| FAQ´s Answers |
| 1. How was I placed into the ESL program and into my ESL level? |
You were identified as an ESL student based on your application and the Accuplacer exam that you took. The Department of Language and Cognition placement committee then reviewed your exam materials and placed you in our ESL sequence.
The placement committee´s determination was double-checked during the first week of classes, when your teachers assessed your English proficiency in a variety of ways in order to see if you were properly placed in your classes.
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| 2. Which ESL courses do I have to take? |
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The ESL programs offered by the Department of Language and Cognition are depicted in the chart below. There is a "regular" program and an "intensive" program. Students enter the intensive program either after testing or after taking ESL 25 and ESL 26 or 27. Each level of the program involves between 9 and 12 hours of ESL class work per week, including writing and reading components and a language workshop.
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ENG 110: Expository Writing
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Regular Program
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Intensive Program
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ESL 91
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ESL 92
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ESL 86 and ESL 88
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ESL 35
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ESL 36 or 37
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ESL 25
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ESL 26 or 27
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ESL 25
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ESL 26 or 27 |
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| 3. When will I be able to consider myself a “graduate” of the ESL Program? |
You will be able to consider yourself a "graduate" of the ESL program when you have been placed into ENG 110, ENG 110+10, or ENG 100.
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| 4. How can I start taking the courses that I need for my major when I am still enrolled in ESL courses? |
You can take all kinds of content area courses in English with native speakers as long as your level of proficiency permits it. Because different content area courses require different levels of English ability, there is a prerequisite of ESL 091 or English 110 for some courses. However, there are many courses that you can take in English even at the most basic level, and you are urged to do so.
Hostos is unique because it also offers content classes in Spanish. Therefore, if you are a Spanish-speaking student, you can progress with your major while you gain the English language skills that you ultimately need to master.
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| 5. Where will I be able to go for extra help if there is something that I don’t understand in my courses? |
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If you believe you need extra help in doing your work, you should first meet with your teacher to see how they can be of assistance to you. Your teacher will be happy to advise you on how you can try to improve your study skills. They may recommend you for tutoring in the Hostos Academic Learning Center (HALC).
The HALC contains workspace for individual tutoring sessions and has three computer rooms to provide tutoring interventions in a variety of areas. Tutors provide one-on-one and group tutoring sessions. At the Writing Center, for instance, students are assisted in revising first drafts and also receive other types of help. The academic progress of participants is closely monitored throughout the semester by the HALC personnel. All tutoring sessions, workshops, and assistance are provided free of charge and there is no limit on the number of visits students can make to the center.
Students also work individually at the HALC. There are computer programs that help them improve not only their reading proficiency but also their grammar awareness.
Go to www.hostos.cuny.edu/halc (Academic Learning Center) to read all about the HALC.
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| 6. What are the qualifications of the faculty members of the Department of Language and Cognition? |
Full-time faculty and adjuncts teach ESL courses. For the most part, the faculty members of the department hold terminal degrees from the most distinguished universities in the United States and abroad in ESL or a related discipline. Many also publish, attend conferences, and are active in local, regional, national and international organizations that are concerned about the teaching of second and/or foreign languages.
See the pictures and academic credentials of the full-time faculty members on the department´s Web site. Then listen to what they have to say to you!
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| 7. What particular teaching strategies do the ESL instructors use? |
| The ESL instructors of the department are well-versed in current pedagogy and theoretical concerns. The pedagogy we have found to be most effective is CBI, or Content Based Instruction, and specifically, SCLI, or Sustained Content Language Instruction in academic disciplines. All the courses in the "regular" program and the "intensive" program are content-based. Teachers will add several readings from newspapers or journals. Students will be required to debate and write about issues that affect them personally (e.g. censorship) and link their arguments to content material, thus learning other skills like research, computer use and citation, in addition to English. Likewise, the CBI model is applied to the Literature and Contemporary Issues strands of the program. Students are tested both on language proficiency and other information and skills.
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