NICOLE TAYLOR / Scroll

Students fine-tune English skills as they learn

Brittney Johnson JOH05010@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

School in and of itself is difficult. Tests, quizzes, projects, presentations, book after book to read — imagine how difficult it would be to complete the daily list of homework if English was not your first language or if you were still learning it.

Many students at BYU-Idaho are in that position. They come from countries as far away as Africa, Germany, Albania and China. Their languages are as different from English as their countries are distant.

BYU-I isn’t the only place this is a problem. Most American universities face the same problem with international students who need extra help with their English.

To cope with the problem, the program English as a Second Language, or ESL, was formed to help non-English speakers.

“ESL is an English development program for students with English as a second language who have met the Test of English as a Foreign Language requirements for BYU-Idaho,” according to the BYU-I ESL Web site.

The TOEFL is a test all international students are required to take in order to be admitted into colleges and universities that follow an English-speaking curriculum.

Greg Hazard, chair for academic learning, said at BYU-I there is not an official ESL program.

The real ESL program is designed to help prospective students with English so they can pass the TOEFL.

The BYU-I program should be called ELD — English Language Development — because the program is designed to help international students who already have a hold on the English language, passed the TOEFL and are able to take college courses, Hazard said.

The reason the program at BYU-I is called ESL is because it is a worldwide recognized program, and most international students are familiar with it.

The ESL program at BYU-I offers international students two English classes, English 108 and 109.

English 108 is an English speaking orientation class. The curriculum covers materials such as American culture, comm-unications skills and nonverbal language. English 109 is a writing class in preparation for English 111.

Through ESL, students can have a tutor outside of English 108 and 109. The tutoring can count as a non-credit class, English 99, or a credit class, English 101.

“I loved the classes. They were a lot of help. They helped me to understand the American culture and helped me not to feel alone. I realized there were other people here going through the same things I was,” said Gaby Sanchez, a senior from Tabasco, Mexico.

International students meet with their tutors three times a week, like a class.

Many International students learned English in their native country, but never got to practice speaking it, and like to sit and talk with a native English speaker for an hour to practice, Hazard said.

The program allows spouses of current students to utilize individual tutors, so they too may learn English, Hazard said.

International students are not forced to take English 108, 109 or see a tutor. It’s up to each student.

Hazard said there are international students who should take advantage of the ESL courses available, but don’t.

When the program began nine years ago, Hazard had eight students in English 108 and there was no English 109.

This semester there is a total of over 60 students in both English 108 and 109.

Many more students want to take the courses, but there isn’t room. The ESL program sees about 100 students per semester.

This semester there are 450 international students on campus, representing 56 - 58 different countries. The number continues to climb every year, said Mike Oswald, dean of students.