English as a Second Language | Hagerstown Community College
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English as a Second Language

English as a Second Language

English as a Second Language

ESL - 098 ESL Writing Basics This course is designed for students whose native language is not English, who have minimal training in English and want to improve their English communication skills. Instruction includes integration of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The primary focus is on achieving proficiency in core comprehension and writing skill. The reading skills include increasing vocabulary knowledge and dictionary skill, identifying main ideas and implied meaning, identifying supporting details, and developing lifelong reading habits. The writing component focuses on both sentence-level concerns and whole discourse, but the emphasis is on sentence level problems common to basic writers. Students placed into this course may be required to utilize online learning tools and/or skills lab for additional instruction, homework, and skill-building exercises. Prerequisite: An appropriate score on placement test and/or writing sample. Semesters offered: Fall, Spring, Summer. 3 Credits.

ESL - 099 ESL Writing Essentials This course is designed for students whose native language is not English and who have had some training in English and want to improve their academic English skills. Instruction includes integration of reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Emphasis is on developing reading comprehension suitable for American college freshman-level courses. Instruction focuses on developing reading strategies to enhance comprehension, recall, analysis of texts and academic vocabulary. Writing instruction emphasizes paragraphs and short essays that are unified, coherent, and fully developed. Students placed into this course may be required to utilize online learning tools and/or skills lab for additional instruction, homework, and skill-building exercises. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ESL 098 and/or appropriate score on placement test and/or writing sample. Semesters offered: Fall, Spring, Summer 3 Credits.

ESL - 100 ES L Beginning Composition This course is designed for students whose native language is not English. This course is a survey of fundamental writing and reading skills with an emphasis on sentence structure, organization, diction and paragraph development as components of the essay, as well as emphasis on particular comprehension skills essential for reading college texts. Emphasis is placed on the application of these skills in effective study of American college-level materials. By completing the course content objectives, students will develop their reading, writing, listening and thinking skills and will improve their ability to express ideas orally and in writing in ENG 101 and other college-level courses. Students placed into this course may be required to utilize online learning tools and/or skills lab for additional instruction, homework, and skill-building exercises. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ESL 099 and/or appropriate score on placement test and/or writing sample. Note: Students may also be required to take ESL 105 and/or ESL 107 as a prerequisite or co-requisite for this course. Semesters offered: Fall, Spring, Summer. 3 Credits

ESL - 105 ES L Listening and Speaking This course is designed for students whose native language is not English and who have had some training in English and want to improve their academic English skills. Instruction emphasizes aspects of pronunciation (rhythm, stress, and intonation), listening comprehension, and clarity of speech. Focus is also on speaking in academic and social situations. Students may take this course simultaneously with ESL 099, ESL 100, and ENG 101 or any credit course for which they meet the prerequisite. Semester offered: Periodically. 3 Credits

ESL - 107 ES L Grammar This course is designed for students whose native language is not English and who have had some training in English and want to improve their academic English skills. Instruction emphasizes sentences, verb forms, punctuation, mechanics, and word usage. Students may take this course simultaneously with ESL 099, ESL 100, and ENG 101 or any credit course for which they meet the prerequisite. Semester offered: Periodically. 3 Credits