ESOL Resources

ESOL Tutoring at City Tech

Writing tutors are available to meet with students at the City Tech Learning Center  (Atrium Building Ground Floor AG18, AG27 and AG31) from 10:00am-7:30pm Monday through Thursday, and from 10:00am-5:00pm on Fridays.  FYW instructors are encouraged to read more about ESOL students @ City Tech below and actively encourage ESOL students to meet weekly with a tutor to discuss specific writing projects.

 

Identifying and Assisting ESOL Students in ENG1101/ENG1121 at City Tech
Prepared by Johannah Rodgers

UNDERSTANDING LANGUAGE NEEDS IN FIRST YEAR WRITING COURSES (ENG1101/1121)
Language diversity is not only part of what characterizes the student population at City Tech, but it is one of many things that makes teaching writing at this college particularly exciting, interesting, and, at times, challenging.  Adding to the complexity of teaching writing at an urban, public university is the fact that every composition course at City Tech will have students from a range of backgrounds and at varying skill levels.

Clearly identifying the skill levels and language needs of the students in your composition courses will help help you better assist them and will enable them to become responsible for getting the additional assistance they may need.  Although the label, “ESOL student” may often be applied to a large number of students at City Tech, it is important to keep in mind that it applies to students with a range of language backgrounds.

TYPES OF ESOL STUDENTS
Students born and educated in the U.S. who have grown up in bilingual households may have some characteristic ESOL issues that need to be addressed in their writing.  However, these students are very different from students who have yet to achieve basic competency in spoken and written English.  It is this latter category of students, THOSE WHO ARE STILL IN THE PROCESS OF LEARNING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE, WHOM INSTRUCTORS IN FYW COURSES PARTICULARLY NEED TO IDENTIFY.  IT IS CRUCIAL THAT INSTRUCTORS ASSIST ESOL STUDENTS IN ESTABLISHING APPROPRIATE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE COURSE, THE POSSIBILITY THAT THEY MAY VERY WELL NEED TO RE-TAKE THE COURSE BECAUSE ENGLISH LANGUAGE COMPETENCY IS REQUIRED TO PASS IT, AND TO ALERT THEM TO THE VARIOUS RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION WHILE THEY ARE TAKING ENG1101.

HOW LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY MAY AFFECT PERFORMANCE IN ENG 1101/1121
It is not unusual for students who have spent less than five years in the U.S. to be placed in ENG1101/ENG1121 without having the English competency skills to pass the course.  In these cases, students need to be informed that additional language instruction that takes place outside of the course will be required for them to pass the course.  In fact, students who have yet to achieve competency in spoken and written English may very well need to take ENG1101 more than once before successfully completing it.

WHAT CAN BE DONE
Both in-person and on-line tutoring resources are available for ESOL students.
For in-person tutoring, please refer students to the City Tech Learning Center (AG18).
For online tutoring resources, please consult the Tutoring Resources on the FYW@City Tech web site or the City Tech English Writer’s Corner.

If you have any additional questions about identifying and categorizing the language needs of various students in your composition courses, please contact Lubie Alatriste, ESOL Program Coordinator, or Johannah Rodgers, Director of Composition.

Composition and ESL: Some Useful Resources