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Western Oregon University provides an excellent English as a Second Language (ESL) Program to international students. Students who do not have the required English language proficiency are eligible for the Conditional Admission status and to enroll the full time ESL Program, they may only start their degree program study by achieving the required English testing scores, or the completion of the ESL program on campus.
The tuition for the ESL program at Western Oregon University is different from the regular degree program tuition. The current fee for the ESL program is $8,000 per academic year. Students will also be responsible for covering their living expenses and health insurance.
The Western Oregon University English as a Second Language program consists of five levels beginning with absolute beginners and culminating with college preparatory. Each level contains instruction in the four basic language skills of: listening, speaking, reading and writing in an integrated syllabus which will also include elements of American culture helpful in English study and life in the United States. An assessment test will be giving to students to determine the appropriate starting level. Each level consists of five hours of instruction five days a week for nine weeks each term for a total of 225 lesson hours per term, plus five hours per week language practice with American students, followed by a final exam. At the end of each level another assessment will be given to determine if students are ready to move up to the next level.
The overall objectives of the program are to produce individuals who:
Have near-native conversational ability
Are fully literate in reading and writing
Are familiar with American culture and history
Have obtained a paper TOEFL score of 500.
The emphasis of this level will be basic speaking and listening skills necessary for simple conversations in English and preparation for further literacy skills. Morning classes will be devoted to listening and speaking skills while afternoon classes will introduce basic reading and writing skills. At the completion of level 1, students will have a working vocabulary of about 1200 words and be able to speak, understand, read and write in simple (single-clause) sentences
This level will expand students’ vocabulary to roughly 2500 words, both in receptive and productive skills. Communicative skills will be enhanced through a situational syllabus in which students are introduced to a wider range of conversational environments. Students will begin a formal study of grammar so that they can comprehend and produce two-clause compound and complex sentences. Conversational strategies will be an important element of these lessons.
In this level, the focus will shift from language itself to topics related to American life and culture. The goal of this level is to greatly expand vocabulary as well as increase students’ ability to use the English language as a tool to further learning. Students will learn to read about, write about and discuss with others topics such as: art, music, sports, current events etc. Vocabulary will be expanded to over 4000 words including Latin and Greek roots as well as contemporary slang.
The fourth level of the program will be content based with emphasis on school-type subjects such as mathematics, American literature, science, history etc. This willt involve using High School level text books so that students are conversant and literate in the subject needed for later university study. Students will be required to write library papers and make formal speeches and classroom presentations.
Because most universities require international students to pass the TOEFL exam, one emphasis of level 5 will be the more complicated grammar necessary for achieving a satisfactory TOEFL score. Other areas to be stressed will be critical and analytical thinking skills, comprehending lectures and documentaries, writing argumentative papers and reading authentic texts such as magazines, newspapers and college level texts.
International Students and Scholars Affairs ph:503-838-8425 fax:503-838-8338 | or e-mail: global@wou.edu
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