Student A is required to take ESL 102, ESL 103 and ESL 104. Although only ESL 102 and 103 are listed, ESL 103 is a prerequisite for ESL 104 and the student would also need to complete ESL 104 in order to finish the program. If you are unsure of how to interpret the older scores, email the director of ESL at esl@uah.edu.
If you see 7777, 8888 or 9999 as the designations, you can assume that the students have no ESL requirements. 7777 indicates waiver of ESL by virtue of the original placement test. 8888 indicates waiver by virtue of a diagnostic test. 9999 indicates waiver by some other authority.
For scores posted after 03F, these codes are no longer used. A binary code was implemented (2003-2005) as follows:
"500" means "required"
"501" means "exempt"
Assuming the same situation as reflected in the example above, Student A would have the following scores:
ELP 100 = 501
ELP 101 = 501
ELP 102 = 500
ELP 103 = 500
ELP 104 = 500
Student A is required to take ESL 102, 103 and 104. Because 102 is from the oral/aural sequence and 103/104 are the written sequence, Student A can register for ESL 102 and 103 in the same semester. They can then complete ESL 104 in a subsequent semester.
Student B has the following scores:
ELP 100 = 501
ELP 101 = 501
ELP 102 = 500
ELP 103 = 501
ELP 104 = 500
Student B is required to take ESL 102 and ESL 104. Because ESL 102 is in the oral/aural sequence and ESL 104 is in the written sequence, they can take the classes simultaneously.
After the adoption of the Banner system, coding required a further alteration to score reports. ESL placements are once again indicated by course number. In other words, if an ESL course number appears on SOATEST, the student was placed in that course. You would need to look for later waivers or course completion in order to determine which ESL courses are still required.
Student C has the following scores:
ESL 101 = 501
ELPT = ESL 101
ELPT = ESL 102
ELPT = ESL 103
ELPT = ESL 104
Student C was originally required to take four of the five ESL courses. However, the ESL 101 = 501 indicates that they were waived from the ESL 101 course by virtue of a class diagnostic. Therefore, they would need to do ESL 102, 103 and 104. To determine which course(s) they should take, you would need to check their transcript and see which course(s) they had already successfully completed (see #2 below).
Note: All codes are being evaluated and a consistent system is in development. A single coding system (including conversion of placements posted prior to Fall 2006) should be in place by Spring 2008. At that time, an updated, and simpler, explanation of coding will be available here.
How can I tell whether my advisee/student has been waived from a class? If there is no waiver, how can I tell whether my advisee/student has completed the course required?
If a student has been waived from a class (based on
later performance indicators, where appropriate) a code of "501" will appear along with the updated test date.
Example: Student B's record reads
06/01/05 ELP 102 = 501*
*After 2006, the code would be: E102 = 501
This updated score indicates that a waiver was given
post-dating Student B's original ELPT score (see example in #1 above).
If there is no waiver, you will need to page through the student's record, looking at classes completed until you can find a record of their having taken and passed the required course(s).
Note: For an undergraduate student, a grade of C or better is required in order to pass an ESL course. For a graduate student, a grade of D or better is required in order to pass an ESL course.
When should my advisee/student begin any required ESL courses?
University policy states that any student required to take an ESL course or ESL courses must take at least one of those courses in their first semester of matriculation.
Can my advisee/student serve as a GTA?
This is actually a very complex question. Because GTA's typically serve a variety of functions in the university, a single answer is impossible. For a review of the student's qualification (in terms of language skills) for a specific type of GTA function, please contact the director of ESL at esl@uah.edu (Subject: GTA eligibility). The director of ESL must sign a form reflecting assessment of every international TA's language skills relative to the functions they will be performing.
Check directly with the director of ESL at
esl@uah.edu to determine an
individual student's approval rating for ITA status. Confirmation with the director of ESL will ensure that no international TAs are inappropriately assigned, based on university policy.
What is the minimum TOEFL score for admission to the university?
Because UAH has a full-time ESL program that can provide support to students whose English skills are not sufficiently advanced, the minimum TOEFL score for admission to the university has been set at a 500 (paper-based TOEFL) or a 173 (computer-based TOEFL). However, although the minimum TOEFL score for admission is a 500/173, students who enter the university with TOEFL scores below a 600 (paper-based TOEFL) or 250 (computer-based TOEFL) may very possibly need additional language training. These scores (600/250) are the minimum for exemption from the standard portions of the English Language Placement Test (ELPT), the UAH in-house language skills test. While they do not guarantee exemption from all ESL courses, these scores indicate language ability that would probably be sufficiently strong to merit waiver from many if not all of the ESL courses.
A new TOEFL format, the internet-based TOEFL (iBT) has been released in many parts of the world as of fall 2005. The sub-scores required for admission, under the new TOEFL, are as follow:
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Listening: 16
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Speaking: 18
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Reading: 15
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Writing: 13
A student must get a minimum score in each of the subsections in order to be considered for admission to the university. Waivers on the basis of subsections of the new iBT are possible. When the student registers for the ELPT and confirms their TOEFL sub-scores, the director of ESL will inform them of any relevant waivers.
How does training in an Intensive English Program (IEP) compare to the ESL curriculum here at UAH?
Classes in IEPs are designed to address the needs of students at language levels below those of students matriculating in a university as regular, full-time students. Although levels in IEPs are often designated from beginning to advanced, the terms are relative. Typically, a student exiting an IEP may have a TOEFL score in the range of the lower 500s (paper-based TOEFL) or 170s (computer-based TOEFL). These are the minimum scores for admission as a student to UAH. In addition, these scores typically reflect language skills that require additional support via ESL classes, in order to ensure a student's full access to the discourse of the academic community in which they are studying. Therefore, a student who has had training in an IEP will have improved their language skills. However, there should be no expectation that their skills will be sufficiently high to merit waiver from courses in UAH's regular ESL program.
If you have a student who is interested in attending UAH but does not yet have the requisite language skills, please refer them to the section of the site detailing applications and admission to the Intensive English Program that UAH is now offering. If eligible for admission, they would be able to come to UAH for English study prior to being admitted to a regular academic program.
If my student/advisee has completed ESL courses at another university, are they excused from ESL at UAH?
No. Although there are excellent ESL programs at many universities around the U.S. and abroad, there is great variety among the curricula and class goals. Therefore, in order to be consistent and fair in determination of the current language skills of students matriculating at UAH, and to insure that those skills meet the standards set by the university, transfer of ESL credit from other institutions is not accepted. Students matriculating at the university should take the ELPT and may be placed in ESL courses if needed.
If my student/advisee has a 4-year degree from an accredited institution in the U.S. (U.K., Canada, Australia, New Zealand), are they exempt from ESL at UAH?
If the degree (B.A., B.S., etc.) is from an accredited institution of higher learning in the U.S., the student should be exempt from ESL courses at UAH. Confirmation of exemption should be made in consultation with Enrollment Services (for undergraduate students) or the Graduate School (for graduate students). If the degree has been obtained from an institution abroad, further consultation with Enrollment Services or the Graduate School is necessary.
If my student/advisee has completed courses in an Intensive English Program, are they exempt from ESL at UAH?
No. As noted above, the curriculum in Intensive English Programs usually serves the needs of students whose language skills are below the minimum levels acceptable for admission to UAH. Therefore, students who have training in IEPs must nonetheless take the English Language Placement Test and expect possible placement in ESL courses.
If my student/advisee has resident alien status or is a naturalized citizen, are they exempt from ESL at UAH?
Citizenship or residency in the U.S. has no bearing on the assessment of language skills. Nonnative speakers of American English will need to take the ELPT and may be placed in ESL courses.
If my student/advisee completed high school in the U.S., are they exempt from ESL at UAH?
Although such students could be expected to have advanced language skills, the completion of a high school degree does not insure that their language skills are balanced or sufficiently advanced for work at the university level. They will need to take the ELPT and may be placed in ESL courses.
If my student/advisee has completed English courses (e.g. EH101 and/or EH102) at another university or college, are they exempt from ESL at UAH?
Completion of English courses in a Freshman Composition sequence has no direct bearing on the assessment of language skills of nonnative speakers of English. Although they will be waived from ESL 103 and 104 (the written sequence in ESL), they will need to do the interview section of the ELPT and may be placed in ESL 101 and 102.
Who has to take the ELPT (English Language Placement Test)?
All nonnative speakers of English matriculating at the university, whether for nondegree or degree programs, must take the ELPT or receive waivers based on university exemption policies.
What are the requirements for waiver from ESL at UAH?
See the details listed on the ELPT section of this site.
What's the ELPT like?
See the ELPT section of this site for a description of the test and information regarding registration, waivers and results.
My advisee has been placed in an ESL course. How much will it cost?
The cost of ESL courses is the same as the cost of any other course they are taking. The cost will vary, then, depending on whether their status is in-state, out-of-state or international and whether they are an undergraduate or graduate student.
Who should I contact if I have other questions about ESL or the IEP at UAH?
If you have questions about your advisee's or student's ESL requirements, please contact the director of ESL at esl@uah.edu.
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