English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

Portland Community College Academic Reading Academic Writing Academic Communication Cr. Cr. Cr. Cr. ESOL Level 8 ESOL 260 5 ESOL 262 5 ESOL 264 5 or ESOL 265 3 ESOL 267 2 ESOL Level 7 ESOL 250 5 ESOL 252 5 ESOL 254 5 ESOL Level 6 ESOL 160 5 ESOL 162 5 ESOL 164 5 Reading Writing Communication ESOL Level 5 credit ESOL 150 4 ESOL 152 4 ESOL 154 4 non-credit ESOL 150N 4 ESOL 152N 4 ESOL 154N 4 ESOL Level 4 credit ESOL 40 4 ESOL 42 4 ESOL 44 4 non-credit ESOL 40N 4 ESOL 42N 4 ESOL 44N 4 Integrated Skills (non-credit) ESOL Level 3 ESOL 30 9 or: ESOL 30A 6 and ESOL 30B 3 ESOL Level 2 ESOL 20 9 or: ESOL 20A 6 and ESOL 20B 3 ESOL Level 1 ESOL 10 9 or: ESOL 10A 6 and ESOL 10B 3 ESOL students attend the program in a variety of adult roles: family member, community member, worker, lifelong learner, citizen, professional/technical student, and transfer student. Required for entry into WR 115: Successful completion of ESOL 260 and 262. Required for entry into MTH 20: Successful completion of ESOL 250.

ESOL Student Profiles The following profiles begin with the expected course outcomes and are followed by some qualifications that we have identified: Profile of the Level 7 ESOL student Reading: Students should be able to read unmodified, authentic materials reflecting an adult sensibility. They should demonstrate understanding by writing clear, well-developed summaries, analyses, responses and presentations, and by speaking comprehensibly about the material. Vocabulary is very limited compared with that of native speakers. Writing to analyze readings is a challenge for students at this level. Their critical reading skills are limited in the following areas: logical inferences, predictions, connections, and conclusions in readings; relating readings to the needs and experiences of self and others; analyzing and examining the validity of sources. Writing: Students should be able to write a clear, well-developed short essay with an appropriate introduction and conclusion and a clear thesis statement. Grammar errors are still common and grasp of sentence structure is limited. Students may not be able to use the following grammar structures correctly: verbs in the active and passive voice, gerunds and infinitives, relative clauses, two-word verbs, articles, and prepositions.

Communication: Students should comprehend and communicate clearly and appropriately in a variety of academic settings. Pronunciation is still an issue for some students at this level. Organizational skills need some refinement. Listening skills need further development because of vocabulary issues and the fast pace of native speaker dialog. For cultural reasons, some students may be reticent to speak in a native speaker environment.

Profile of the Level 8 ESOL student Reading: Students should be able to read unmodified, authentic materials reflecting an adult sensibility. They should demonstrate understanding by writing clear, well-developed summaries, analyses, responses and presentations, and by speaking comprehensively about the material. Students will continue to possess limited vocabulary in relation to native speakers. Comprehension and analysis of college-level material is still somewhat limited in the following areas: logical inferences, predictions, and conclusions in and among readings. ESOL students will require more time to complete reading assignments than native speakers. Writing to analyze readings can be impaired by writing skills (see below). Writing: Students should be able to write a clear, well-developed academic paper with appropriate introduction and conclusion and a clear thesis statement. Students may have difficulty effectively analyzing and synthesizing information from a variety of sources and paraphrasing. Though grammar is a big focus, errors persist at the end of the term. Students may not have native speaker ability to use the following structures correctly: passive voice, gerunds and infinitives, parallel structure, articles, prepositions, and noun clauses and phrases. Note: Students exit the program by successfully completing Level 8 Reading and Writing and Level 7 Communication.