BARUCH COLLEGE: Baruch’s Writing Program in the English Department offers ~15% of all incoming first-year students ELL first-year composition sections. Faculty teaching these sections have TESOL credentials and/or extensive experience working with multilingual students. The sections have 20 instead of the 25 students in the mainstream sections and meet six hours per week to provide faculty and students with time for conferences, written feedback, or other pedagogical activities that help students gain more experience with English composition. One ELL section is limited to only 15 students to accommodate ELLs deemed by CUNY Central’s placement instrument as non-skills proficient and who would normally not be eligible for first-year composition. In addition to ENG 2100T in their first semester, students also take ENG 2150T in their second semester. A local modified-directed self placement instrument designed and administered through Baruch determines placement into the ELL sections and a placement appeal process exists to move any students to 2100 or 2150 non-T per faculty recommendation or student request. In addition, Baruch offers students further writing support through the Writing Center and oral communication support through Tools for Clear Speech. A pre-matriculation intensive English program was also offered through the school of Continuing and Professional Studies, but the program was disbanded in 2021. A few students per year are placed in CLIP if these resources are deemed insufficient based on a student’s extent of experience with English, using CUNY Central’s placement instrument.
BROOKLYN COLLEGE: TBA
COLLEGE OF STATEN ISLAND: CSI offers a three-prong approach. The Department of English offers a four-hour/four-credit freshman composition course (English 111 ESL) and a four-hour/four-credit research writing course (English 151 ESL). Students who are not quite prepared to enter first-year academic writing have the opportunity to prepare by taking either CLIP, Immersion, or pre-academic ESL offered by the Department of English. The pre-academic courses offered at this time are English 8 (an intermediate-level writing course) and English 37 (a high-level writing course). Although all students who are low-performing are recommended to go to CLIP, higher-performing students also have the choice to attend CLIP. Immersion a summer and winter program that offers writing for ESL students who have failed English 37. The Department of English is piloting a six-hour first-semester freshman composition course for ESL students. This course will be for English Language Learners who: 1) self-place into the course because they wish to have the extra help; 2) students graduating from CLIP; 3) students recommended into the program (the English 8 instructors as well as the ESLD committee may make these recommendations).
HOSTOS COMMUNITY COLLEGE: The Department of Language and Cognition facilitates the acquisition of English language and academic skills within a sequential program of academic content-based ESL instruction. It seeks to help students to acquire reading and writing skills that satisfy university requirements and to prepare for success in the college’s academic programs. Entering students whose native language is other than English, and whose performance on the CUNY entrance examinations mandates additional instruction, are referred to the Language and Cognition Placement Committee for evaluation and placement. Depending on their placement level and progress, ESL students take a sequence of courses to complete the requirements for the A.A. or A.S. degree. The number of credits they need to complete depends on their original level of placement and progress. The ESL program is a content-based multiple skills program which develops students’ English language skills within an interdisciplinary content-based instructional model. Students enrolled in the ESL program concurrently enroll in content courses to satisfy their general education requirements. The sequence of ESL courses offered by the department is: • ESL 15 (ESL in Content Areas I) AND ESL 16 (Literature and Contemporary Issues for ESL Students I). These courses are co-requisites. • ESL 25 (ESL in Content Areas II) AND either ESL 26 (Contemporary Issues for ESL Students II) or ESL 27 (Literature for ESL Students II). ESL 25 and 26/27 are co-requisites. • ESL 35 (ESL in Content Areas III) AND either ESL 36 (Contemporary Issues for ESL Students III) or ESL 37 (Literature for ESL Students III). ESL 35 and 36/37 are corequisites. 170 • ESL 91 (Basic Composition) AND ESL 92 (Foundations of Critical Reading). These courses are co-requisites, but students with advanced skills who satisfy college and university requirements may place out of one or the other. Each level comprises course 9 hours. The department further offers the students the opportunity to enroll in content area learning communities by levels: ESL 15 – Acting I, ESL 25 – Humanities 100, ESL 35- Sociology 101. Additionally, the department offers selected students the opportunity to enroll in the ESL Intensive Program. This is a 12 hour-program divided into two 6 hour reading and writing courses. After successful completion of both courses, students are eligible to enroll in ENG 110 Freshman Composition.
HUNTER COLLEGE: Hunter requires that each student take two first-year writing courses: English 120, Expository Writing; and English 220, Writing About Literature. For those courses, in the fall and spring semesters, we offer one section of English 120 just for nonnative speakers; and in the spring semester only, we offer one section of English 220 just for nonnative speakers. We cap the enrollment in these sections at 15, but sometimes have to increase it by a few. Students are placed into the 120 course through the CUNY writing exam, but some transfer students are also placed into it by their advisors. Students voluntarily place themselves into the 220 course, and we’ve never had a problem filling the one section. Hunter also offers a coordinated tutoring program for nonnative speakers. Graduate students in the MATESOL program at Hunter tutor our nonnative-speaking students taking 120, whether they are in the ESL section or not. Generally, we can accommodate many of the students’ requests for tutors, but not all. One other support program for Hunter’s nonnative speakers is a January and June free workshop. We have been offering the workshop for many years, and the focus changes based on student needs. For the past two years, we have been mostly focusing on advanced grammar and vocabulary.
KINGSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE: KBCC offers incoming students two options: daytime students can register for a two-semester ESL Learning Communities Program (ESL 101 and ESL 102); evening and/or part-time students can register for a one-semester intensive course (ESL 91). In the first semester, the ESL Learning Communities Program links several courses: ESL 101, ENG 1050 (a language seminar), SPE 11 (Speech), PSY11 (Psychology) or SOC 31 (Sociology), and SD 10 (Student Development). The first semester thus gives students the opportunity to take some core-curriculum courses and earn 8 credits toward their major. At the end of the first semester, students are re-evaluated and some move directly to Composition I (with support, in the ALP courses, or without support, if they do not need it). The second semester links ESL 102 and SPE 21 and provides support for ESL students who need more time to build their language skills. At the end of this semester, students are placed in Composition I (with or without support, as needed). For part-time and/or evening students, KBCC offers a 10-hour course (ESL 91) at the end of which students’ progress is re-evaluated. Many students are, then, placed in Composition I (with or without support). The students who need more time to build their language skills re-take the ESL 91 course the following semester.
LAGUARDIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE: LAGCC has Academic ESL courses for students who need additional language skill building before taking freshman composition courses and other writing intensive courses within their majors. There are three course levels for English as a Second Language (ESL 097, ESL 098, and ESL 099) and one course for the Basic Skills Writing level designed for non-native speakers (ESA 099). Some upper level courses (ESL 099 and ESA 099) are paired with other majors / Pathways courses such as SSY 101 – Introduction to Psychology, HUP 102 – Critical Thinking, and SCP 105 – Life in the Universe (which fulfills the general Pathways science credit for non-science majors). These pairs of co-requisite courses allow students to take majors courses earlier and the students are supported with the language and concepts of the majors courses in the ESL writing courses through faculty collaboration. LaGuardia Community College also has the CLIP Program, an intensive English program that is 20 hours per week which students can take exclusively before beginning a degree program.
LEHAMAN COLLEGE: At Lehman College we offer two academic writing courses for non-native speakers, ESL 103 Intermediate Level and ESL 104 Advanced Level. Both ESL Courses are part of the English Department courses. ESL 104 has historically served as the final ESL prerequisite to first-year composition in our undergraduate program. It is a 2-credit course of 4 contact hours. ESL students are allowed to register for other Introductory Courses if the Advisors assess the students will be able to succeed in the courses. Outside of our program, the School for Continuing Education Program provides multiple levels of English language instruction as well as F1 student visa sponsorship for full-time academic English in all four language skills. This is a non-credit program. It is not covered by TAP or other financial aid.
MEDGAR EVERS COLLEGE: (TBA)
NYC COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY: (English Department, Program in Academic ESOL and Multilingual Writing): ESOL at City Tech offers academic English instruction to students who identify as bilingual, multilingual or EFL or international students in need of further language and academic support. The program is founded on genre-based pedagogy and it espouses eclectic approaches to language learning in a student-centered, highly supportive environment. Currently there are two levels of integrated reading and writing: EL011W, low intermediate R/W course, 6 hours, 6 equated credits; and EL021W, high intermediate integrated reading and writing course, 6 hours, 6 equated credits. ENG 1101 ML is the English Composition 1101 course with two additional co-requisite hours for students whose PI is between 51-64, or for second degree students who were tested and placed by the ESOL coordinator into ENG 1101 ML. The curriculum in this course is identical to ENG 1101 but it offers additional support to students who need to further grow their English Language competency. The program offers specialized Writing Tutoring run by instructors in the program.
QUEENSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE: ESL students at Queensborough Community College work closely with the English Department’s highly qualified ESL faculty members. The library and writing tutors in the Center for Tutoring and Academic Services (CTAS) wholeheartedly support students throughout the semester. The CTAS and the English Department offer Conversation Hours Mondays through Thursdays for ESL students to practice their English listening and speaking skills. There are several other programs and partnerships: 1. The Accelerated Learning Program (ALP): To help students succeed in the college-level course, this program allows students with light ESL needs to take a college-level English: English 101 (3 Credit Hours) concurrently with a developmental course – ALP 2: English 99: Developing Competence in Reading, Writing, and Study Skills (4 Equated Hours). ENGL-90 – Integrated Reading and Writing for Advanced ESL Students: This course is offered to English language learners based on the results of the CUNY ESL Placement Assessment and departmental evaluation. The course links the concurrent development of reading and writing skills, with a special focus on the use of critical thinking to both analyze a range of texts and produce organized reading responses via well-developed summaries and essays across multiple genres and audiences. The course is 6 equated credits. Students with deep ESL needs will be directed to CLIP. 3. CUNY Language Immersion Program (CLIP): CLIP is a low-cost immersion program that teaches English reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills to English language learners with very limited English language skills. CLIP students engage in 25 hours of instruction per week. Students who complete CLIP may enroll in the English Department’s developmental courses or college-level courses. 4. Collaboration between the English Department and CLIP: With the support of the English Department, in Fall 2021 there is an active collaboration between the English Department and CLIP. English faculty and those from CLIP have met and “observed” the classes that English and CLIP faculty lead, with the hope that both departments will benefit from the work and dialogue that will come out of this collaboration.
THE CITY COLLEGE OF NEW YORK: At the City College of New York, we offer one academic writing course for non-native speakers, ESL 13000, which has historically served as the final ESL prerequisite to first-year composition in our undergraduate program. It is a 2-credit course of 4 contact hours. This fall, for the first time, some students in ESL 13000 are also registered for English Composition, and we are following up their academic progress to see if this is a workable model. Outside of our program, the English Language Institute at City College provides multiple levels of English language instruction as well as F1 student visa sponsorship for full-time academic English in all four language skills. This is a non-credit program offered through the School for Continuing and Professional Studies. It is not covered by TAP or other financial aid.
YORK COLLEGE: York College offers two sections of ESL housed in the Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Humanities. ESL 145 is a high intermediate 4 hour/2credit course with a focus on academic reading, while ESL 150 (4 hrs/2 credits) is the advanced course which focuses on academic writing. Students who exit ESL 150 take freshman composition upon passing the CATW (or via ESLD placement.)The program offers in-house tutoring services and works with the S3 program (USIP) as well as CLIP.
