language Test). The results of the C.E.L.T. will be given to the student. The student will then bring those results to a meeting with the ESL Coordinator, Dr. Ahmed El-Bashir. Dr. El-Bashir's office is in Building 41, Room 462-02. (The ESL Director's, Dr. H. Hailu, office is located in Building 41, Room 462-02.) His phone number is (202) 274-5556. The street address is 4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Van Ness Campus.

For more information, call the Department of Languages and Communication Disorders at (202) 274-7405.