English as a Second Language

Shawn Nichols-Boyle, Ph.D. | Acting Director (2012-2013)

Wiekamp Hall 3159 | (574) 520-4559 | english.iusb.edu

About English as a Second Language

Students whose native language is not English may be placed into the English as a Second Language (ESL) Program for additional support.

Students whose native language is not English are required to take placement examinations prior to registration. The ESL placement examinations include an oral and a written examination and determine whether special English instruction will be required as part of the regular student course load. Students must take any supplemental English language courses prescribed from the results of this examination. Fees for supplemental English courses are the same as for other courses, but no credits are earned towards meeting degree requirements. If students are required to take English course(s), they must begin them during their first semester of study, and complete any remaining course(s) during consecutive subsequent semester(s). No interruption in the sequence of prescribed ESL courses will be permitted; students are automatically pre-registered in the prescribed ESL courses every semester until they are done with the sequence. Exceptions will be made in the summer, if classes are not offered at that time.

The ESL Program offers the following composition courses for nonnative speakers:

• ENG-G 13 Academic Writing Graduate Students (International Students)
• ENG-W 31 Pre-Composition/ESL (4 cr.)
• ENG-W 130 Principles of Composition/ESL

The ESL ENG-W 31 Pre-Composition/ESL and ESL ENG-W 130 Principles of Composition/ESL courses (above) offer instruction to students who need to develop the composition skills necessary for ENG-W 131 Elementary Composition 1, required for all IU South Bend degrees. Finally, a research-oriented graduate-level ESL composition course, similar to the undergraduate ENG-W 131 Elementary Composition 1 course, is available as ENG-G 13 Academic Writing for Graduate Students in the general course list (ENG).

Nonnative speakers may also be placed into the following language support classes:

• ENG-G 20 Communication Skills for Graduate Students and ITAS (4 cr.)
• LING-L 100 English Language Improvement (4 cr.)

See the general course listing for complete course descriptions.

For further information about the ESL Program, contact the program director.