English Proficiency Guidelines

English Proficiency Guidelines

Overview

UMHB does not have a full-time English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Department but rather a limited bridge-type of program designed to ensure that students maximize their learning in other courses.  An English language proficiency test must be submitted as part of the international admissions requirements.

Students who have graduated from a high school with English as the language of instruction or who have earned a higher-education degree from an institution with English as the language of instruction may be exempted from submitting an English language proficiency report as determined by an interview with the ESOL Program director.  Documentation of an institution’s language of instruction is required. ESOL testing and course requirements will apply as determined by the ESOL Program director after the interview. Students whose scores do not meet the minimum requirements for admission to graduate or undergraduate academic work will be required to enroll in UMHB ESOL classes.

Students without Minimum English Proficiency Scores:

Upon arrival, students without minimum English proficiency scores will be given an ESL Accuplacer assessment with one to four sections (listening, reading, writing, and grammar) as determined by the ESOL Program director. Based upon the results of placement testing, students will be enrolled in the appropriate combination of ESOL and other courses. 

ESOL courses consist of three and four credit hours and are offered in grammar, reading, writing, and oral communication at the basic, intermediate, and advanced levels. In terms of cost, ESOL tuition is 50% of the cost of undergraduate tuition.

In order to exit from the ESOL Program, a student must score at or above the designated cut-off on the English proficiency exam taken at the end of the ESOL course.  This is separate from the course final exam.  Students of ESOL listening and speaking courses must also pass an oral interview with the ESOL Program director.

The oral speaking exam will assess the communication skills of the student. The ESOL director will determine any ESOL course needs remaining. Students must enroll in all ESOL courses indicated by the ESOL director. 

Standards for Continued Enrollment

If, after completion of the advanced level ESOL classes, a student does not meet the ESOL exit requirements for all language skills (listening, reading, and writing), he/she will be evaluated by an academic committee to determine whether enrollment can be maintained.