English as a Second Language Program

The English as a Second or Other Language (ESOL) transitional program supports students whose first language is not English, and whose proficiency is more communicative than academic, in becoming successful college students. The program addresses all domains of language: reading, writing, speaking, and listening, while focusing on usage in the academic setting. Students are expected to have varying levels of proficiency, and as such, a self-directed learning approach will be utilized to tailor the program to individual student need. Cultural aspects of North American schooling will also be addressed to allow students to identify differences in academic expectations, apply new knowledge, develop critical thinking skills, and produce work to the standards of the North American system of assessment. A language through content teaching approach will be applied, with a commitment to the natural and civic environments reflected in the reading and topic selections. New England College has been approved to run a Pathways program that allows F-1 students to develop English skills and earn degree credits. English proficiency tests will determine the level at which a student begins the Pathways program.