Bunker Hill Community College

ESL Department Mission and Vision Statements

Click here to view the ESL Department Vision Statement

ESL Department Mission Statement

1. College content courses as soon as possible, with language support as long as necessary. See Language Lab Vision Statement.
This is realized by

• Initial assessment in all language skill areas and placement
• Faculty recommendations once instruction begins
  • 1 and 2 determine exactly which ESL courses students need and do not need.
• Integrated courses
• The Multi-Media Multi-Purpose Language Lab.

2. Prepare ESL students for academic content courses by teaching:

• Academic writing skills at the sentence, paragraph, and essay levels so that ESL students can cite sources and answer essay questions;
• Academic reading skills including critical and analytical thinking skills;
• Academic note-taking skills; and
• Academic speaking skills so that ESL students feel comfortable speaking in small groups with native speakers or in front of a classroom full of native speakers

3. Deliver a flexible curriculum to meet the diverse needs of the ESL students. See Department Vision Statement.

4. Meet as many of the ESL student objectives for attending BHCC as possible. Some of their objectives include:

• Finding a job
• Being able to become more active participants in society
• Improving general English skills
• Finding a better job
• Learning academic English
• Completing BHCC certificate programs
• Transferring from BHCC without graduating from BHCC
• Graduating from BHCC
• Graduating from BHCC and then transferring

ESL Department’s Vision for The Lab

Second language acquisition theory indicates that non-native speakers and writers of English need from 5 – 7 years to learn academic English. Therefore, with a 3 – level academic ESL Department, most if not all ESL students will need more time on task to assimilate an academic English curriculum. ESL students can learn academic English more effectively and quickly with structured time on task in the Lab with the following strategies.

STRATEGIES

1. In each ESL course description, the following will be written:

“Students may be required to complete assignments in the language lab.”
ESL faculty members can refer individual students to the Lab and calculate the assignments completed in the Lab into the final grade. ESL faculty members, especially part-time members, will not have to know how the programs in the Lab work or teach their students how to use these programs; all they have to do is refer and identify skills to be improved (SEE STAFFING). Assignments can include but not be limited to the following:

• Writing
• Reading Comprehension
• Critical Thinking
• Grammar
• Vocabulary
• Pronunciation
• Note-taking

2. In each ESL course description, the following will be written:

“Students may be required to complete assignments in the language lab.”

An individual ESL faculty member can assign specific assignments/modules for all students in an ESL course to be completed in the Lab, under the supervision of tutors as part of a course requirement.

3. ESL students who receive the IP grade in any BSL or ESL course will complete required work in the Lab under the supervision of tutors and a faculty member (see staffing). Students will be able to complete an IP during the summer semester.

4. BSL and ESL students who are identified with literacy needs will work in the Lab, under the supervision of tutors and a faculty member.

5. If ESL students exit ESL courses and struggle with college content courses, they may work in the Lab (self or content course faculty referral) for continued language support.

6. ESL faculty members will be able to use the Lab for instruction.

Lab Staffing

• Full-time coordinator
• Two full-time tutors: One ESL/Bilingual: The other with TOEFL expertise
• Part-time tutors
• Work-study students
• Two ESL faculty members for fall and  Spring Semesters and one for Summer Semester with course releases to work in the Lab