Juniata's English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program offers a high quality education. The instructors are highly experienced and certified in Teaching English as a Second Language. All of them have lived and worked in other countries and understand the transition process that international students experience when studying in a new country.

Admission and Placement

Prospective students must be a minimum of 18 years old. A minimum official TOEFL, IELTS,  Pearson Academic PTE, or Duolingo score is required for admission to the EAP, as we do not offer beginner courses. It is the student's responsibility to make sure official test scores are sent to Juniata College. 

If you wish to enter Juniata College as a degree seeking student, you must apply directly through the enrollment office. Contact Reginald Onyido, the Senior Associate Dean of Admission, for details. You will not have to re-apply to the EAP if you need ESL courses.

Upon arrival at Juniata, all international students not meeting preferred English proficiency criteria  will be tested and placed into courses according to their English proficiency level. The English for Academic Purposes program offers academic English courses at two levels:

  • High-Intermediate
  • Advanced

All international students who are non-native speakers of English and do not meet the minimum English proficiency test scores will be tested to determine their English proficiency upon arrival. Students who have "English-Conditional" admittance will be enrolled in appropriate ESL courses and will need to progress through the ESL program according to the current EAP policy. Students who have been accepted based on non-conditional admission standards may still request English language testing and support through ESL courses and/or tutoring.

Advancement

As all ESL courses carry Juniata College credit which can be applied toward graduation requirements, the EAP follows Juniata’s policies regarding academic advancement which allows students with a passing grade of 60% or higher to move to the next level. As language skills are vital to academic success, however, every effort should be made by students in their ESL courses to achieve the highest level of skills and knowledge possible as this will provide the foundation for all future academic courses.

To view the full policy, please refer to the Juniata Student Manual.

Courses

The program encourages English fluency, both in class and outside of class, through projects, surveys and interviews with Americans. You must take a minimum of 12 credits per semester. This is a full-time load, as EAP courses give credit which can be used for graduation requirements. You will focus on developing language skills and building self-confidence in using English. The courses emphasize:

  • Strengthening speaking ability through discussions with international and American students, staff and faculty, and interviews with local people
  • Practicing listening to and understanding academic lectures in real university classes
  • Developing university-level writing and research skills
  • Expanding vocabulary and increasing reading speed
  • Developing the self-confidence to use English in a professional or U.S. university setting
  • Interacting with American culture and the expectations at a U.S. college/university

Tutors are available for students who need extra help. Tutors are often Juniata students who are in training to become teachers.

Note to students whose first language is English: These courses are intended only for students whose first language is NOT English. While there are no pre-requisites for most of the ESL courses, native English-speaking students who register for ESL courses will be asked to drop their registration as course content and classroom interaction would be inappropriately affected.

Full Course Listing:

(Note: Not all courses are offered each semester)

ESL-150 Academic Writing

The focus of this course is developing writing fluency, as well as helping students find their own writing styles. Students will explore and apply the writing process, including brainstorming, organizing, writing drafts, proofreading, and revising. In and out of class activities will include reviewing and analyzing their own writing as well as that of their classmates, organizing a portfolio, and writing three main essays exploring different academic writing forms.

3 Credits  


ESL-151 Conversation and Discussion

The focus of this course is learning and strengthening the skills of conversation and discussion often used on the campuses of North American colleges and universities. Students will more fully develop awareness of different academic and social situations which will require different levels of politeness and personal attention. Activities will include a reflective listening journal, note taking, and in-class presentations/speeches.

3 Credits  


ESL-152 Reading and Vocabulary Development

The focus of this course is developing specific strategies for improving reading comprehension and rate by using authentic materials: media and college-related texts. Vocabulary development will be an important component of the class, so that the students are better able to understand complex written information. Through on-campus interviews and discussion groups, students will understand the norms and expectations of the U.S. academic environment.

3 Credits  


ESL-153 Grammar in Use-Level II

The focus of this course is improving knowledge and use of written grammar as it applies to North American colleges and universities. Through the student's writings various grammatical structures will be explicitly examined, practiced, and applied. Although the focus of the course is grammar in writing, spoken grammar will also be covered through class discussions.

3 Credits  


ESL-155 Clear Speech

The focus of this course is improving English pronunciation with an introduction to U.S. accent variations and other factors influencing cross-cultural communication. Students will identify individual pronunciation features such as specific sounds, stress, intonation, rhythm, etc. Students will work to achieve greater comfort and clarity with spoken English.

1 Credit  


ESL-170 Academic Writing II

The focus of this course is on improving academic writing skills needed to write more structured and complex essays in English. This course will guide students from more formulaic writing to more comprehensive writing by developing skills to express arguments clearly and with strong support. Timed-writings and peer-evaluations are strong components of the course as well.

3 Credits  


ESL-179 Academic Writing II: Lab

This course, in combination with ESL 170, will develop your academic writing skills through a focus on writing process. You will focus on the stages of brainstorming, topic selection, outlining, sourcing, composing and editing. Through close interaction with the teacher and assistants, you will learn the skills to be able to write more complex and expressive essays in English.

1 Credit  


ESL-180 ESL CWS Lab

This course is for first semester students in ESL 170 High Intermediate Academic Writing II and ESL 250 Advanced College Writing. The ESL students in this one credit course will participate in a regular EN110 CWS Lab with other first semester Juniata students. The purpose is to allow the ESL students access to the same introductory information and experiences offered all other Juniata students. 

1 Credit Students who successfully complete this course will have the option of not completing the lab requirements when they take EN109 or EN110. Corequisite: ESL170 or ESL250.


ESL-192 Advanced ESL Reading

ESL 192 Advanced ESL Reading is an integrated skills content-based course designed to strengthen the development of college level reading skills to allow students to successfully navigate readings in academic courses. Students will work with an authentic textbook and supplemental materials to explore various text modes, strategies of understanding, and methods of meaning negotiation.

3 Credits Pre-requisites: ESL152 or permission.


ESL-199 Special Topics

The IEP can offer special courses based on student and program needs.

1-4 Credits  


ESL-200 Amer: Ntn of Immigrants

The focus of this content-based course is exploring American values and the changing influences of different immigrant groups to America. The language focus is applying reading and writing skills, developing group interaction skills, and improving listening and speaking skills. Students also broaden their understanding of American culture by participating in a weekly volunteer project and by working with American reading partners.

3 Credits  


ESL-201 Egg to Ancestor: a Study of Culture

The focus of this content-based course is exploring life stages beginning with birth and ending with death as these ideas relate to the student's own and other cultures. Through the content, students will study and practice a wide variety of English language learning topics. American reading partners enrich the student's cultural understanding.

3 Credits  


ESL-202 Advanced ESL Reading

ESL 202: Advanced ESL Reading is designed to strengthen college level reading skills and help students learn to analyze readings from multiple points of view. Novels and other texts will provide the context for us to articulate and contrast the values, beliefs, or practices of different cultures and describe global challenges and ways different cultures address them.

3 CreditsSWGLS 


ESL-211 Advanced Listening and Speaking Seminar

High-level listening and speaking skills are needed to participate in North American college classrooms. This course is linked with a 3-credit, 100-level course and students earn credits for both courses. Through group discussion, oral presentations, video and an off-campus lab with Language in Motion, students improve their language skills and gain an understanding of content. 

3 CreditsCS, SWGLSRequisites: Take a linked 100-level course (speak to instructor).


ESL-212 Advanced College Reading: Mockingbirds Abound

The focus of this course is exploring racism and discrimination in the deep south of the US from slavery to the 1960s. Students refine and practice reading skills and strategies necessary to understand authentic texts of increasing complexity. These skills include improving reading rate, applying new vocabulary in short weekly essay quizzes, and analyzing materials critically. Students read one novel and submit weekly written critical analyses on related articles, films, and lectures. They also participate in a book club with native English speakers which they regularly reflect upon in a written journal.

3 CreditsCW 


ESL-250 College Writing

The focus of this course is to enable students to write proficiently and confidently at a high level equal to American college students. Students will complete four essays which represent those most frequently written by college students. They will learn specific organizational strategies and elements of style which match North American academic expectations. Multiple revisions will be complemented by conferences with the instructor, Writing Center tutors, and peer-editing.

3 CreditsCW 


ESL-259 College Writing: Lab

This course will improve your academic writing skills by developing your written process. In collaboration with the teachers and assistants, you will work on essays from ESL 250 focusing on the many stages of writing, including brainstorming, outlining, sourcing, composing, editing, re-writing, and peer-review. You will learn the process to write more complex and expressive essays in English.

1 Credit  


ESL-299 Special Topics

The IEP can offer special courses based on student and program needs.

1-4 Credits  


ESL-TUT ESL Teaching Assistant