(Arranged by Level)
This is a series of individualized sessions for each student in the ESL program. All ESL students must register for this class every semester until they finish the program. With the consultation of all the students’ current instructors, the ESL director will work with each student throughout the semester to identify the individual student’s strengths and weaknesses and to advise appropriate courses of action for optimum success at
Trine University. This course may be taken multiple times, and the final grade for this course will be the average of all current ESL courses. Academic probation may be given on the basis of the grade in this course.
The ESL Reading Lab provides ESL students with guided time for sustained silent reading with the major goals of improving their reading comprehension and their reading speed while beginning the process of reading for pleasure. The number of hours varies (1-2 credit hours), and students may take the course multiple times.
Students practice the fundamental English skills of reading, spelling, listening and speaking while focusing on the most basic of grammar points. Students are introduced to singular and plural nouns, pronouns and possessive pronouns, the imperative, demonstratives and articles, adjectives and possessive adjectives, the present and past tense of “be,” and the simple present and present progressive tenses.
Students are introduced to basic vocabulary items from everyday life such as household and classroom items, clothing, days of the week, seasons, numbers, and colors. Students learn to spell and pronounce new words and use them in elementary-level conversations.
Beginning students will practice the most basic listening skills to help them understand every-day greetings and conversations. Students will also practice basic survival language skills such as discussing living situations, communicating with medical professionals, making emergency phone calls, and interacting in public settings, among others.
This course will be tailored to meet the immediate languagelearning needs of true beginning-level learners of English. The number of hours will vary (from 1-5 hours), and students may take the course multiple times.
Students use interactive software to improve their basic English skills. This course may be taken multiple times and is graded on a Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory basis.
Students focus on parts of speech, word order, imperatives, determiners, and statements, questions and negation in the present, present progressive and simple past tenses.
Students learn to recognize, spell, and pronounce over 2,500 essential vocabulary words for everyday situations. They also practice using new vocabulary words in basic everyday dialogues and conversations.
Students learn to use word skills, context clues, and structural clues to determine meaning.
Emphasis is placed on main ideas and details of beginning-intermediate reading passages with reading of limited non-prose graphs and charts included. Students demonstrate their skills in written reports, class discussions, presentations, or interviews on outside readings.

Using their new vocabulary and grammar skills, students learn to write complete sentences with appropriate word order, spelling, and punctuation in the present and past tenses. Students later practice paragraph writing and elementary methods of cohesion.
Using their new vocabulary and grammar skills, students learn to write complete sentences with appropriate word order, spelling, and punctuation in the present and past tenses. Students later practice paragraph writing and elementary methods of cohesion.
Students practice producing all the sounds of Standard American English along with proper stress and intonation.
Students practice producing all the sounds of Standard American English along with proper stress and intonation while practicing conversational skills.
Students practice listening to and engaging in basic conversations while building a basic vocabulary and verbal and non-verbal conversational skills. Students also learn culturally appropriate social conventions.
This course is tailored to meet the immediate language-learning needs of
ESL (English as a Second Language) students. The number of hours varies (1-5 hours), and students may take the course multiple times.
Students use interactive software to improve their intermediate English skills. This course may be taken multiple times and is graded on a Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory basis.
Students practice spelling, pronunciation, and usage of over 140 American English irregular verbs. Students learn the parts of the verb and when to use them. In addition, students learn and practice over 120 phrasal verbs and idioms that contain irregular verbs. Emphasis is placed on grammar, writing, testtaking skills, and critical thinking.
Students practice using and understanding simple and progressive forms of present, past, and perfect tenses, the four forms of the future as well as future time clauses, adjectives and adverbs, and basic modal usage.
Students learn nearly 500 idioms, phrasal verbs, and colloquial expressions and how to use them appropriately in writing and conversation.
Students learn to use word skills, context clues, and structural clues to determine meaning.
Students learn to find main ideas and details of intermediate-advanced reading passages, and they practice nonprose reading such as menus, graphs, tables, charts, and maps. Restatement and inference practice is also provided to help prepare the students for college-level reading assignments. Out-of-class readings with book reports and individual presentations are required.
Students practice beginning-writing skills which include pre-writing strategies, organization techniques, and how to choose appropriate topics for academic paragraphs. Students study basic structures of a paragraph such as topic sentences, appropriate detail, sentence combining, transitions, spelling and punctuation.
Students practice basic composition skills such as pre-writing, organization, appropriate topic choices, transitions, main idea sentences, topic sentences, appropriate detail, sentence combining, spelling, and punctuation.

Students practice every-day dialogues with formal / informal variations attached to various cultural situations as they continue practicing culturally appropriate social conventions and honing their pronunciation skills.
Students learn to distinguish and produce American English phonetic sounds, to determine meaning from tone of voice, and to hear and understand idiomatic speech at normal speed with pauses, slurs, and inflections.
Students learn nearly 500 idioms, phrasal verbs, and colloquial expressions and how to use them appropriately in writing and conversation.
Students use interactive software to improve their advanced English skills. This course may be taken multiple times and is graded on a Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory basis.
Students review all verb tenses and their knowledge of basic modal usage. Students expand their knowledge of auxiliary verbs while learning to form and respond to negative questions and tag questions.
Students also learn when to use gerunds and infinitives as well as the passive voice.
Students focus on English-English dictionary use and prefix, suffix, and root word usage.
Students learn to use context, word parts, and logic to discover the meaning of unfamiliar words.
Students practice all reading skills at an advanced level to prepare for college-level reading assignments. Discussion and critical-thinking skills are emphasized. Students also write book reports and give presentations on outside readings.
Students strengthen their writing skills by reviewing beginning skills and focusing on coherence devices, multiple support techniques, proper formatting, and avoidance of plagiarism in academic paragraphs. Students learn multiple organizational strategies for descriptive, process, and comparison/contrast paragraphs. They are then introduced to expanding paragraphs into five-paragraph essays.
: Students review basic composition skills and focus on more advanced skills such as coherence devices, multiple support techniques, proper formatting, usage of secondary sources, and avoidance of plagiarism.
Students also learn appropriate organization for various types of compositions such as comparison/contrast, process, narrative, cause-effect, and persuasive essays.
Students practice more advanced conversational skills and learn basic public speaking skills.
Students are given various assignments which require interviews with native speakers, presentations for outside audiences, and community service.
Students practice listening and responding to advanced conversations, speeches, and academic lectures. Students learn effective note-taking strategies and discuss information from listening exercises. Students are given various assignments which require interviewing native speakers, listening to news broadcasts, and giving informal and formal presentations in class.
Students practice listening and responding to conversations, speeches, and academic lectures.
Students learn effective note-taking strategies and discuss information from listening exercises.
Students use interactive software to improve their high-advanced English skills. This course may be taken multiple times and is graded on a Satisfactory / Unsatisfactory basis.
Students review all verb tenses, the passive voice, modals, gerunds and infinitives. Students practice conditionals, indirect speech, and embedded questions. Emphasis is on writing and editing skills.

Students practice college-level reading skills while enhancing their advanced vocabulary skills. Emphasis is on discussion, critical thinking, and formal presentations.
Students review essential paragraph-writing skills and then focus on the structure of the academic essay. Students review coherence devices, multiple support techniques, proper formatting, and avoidance of plagiarism and then practice citing secondary sources. They learn appropriate organization for academic process, comparison/contrast, cause/effect, and persuasive essays.
: Students review basic composition skills with a focus on more advanced skills such as coherence devices, multiple support techniques, proper formatting, usage of secondary sources, and avoidance of plagiarism. Emphasis is on appropriate organization for various types of compositions and on research skills.
: Students engage in listening and speaking activities which require critical thinking, comprehension from context and tone, academic note taking, listening to and responding to both conversational and academic American English spoken at normal speed, and pronouncing all the sounds of
Standard American English with appropriate prosody. Students will also practice giving academic presentations using different technological media about projects which require interacting with English speakers both in and outside the classroom.
Students develop effective time management and study skills with a focus on active listening to academic lectures and effective note-taking. They discuss appropriate classroom etiquette in different cultural settings and how to communicate well with U.S. faculty members. Students also learn effective methods of preparing for and taking academic tests.
: Students learn effective time management and study skills. They learn about and discuss appropriate classroom etiquette in different cultural settings and how to communicate well with
U.S. faculty members. Students also learn effective methods of preparing for and taking academic tests including the TOEFL.
This class is intended to prepare ESL students to take the math placement test before matriculating from the ESL program. Students discuss basic math and pre-calculus concepts in English and discuss the grammar, vocabulary and meaning of typical word problems. This class will meet four days a week for ten weeks starting the second week of classes and ending the eleventh week of classes, after which, students will take the Trine University math placement test.
ESL students study important language skills needed for Business majors. Students practice listening and speaking about business concepts using appropriate vocabulary for discussions in the business community. Students practice using case studies and giving individual and group presentations to prepare them for classes toward their business majors.
ESL students study important language skills needed for engineering majors. Students practice listening and speaking about engineering concepts using appropriate vocabulary for discussions to prepare them for classes in the Engineering Department.
Students explore engineering career areas, take lab tours, discuss courses and teacher expectations to prepare them for classes in engineering.
Students give presentation and work on group projects to prepare them for classes toward their engineering majors.