Hello,
I am part of a new International Department at our Community College and I need to determine how to assess the proficiency level of new International Students. Or college uses COMPASS as the admission test, so if an International Student can pass this test, they will start in college level classes. The ESL program for pre-college part-time students uses CASAS.
What language assessments programs are you aware of? How do you place new International Students in classes on your campus?
Thank you,
Amy Pang
Comments
Hello Amy,
I am involved with two very different groups that have very different approaches to teaching their ESL students. For example, with one group, I am working with adult learners who are at the beginnings of their English language learning. They require direction in both reading and writing and do work within the COMPASS environment. These students are English speakers with very little formal language training. The second group of ESL students that I work with are international college bound students coming into the U.S. In this case, we use TOEFL testing in order to credential their students as ready for class. There are two different sections of the test, one for listening and speaking, the other for reading and writing. These two testing areas ensure that students are ready for learning.
In our credit-level ESL program at our community college, we have both international students and immigrant students. All students who mark that English isn't their native language take the ESL COMPASS test which is different from the COMPASS, but if students do well on the ESL COMPASS they bump up into the regular COMPASS. International students who aren't in the United States must submit a TOEFL test, but they still have to take the ESL COMPASS because we use that for placement into our five levels of ESL. What is the passing score on the COMPASS that students have to get to take regular courses?
Terry Pruett-Said