The International Language Education and Culture (ILEC) center offers ESL courses for non-native speakers of English.
The objective of the ESL program is to help students attain the English ability that is necessary for the successful completion of university undergraduate and graduate course work. The courses in the ESL program have been designed to develop English language skills in reading, writing, listening and speaking from beginning to advanced proficiency levels. The length of study in the program varies according to the student’s entrance level, with most students completing the English program within one year. Each competency level requires one semester of intensive study.
The English Proficiency Test (EPT) is an admissions requirement for all international students who do not meet the TOEFL requirement listed for their specific academic program. The exam is taken prior to first-time registration and is offered on the San Diego campus during the orientation period each semester.
Based on EPT results, students will be:
- assigned to one or more ESL courses, or
- allowed to begin their degree program immediately.
The English Proficiency Test measures a student’s abilities in reading, grammar, writing, listening and speaking skills. Each skill is evaluated separately; therefore, students may place at different levels in different skill areas.
ESL Course Credits and Academic Load
All ESL courses are 3 units. ESL course units do not apply toward a student’s academic degree requirements. However, ESL course units satisfy visa requirements.
A full-time ESL course load is four classes per semester. A student at the highest proficiency level who has less than a full ESL course load may take a combination of ESL and academic classes as follows:
ILEC Language and Pedagogy Offerings
In addition to English courses, the International Language Education and Culture center offers non-credit courses in Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Spanish, other selected foreign languages and in TESOL Pedagogy.