ESL Program
Students who have a baccalaureate degree or an associates degree from a community college, technical college, or junior college can attend Knowledge Systems Institute to improve their English language proficiency. This program consists of five ESL (English as a Second Language) courses. The program is designed so that the student acquires language proficiency from concentrated activities as well as in the typical classroom setting.
English Language Proficiency Requirements for Graduation
International students are required to attain a certain level of proficiency in the English language in order to receive their degree. Applicants may meet this proficiency requirement by submitting an official TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score report of 213 (550 paper-based equivalent) or higher. International students without a TOEFL score of 213 (550) or higher will be required to enroll in the ESL program in order to be accepted into the graduate program.
The noncredit ESL program consists of 5 levels. All courses in the ESL program are graded pass/fail only. ESL levels I, II, and III must be taken consecutively. Failure to sign up for the proper ESL courses on registration day will result in an automatic registration on the first day of class and a late registration fee will be charged.
Upon completion of three levels of ESL, students may submit a valid and official TOEFL score of 180 (510) or higher to fulfill the English proficiency requirement. Students who do not reach a score of 180 or higher must continue taking ESL level IV and level V. Successful completion of all five levels of the ESL program in proper succession will satisfy English proficiency requirements. International students who do not wish to take the TOEFL test must pass all five levels of the ESL program to fulfill the English proficiency requirement.
If a student submits an official TOEFL score report of 213 (550) or higher during the semester, he/she does not need to continue attending the ESL class; however, the student must submit a withdrawal form to the registrar’s office. Students withdrawing from the ESL program midterm will not receive a grade, however withdrawal from the course will be noted in the student file and on grade reports and transcripts. If the student does not formally withdraw from the course, the instructor will give a final course grade based on progress thus far (this will usually be a grade of “F” or “D”). Withdrawing students will not be issued any credit or refund for the ESL course tuition.
ESL Program Course DescriptionsESL I
English Grammar and Conversation I: This course is for students with only a little background in the English language. Emphasis is on verbs; regular, irregular, verb tense, etc. Grammar will be studied through reading, writing and conversational practice. Spoken English will be approached through the study of idioms and phrasal verbs. This course or the equivalent English proficiency is necessary as a foundation for subsequent ESL courses.ESL II
English Grammar and Conversation II: Study of grammar continues with focus on verb tense, adjectives and adverbs, nouns and articles. Students continue to study grammar through reading writing and conversation. The course will also emphasize vocabulary building through the study of prefixes, suffixes, etc. Prerequisite: ESL I or equivalent.ESL III
English Grammar and Conversation III: Students will begin work with sophisticated grammatical concepts such as adjective and adverbial clauses, conditionals, and punctuation. Pronunciation rules are emphasized in spoken English. This course also introduces stylistic techniques in writing. Students learn through reading writing and oral presentations. Prerequisite: ESL II.ESL IV
Academic Composition and Presentation: This course is designed to help the student in thesis and other academic writing. Students will examine various documents for style and form. Focus is on learning to develop paragraphs, chapters, topics, titles, themes, etc. Students will write essays and speeches, which will be presented orally. Students will also learn the proper use of footnotes, as well as how to write abstracts and bibliographies. Prerequisite: ESL III.ESL V
Business Composition and Presentation: This course looks at several applications of written English. Students will learn to differentiate between academic and business styles by examining various documents. These examples will be contrasted and compared. The course will then focus on composition of business style documents and letters. Students will learn to construct an effective resume and give a strong, business-oriented oral presentation. Prerequisite: ESL IV.
