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English as a Second Language

All students whose native language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in English before admission to IPFW. Prospective ESL students must take the TOEFL or Michigan Test (available locally) to be admitted to IPFW. Students will be admitted and assigned to an advising unit based on their test scores. They must write an English placement essay following admission to determine which writing and/or reading classes they need. The only students exempt from this requirement are those who provide credit for freshman composition taken at accredited colleges or universities. 

There are two ways to demonstrate proficiency: 

  1. Provide an acceptable, recent (within the year) TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score. TOEFL tests are given at specific centers throughout the world and require advance registration and a fee. 
  2. Take the Michigan Test (The Michigan Test of English Language Proficiency) administered at IPFW and is free. It is given once a month except September and February.

Michigan Test

  1. The Michigan Test, administered by CASA, is given many times throughout the year and is free. Students must register with the CASA Office prior to the test to ensure that there will be adequate seating. Students are required to bring a photo ID, such as a passport or drivers license. 
     
  2. Test preparation materials are on reserve in the Helmke Library and from CASA in Kettler Hall, Room G21. The test covers grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension and takes 75 minutes. However, students should allow at least an hour and a half. 
     
  3. Call 260-481-6817 to schedule an appointment or register online.
     
  4. Students who do not achieve an admissible score may retake the test in eight weeks after further English study. 

Admission

Students may either be admitted to an academic department or CASA. Students whose scores indicate the need for specialized work on English skills will be admitted to and advised in CASA until their English skills requirements have been met. However, they may also take other selected courses toward degree requirements while they are working on their English skills. 

Course Offerings

The English as a Second Language courses at IPFW begin at the intermediate level. No beginning English courses are offered on this campus, and placement into the correct ESL class is determined by the Department of English and Linguistics on the basis of a written essay. Some courses in the ESL program include:

  • English W115: This course focuses on sentence skills, grammar, idioms (both in speaking and writing), and writing in response to selected reading passages. This course is often scheduled to meet daily, Monday through Friday for eight weeks.

  • English W116: Continuing with the skills in W115, this class adds emphasis on paragraph development and coherence. It is paired with W115 to complete the last eight weeks of a semester.

  • English W130 ESL: This course concentrates on writing for a variety of purposes and audiences with concentrated work on specific areas of individual weakness for non-native English writers. The ESL sections of this course have the same content as the ones for native English writers.

  • English W131 ESL: This composition course, adapted for non-native writers, is the one required for most IPFW degrees and is the only ESL course which counts toward graduation credit. The ESL sections of this course have the same content as the ones for native English writers. 

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