Students are placed in individual ELL courses through appropriate placement test scores and/or evaluation of previous coursework.
Credit Hour ratios represent full term, weekly hours, where the first digit represents the weekly lecture hour, the second digit represents the weekly lab/studio hour, and the third digit represents credits.
For example, a typical 3 credit lecture course will be displayed as: 3-0-3.
More information is available on the Catalog - Credit Hour page.
(Formerly ESL 023) This is a course for advanced beginners that will enable students to apply grammar in listening, speaking, reading and academic writing. It is recommended that students take the course with reading, writing, and listening/speaking courses of similar levels.
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Use the simple present, past and future tenses of regular and irregular verbs.
Use with some accuracy the present and past continuous verb tenses.
Construct and use yes/no and questions.
Produce and use sentences with if, when, after, before, because and while with correct verb tenses.
Use modals of ability, request and necessity.
Utilize with some accuracy prepositions of time, place, pronouns and count/non-count nouns.
Use with some accuracy comparisons and superlatives.
Demonstrate the use of the appropriate grammar structures for the level.
Recognize the present perfect tense and produce it with some accuracy.
Prerequisite: Appropriate Placement Test scores.
3 Credits3-0-3
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Construct simple, clear sentences with correct capitalization and punctuation.
Create simplified forms of compound and complex sentences with appropriate linking words/conjunctions.
Compose unified paragraphs of 8 to 10 sentences about people, places and events in accordance with the academic standards.
Collect and organize information for paragraph writing.
Recognize and identify the basic parts of speech in writing using the correct dictionary abbreviations.
Use the basic verb tenses to indicate present, past and future time in writing.
Utilize the common modals and prepositions of time and location correctly.
Recognize and correct common writing and sentence errors.
Choose and use correct word forms, articles, and prepositions in writing.
Prerequisite: Appropriate Placement Test scores.
4 Credits3-2-4
(Formerly ESL 025) In this course, students will develop reading comprehension skills and expand vocabulary. Students will utilize various reading and vocabulary strategies to understand level-appropriate academic texts that prepare them for the next course level. It is recommended that students take the course with grammar, writing, and listening/speaking courses of similar levels.
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Demonstrate reading comprehension of level-appropriate text.
Use guidelines and instructions for reading assignments.
Identify main ideas and supporting details.
Utilize various previewing strategies.
Demonstrate text comprehension by analyzing sentence structures.
Demonstrate text comprehension by using skimming and scanning strategies.
Expand vocabulary and use strategies to infer the meaning of vocabulary.
Apply the level-appropriate English-English dictionary skills for reading.
Analyze level-appropriate text structures.
4 Credits3-2-4
(Formerly ESL 026) This is a course for advanced beginners who have some basic knowledge of English and some functional communicative ability (e.g. simple questions and answers on topics of everyday interest). Class time is devoted to speaking for everyday and basic academic needs, grammar practice, pronunciation, critical thinking, intensive listening to short, simplified narratives and listening for specific information in extended narratives, conversations, and short lectures. It is recommended that students take this course with grammar, writing, and reading courses of similar levels.
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Use a variety of speaking skills to hold short conversations (e.g.agreeing, disagreeing, describing, giving orders, asking for information, expressing an opinion)Demonstrate the use of courtesy expressions in various situations.
Describe or narrate an event using two or more sentences.
Identify and comprehensibly produce English sounds and intonation patterns within level appropriate sentences.
Utilize listening strategies to understand information necessary for everyday life (eg, weather forecasts, classroom language).
Show comprehension of simplified, extended narratives (eg, lectures and dialogues).
Apply basic note-taking skills to take notes on short lectures.
Make inferences about what speakers say.
Give short structured talks with appropriate academic vocabulary of at least 1-2 minutes on areas of interest.
4 Credits3-2-4
(Formerly ESL 033) This course aims at the development of intermediate grammar skills following ELL 023 (Elementary Grammar). Students are introduced to grammatical structures through a variety of activities that integrate all language skills and enhance students’ understanding and usage of grammar in academic English. These activities will prepare students for higher level of ELL and regular academic English classes.
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Demonstrate appropriate use of the present, past, and future tenses in context.
Demonstrate appropriate use of some functions of the present perfect.
Recognize and utilize some patterns with gerund and infinitive forms of verbs.
Demonstrate understanding of passive sentences and produce them with some accuracy.
Use modals expressing possibility, ability, and permissibility appropriately.
Recognize and utilize some patterns of noun, adjective, and adverb clauses in context.
Use strategies to detect and correct grammatical errors.
Apply studied grammatical patterns to academic writing.
Prerequisites: ESL 023 or appropriate placement test scores.
3 Credits3-0-3
(Formerly ESL 034) This course aims at the development of intermediate writing skills following ELL 024 (Elementary Writing). Students are introduced to a variety of strategies that require synthesis and analysis in writing cohesive academic paragraphs and simple essays. Diverse strategies and techniques will prepare students for higher level ESL and regular academic English classes.
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Generate, collect, and organize ideas using several pre-writing strategies including outlining.
Select and evaluate main ideas and supporting details for the paragraphs.
Revise drafts in the writing process.
Compose a well-structured paragraph and short essays using multiple paragraphs.
Use transitional and logical connectors to link the ideas in paragraphs.
Use description, narration, explanation, and illustration in writing.
Apply elements of subordination to combine short sentences and emphasize important ideas in writing.
Construct compound and complex sentences with correct capitalization, punctuation, and structure.
Employ most of the present, past, and future tenses, modals, gerunds, pronouns, and infinitives.
Demonstrate editing skills.
Prerequisites: ELL 024 or Appropriate placement test scores.
4 Credits3-2-4
(Formerly ESL 035) In this course, students will expand reading skills and vocabulary. Students will utilize various reading and vocabulary strategies to comprehend level-appropriate academic texts that prepare them for the next course level. It is recommended that students take the course with ELL grammar, writing, and listening/speaking courses of similar levels.
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Demonstrate reading comprehension of level-appropriate text.
Utilize various previewing strategies to predict content.
Demonstrate text comprehension by using skimming and scanning strategies.
Differentiate main and supporting ideas of the level-appropriate text.
Identify the main idea of the level-appropriate text and formulate it by employing some paraphrasing strategies.
Demonstrate text comprehension by analyzing sentence structures and restating ideas.
Demonstrate comprehension of visual materials such as maps, charts, and graphs, as part of a text.
Identify evidence for inferences in text, examine it, and formulate basic conclusions.
Expand vocabulary, use strategies to infer the meaning of vocabulary, and utilize vocabulary correctly and appropriately.
Apply the appropriate level English-English dictionary skills for reading.
Prerequisites: ELL 025 or appropriate placement test scores.
4 Credits3-2-4
(Formerly ESL 036) This course is a speaking and listening course for developing intermediate ELL students. Students entering the course should be able to answer questions about their own lives and expand a spontaneous narrative to three or four sentences. Class time is devoted to speaking for academic needs and various social situations, as well as the practice of grammar, pronunciation, critical thinking, and listening for information in conversations, extended narratives, and short lectures. It is recommended that students take this course with ESL grammar, reading, and writing courses of similar levels.
Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
Use a variety of speaking skills appropriate for this level to participate in dialogue or group discussions (e.g., asking questions, expressing opinions, signaling reasons).
Demonstrate the use of politeness and formality expressions in various social and academic situations.
Research and give short presentations with appropriate academic vocabulary of 4 minutes on areas of interest.
Identify and comprehensibly produce English sounds, reductions, and intonation patterns within level appropriate sentences.
Show comprehension of simplified lectures of 3-10 minutes on academic topics.
Identify information in conversations and narratives.
Apply basic note-taking skills to take notes on short lectures.
Make inferences about what speakers say.
Prerequisites: ELL 026 or appropriate placement test scores.
4 Credits3-2-4
Identify essays for different purposes.
Collect and logically organize information and ideas required for different types of essays.
Compose essays for a variety of purposes and audiences.
Apply the steps of the writing process to academic essays.
Produce writing assignments in accordance with different guidelines and instructions.
Use a variety of complex sentences with confidence in writing.
Employ transitional devices in essays to link ideas logically and cohesively.
Revise papers in response to instructors' and peers' comments.
Demonstrate in a portfolio independent revising and writing skills required for academic essays.
Practice independently grammatical structures and writing elements that are necessary for academic writing.
Use a variety of reading strategies to interpret meaning, including previewing and predicting, skimming, scanning, interpreting charts and graphs, making inferences, formulating logical conclusions, annotating a text, and analyzing signal words.
Identify the main idea of the academic text and formulate it by employing paraphrasing and summarizing strategies, both verbally and in writing.
Demonstrate reading comprehension of academic texts.
Differentiate main and supporting ideas of the academic text.
Demonstrate text comprehension by analyzing sentence structures and restating ideas.
Expand vocabulary and idiomatic expressions; use strategies to infer the meaning and utilize vocabulary and idiomatic expressions correctly and appropriately.
Demonstrate knowledge of roots, prefixes and suffixes and apply that knowledge as strategy to paraphrase with different word forms.
Apply advanced English-English dictionary skills for reading.
Independently practice reading and vocabulary skills that are necessary for academic reading.
Use a variety of speaking skills and strategies appropriate for this level to engage in dialogues or group discussions on academic-related topics (eg, expressing opinions, restating/referencing ideas, synthesizing information, and discussing problem-solution situations).
Demonstrate the use of appropriate expressions with varying degrees of formality in various social and academic contexts.
Research, organize, and deliver presentations with appropriate academic vocabulary of 5-7 minutes.
Identify and comprehensibly produce English sounds, reductions, and intonation patterns within level appropriate sentences.
Demonstrate comprehension of both adapted and original discourse on a variety of topics and of varying lengths.
Apply note-taking skills to take notes on extended narratives.
Make inferences about what speakers say.
Practice independently listening and speaking skills, along with pronunciation awareness, through various communication opportunities (eg, online activities and participation in relevant college events) to enhance overall communication skills.
Apply fundamental verb tenses with accuracy.
Use the past perfect and past perfect continuous verb tenses accurately.
Demonstrate accurate use of the future perfect and future perfect continuous verb tenses.
Use adverb, noun, and adjective clauses appropriately.
Produce and accurately use modals, gerunds, infinitives, and passive voice.
Correctly use real and unreal conditional verbs.
Demonstrate appropriate use of reported speech patterns.
Apply studied grammatical patterns and tools such as connectors, tense shifting, and reference words to extended academic writing.
Apply formal grammar to discourse assignments.
Use strategies to detect and correct grammatical errors.