ESL Student Handbook
2013-2014
Department of ESL/Languages and Culture
IRC 205
Middlesex County College
732-906-2529
Contents
Welcome to the ESL Department ................................................................................................................. 2
The ESL Program ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Taking other Classes with ESL Classes .................................................................................................... 3
Math Courses ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Other Courses....................................................................................................................................... 4
The Psyched to ExSL Learning Community ........................................................................................ 4
Who We Are ............................................................................................................................................. 5
The Faculty ........................................................................................................................................... 5
The Staff................................................................................................................................................ 5
How to Become an ESL Student............................................................................................................... 5
Registering for Classes ............................................................................................................................. 6
Map of Middlesex County College ........................................................................................................... 7
Paying for your Classes ............................................................................................................................ 8
Financial Aid............................................................................................................................................. 8
Using Campus Cruiser .................................................................................................................................. 9
Logging into Campus Cruiser ................................................................................................................... 9
Using Campus Cruiser .............................................................................................................................. 9
Classroom Expectations .............................................................................................................................. 10
Syllabus ................................................................................................................................................... 10
Attendance and Punctuality .................................................................................................................... 10
Class Participation .................................................................................................................................. 11
Your Advisor .......................................................................................................................................... 11
Getting Help ............................................................................................................................................ 12
Academic Honesty .................................................................................................................................. 12
Life Outside of Your Classes ...................................................................................................................... 13
Student Activities .................................................................................................................................... 13
Recreation ............................................................................................................................................... 13
Democracy House ................................................................................................................................... 13
Final Thoughts ............................................................................................................................................ 14
1
Welcome to the ESL Department
Department of ESL Languages and Culture
Institutional Resource Center (IRC) 205
732-906-2529
Hello!
It is my pleasure to welcome you to the ESL Department. We hope your time of study with us
will be enjoyable and useful as you get ready for your college career. Our commitment to you is
to help you succeed in your goals.
Starting at college can be confusing, overwhelming, and even scary. In this handbook is a lot of
handy information about the ESL Program and Middlesex County College that we hope will
make this time easier for you. Don’t read it like a textbook from cover to cover, but as a
guidebook. When you have a question, see if you can find the answer inside. If not, please come
see us.
Remember, we are here to help you. The only question we won’t answer is the one you don’t ask
us.
Regards,
Gary Abbott
Chair of ESL/Languages and Culture
2
The ESL Program
The ESL Program is an intensive English language study program. If your first language is not
English and you are not skilled in English classroom skills, we can help you. Our program has
five levels of instruction starting with basic English up to advanced English skills.
Course Offerings
Level 1
Credits
3
3
3
4
4
ESL 060
ESL 061
ESL 062
ESL 063
ESL 064
Listening
Phonology
Discussion
Structure
Writing
ESL 071
ESL 072
ESL 073
ESL 074
ESL 075
Phonology II
Discussion II
Structure II
Writing II
Reading/Vocabulary II
3
3
4
4
3
ESL 083
ESL 084
ESL 085
ESL 086
Structure III
Writing III
Reading/Vocabulary III
Discussion/Phonology III
4
4
3
3
ESL 091
ESL 092
ESL 093
ESL 094
Discussion/Phonology IV
Structure IV
Writing IV
Reading IV
3
3
4
4
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
ESL 099 Reading/Writing V
4
Taking other Classes with ESL Classes
In addition to your ESL coursework, you may be able to take courses in your major that will help you to
meet your graduation requirements. In this way, you can make progress towards your degree. However,
don’t forget to finish your ESL class work.
3
Math Courses
When you are in the third level of ESL (the 080s level), you may take math classes. Before you can take a
math class, though, you will need to get a signed permission form from our office to take the Math
Placement test. You can take this form to the Testing Center, and they will set up the test for you. After
finishing the test, you will be told what level of Math you placed into.
Other Courses
Besides Math, when you are in the fourth and/or fifth levels of ESL (the 090s level), you may take some
other General Elective courses. Your advisor can help you figure out which courses are best suited for
your major. Below are the courses you can take in the 090s:
CSC 105 Computer Applications
ACC 101 Accounting
COM 115 Intercultural Communications
SPE 121 Public Speaking
SOC 121 Introduction to Sociology
PSY 123 Introduction to Psychology
PED (1 credit physical education course)
BIO 010 Developmental Biology (has a math requirement)
CHM 010 Developmental Chemistry
Any language course
Math course, depending on your placement
The Psyched to ExSL Learning Community
Students at the fourth level have a unique opportunity to participate in the MCC learning community. A
learning community is a group of students and teachers who work together for a semester. The Psyched to
ExSL Learning Community helps you learn content material while you receive language support. ESL
093 (Writing), ESL 094 (Reading), and PSY 123 are the classes you take in a block. If you are eligible,
you can also take other classes. The learning community is a great way to prepare for taking additional
college-level course work.
You will use one textbook (a regular introductory psychology textbook) and work on learning modules in
reading and writing using this textbook. In addition to the college skills you will develop, when you
successfully complete PSY 123, you receive three (3) credits, which can be applied toward your
graduation requirements and even transferred to a four-year New Jersey State University.
4
Who We Are
The ESL Department has many people here to help you. Some you may get to know very well, others you
may seldom meet. Do your best to introduce yourself to your professors and others in the department.
The Faculty
Your professors are the ones you will deal with the most. You will find that they are dedicated and
experienced.
Professor Sudipta Biswas
IRC 211
Dr. Hillary Hyman
NH 306
Professor Vicki Kahn
IRC 211
Professor Mary Lynch
MH 143A
Professor Jane Ostacher
RH 114
Dr. Janet Peleg
Center III, 102
Dr. Iris Ramer
IRC 210
Professor Karen Rodriguez
Center III, 201
Professor Marianne Santelli
RH 114
Professor Neil Storm
Center III, 103
Professor Stephanie Vera
Center III, 201
The Staff
In addition to the faculty, the ESL Program has a number of people who are also committed to helping
you.
Denise Johnson – Department Assistant
IRC 205
Susan Leckart – Department Secretary
IRC 205
John Strauch – Language Lab Coordinator
JLC 233
Richard Roy – Associate Chair
IRC 205
Gary Abbott – Chair
IRC 205
How to Become an ESL Student
In order to take ESL classes you will need to complete an application form. This will cost $25
and can be submitted to the Office of Admission and Recruitment in Chambers Hall, first floor.
5
Once you have been admitted, your next step is to sign up for the ESL Placement test. You can
call 732-906-2508, or visit the Testing Center in the Johnson Learning Center (JLC), room 229.
ESL testing occurs every Thursday from 9:00AM to 4:00PM; please bring a photo ID with you.
You will take three tests in the Testing Center which will last around two hours. These tests
include:
 a sentence skills test which will test your grammar skills
 a reading test which will test your skills at finding information in a short passage
 a writing sample
After these three tests, you will also need to come to our offices for an oral interview. Based on
your scores from these tests, we can determine the best placement for you in our program.
Registering for Classes
Once you have been placed, we will help you register for your classes. Some points to keep in mind.
1. ESL students are required to do their registration in person with a faculty advisor. The
advisor will need to sign your registration form before you can take it to Registration
Office in Chambers Hall. You will also need to go to our office in IRC 205 to get our
Department stamp on your form.
2. You should try to register during the pre-registration times. If you wait until just before
classes start, you may have a difficult time finding classes that fit your schedule.
3. Please have your most recent grades (mid-term or final) when you see your advisor. You
can find these and print them off in Campus Cruiser.
1) Turn on the computer and go to Campus Cruiser (Middlesex County College @
Campus>General>Around Campus>Welcome)
2) Sign in with your Log-in ID and password.
i. If you are a first time user, you can find this information in the Welcome
to MCC letter you received when you were admitted to the college.
3) Go to the WebAdvisor tab (the very last one on the right at the top of the screen)
and click on it.
4) Click on *MyGrades.
5) Select the current term and enter “OK.”
6) Your grades should appear, and you can print them off.
4. You must have a C or higher in a class before you take the next level course.
5. If you are enrolled in ESL 099, you have to wait until you take the college placement test
at the end of the semester before you can enroll in classes for the next semester.
6
Map of Middlesex County College
Chambers Hall
Registrar
Johnson Learning Center (JRC)
Testing Center JLC 229
Instructional Learning Center (IRC)
ESL Office in IRC 205
South Hall I (S1)
Financial Aid Office
7
Paying for your Classes
All ESL courses are under the same tuition rate as other college courses at MCC. Depending on
how many credits you enroll in will determine how much money you will owe the College. The
below is the table you can use to find the total amount of tuition and fees for your courses.
In-County Tuition and Fees
Credits
Tuition
Activity
General
Tech
Total
104.00
3.50
18.00
13.00
138.50
1
208.00
7.00
36.00
26.00
277.00
2
312.00
10.50
54.00
39.00
415.50
3
416.00
14.00
72.00
52.00
554.00
4
520.00
17.50
90.00
65.00
692.50
5
624.00
21.00
108.00
78.00
831.00
6
728.00
24.50
126.00
91.00
969.50
7
832.00
28.00
144.00
104.00
1,108.00
8
936.00
31.50
162.00
117.00
1,246.50
9
1,040.00
35.00
180.00
130.00
1,385.00
10
1,144.00
38.50
198.00
143.00
1,523.50
11
1,248.00
42.00
216.00
156.00
1,662.00
12
1,352.00
45.50
234.00
169.00
1,800.50
13
1,456.00
49.00
252.00
182.00
1,939.00
14
1,560.00
52.50
270.00
195.00
2,077.50
15
*For a complete table of MCC’s tuition and fees, including out of county rates, please visit:
http://www2.middlesexcc.edu/images/stories/bursar/Book1.pdf
For example, if you take ESL 091 (3 credits), ESL 092 (3 credits), and ESL 094 (4 credits), you
have 10 total credits. The tuition and fees for ten credits is $1385.00. The College expects you to
pay for your classes in a timely manner. In fact, you may be dropped from your classes if you
fail to pay by a certain date. If this happens, you will need to re-register for all of your classes,
and you may not be able to get into the same sections you first chose. If the College drops your
classes for non-payment, they will notify you through your Campus Cruiser email.
You can also visit the Tuition and Fees website for more information about payment plans and
dates when payment is expected: http://www2.middlesexcc.edu/admissions.html/tuition-andfees.html
Financial Aid
You may be eligible for Financial Aid to help you pay for your courses. If you want to apply for
financial aid, you will need to go to the Financial Aid Office in South I. You should do this as
soon as possible because it often takes several months before an award is approved.
You can also use Campus Cruiser to check on your award. Simply log-in and click on the
WebAdvisor tab. Towards the bottom of the page on the left hand side you can find all sorts of
information about financial aid, including your award letter.
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Using Campus Cruiser
Campus Cruiser is the main way that the College and your Professors will contact you. In Campus
Cruiser you can see your schedule, check your grades, find out about your Financial Aid award, find
information about your classes, and much, much more. Therefore, as soon as possible, you should get
used to using Campus Cruiser.
Logging into Campus Cruiser
Before you can do anything, you will need to log into Campus Cruiser. When you received your
acceptance letter from MCC, you should have also received both your Login ID and a password.
Typically, your Login ID will be your first name + 1st initial of your last name + the last four digits of
your student number. You can also find this on your current schedule or bill.
Patrick Joklur (0123456) → patrick + j + 3456 → patrickj3456
If you don’t have a Login Id, or you forget your password, you can go to the Registrar’s Office and ask
for a new one. You will need to do this in person with your Student ID, as they will not give you a new
password over the phone.
Using Campus Cruiser
Once you are logged in, the first screen you see will display your current schedule. At the very top of the
screen on the left side are six different tabs: Campus, Campus Life, Academics, My Cruiser, Emergency
Notification Sign Up, and WebAdvisor.
 Campus Tab: Clicking on this tab will take you to a page that highlights the various
activities occurring on campus. By clicking on any of the links, you can read more about
that particular event.
 Campus Life Tab: This tab will detail any clubs you belong to. If you click on the All
Clubs link, you can see all of the clubs at MCC. Clicking on a club name will tell you
basic information about the club – what the activities are and who to contact if you have a
question about it.
 Academics Tab: This is mostly for faculty, but if you click on All Departments in the
upper left, you will see a list of all of the academic departments at the college.
 My Cruiser Tab: This is where you will begin when you log-in into Campus Cruiser. In
addition to finding your schedule, you can see any clubs or committees that you belong
to. You can also see the most current campus events in the Announcements box in the
upper right (a more complete list is found under the Campus Tab).
→ You can also access your classes on this page. If you click on a course, it will
take you to that specific course’s webpage. Some of your professors may have a
lot of information there for you including the syllabus, shared files, and even
homework assignments. She will let you know what you are expected to do here.
 Emergency Notification Sign Up Tab: Clicking here will allow you to sign up for the
Emergency Notification system. Once you do this, you can receive alerts either via text or
by email for important school news.
 WebAdvisor Tab: This and the My Cruiser tab will be the tab you use the most. In
WebAdvisor you can find a lot of information including:
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→
→
→
→
Searching for classes
Grades
Financial Aid awards
Placement test results
Classroom Expectations
To be successful in your ESL classes, you will want to pay attention to some important areas.
Syllabus
The first week of class, your professor will give you a syllabus. The syllabus is a detailed explanation of
what your professor will do for you to help you learn the material, and what you are expected to do to
learn it. In the syllabus you can find:






How to contact your professor (phone number, email, office)
Office hours when you can meet with your professor
The course’s learning outcomes – what you should be able to do when the class is over
How you will be graded (homework, quizzes, presentations, etc.)
Books and other materials you need
A semester calendar of what will be covered week to week
There may be other information in the syllabus that your professor wants you to know. Pay close attention
to it, and keep a copy with you.
Attendance and Punctuality
Some professors will also include information about their attendance policy. Every professor has their
own expectations; some may be very strict, others more relaxed. It is important for you to know if your
professor will mark you late if you come 5 or 10 minutes after the class starts. They may even mark you
absent if you come very late.
Even if your professor does not have a set attendance policy, it is always better to be on time if not early
for class. When you arrive early, it gives you time to get settled before class starts. You are more relaxed
and ready when the class does start. When you arrive late, you may miss important announcements,
lessons, and/or quizzes. You also can disturb the other students.
It is also very important to be in class. Missing a class is not just missing the lesson. You miss out on the
help your professor gives to the class in teaching the lesson. You miss out on the interaction with your
classmates as they practice that lesson. You also miss out on homework assignments and reviews for
quizzes and tests. The more you are in the class, the better you will do. The more you are absent, the
harder it is to learn what you need to learn.
If are absent, be sure to contact your professor as soon as possible. Find out what you missed and how
you can do any make up work. This is your responsibility.
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Class Participation
If you want to learn English you will need to be an active learner. That means fully joining in all the class
activities. You will especially want to do the following:
 Be on time (see the above about attendance and participation)
 Have your homework done on time. As a general rule of thumb, for every hour of class
you have, you should expect two hours of work outside of class. That means if you have
10 hours of classes, plan on an additional 20 hours of homework, or 30 hours a week just
to work on your English skills. This is like having a full time job.
Some classes may have more homework than others, especially writing courses. Give
yourself enough time to do the work well. You should also try to practice as much as you
can, even if it is not an assignment. Like any skill, the more your practice, the better you
become.
 Know the grading scale for your class. For every ESL class, you will need to at least earn
a 70% in order to be able to take the next class. Your syllabus will tell you how each type
of assignment is part of your final grade. For example, let’s say your professor has told
you the following:
12 Weekly Journals
4 Formal Essays
4 In-class essays
Class participation
Reading skills
Final
5%
20%
25%
10%
20%
20%
For this class, you can see that you will have to write 8 essays – four in class, and four
others. You will also have to write 12 journals. You can also tell that the essays are worth
much more that the journals. This helps you to know what types of assignments you will
be doing, and how much each will affect your final grade.
 Even if you are shy, speak as much as you can in class.
 Ask questions if you don’t understand. Ask during class, during break, after class, in your
professor’s office, in an email. The only question you won’t get an answer for is the
question you don’t ask.
 Get help if you are struggling.
→ See your professor during office hours.
→ Sign up for a time with a tutor.
→ Talk to your advisor.
→ Come to the ESL Office in IRC 205.
→ Don’t wait until the very end to try to get caught up.
Your Advisor
Every full time student is assigned an academic advisor at the start of the semester. Your advisor is
another person you can go to for help with your classes. You can find out who your advisor is by
checking your Campus Cruiser account in the WebAdvisor tab. Look on the left under the heading of
Registrar Services for My Advisors.
11
Your advisor can help you in a number of ways:
 Work with you on your schedule of classes for the next semester.
 Notify you if you have received an Early Warning. You may receive an Early Warning
from a professor after the third week of classes if you are having some problems. The
warning is to let you know that you are having some problems that should be taken care
of right away. These could be anything from not being in class enough to not turning in
homework assignments to a low test score.
 Talk with you about degree programs you may be interested in majoring in.
 Help you find resources and study helps.
If you are a part time student, you will not be assigned an advisor. However, you can always come to IRC
205, and someone will help you with your questions.
Getting Help
From time to time, you may find yourself needing help with a class, but what should you do?
 Always talk to your professor, but not 5 minutes before class starts. Come during office
hours, or schedule a time.
 Sign up for tutoring. Outside the JLC 235, where you will go for lab sessions, is a
notebook for times you can sign up for tutoring. Be sure you have a specific assignment
you would like help with. Any information you share about the assignment will also help
the tutor know how best to help you.
 See your advisor.
 Check out the library. The library has a section set aside for ESL students, and you may
find resources there to help you.
Academic Honesty
You should always do your own work. Your professor will talk more about this during class, but you
need to be aware that there can be very severe penalties for plagiarism. These can include, failing an
assignment, failing the class, and even a record in your academic file. Some examples of plagiarism
include:
 Cutting and pasting information from one document into your own without quoting it or
saying where you got that information.
 Having someone else do your assignment for you.
 Paraphrasing or summarizing and not giving credit to the original author.
Some common reasons students give for plagiarism:
 They run out of time, panic, and copy to get the assignment done. Always give yourself
enough time to do your own work. Start on big assignments as soon as you get them.
 They don’t know what they are supposed to do. Ask questions and get help. Your
professor can explain the assignment to you; tutors can help you organize and plan; your
advisor can help you find resources. Remember, the only question we can’t answer is the
one you don’t ask.
12
 They don’t think they can do it well enough to pass. English is a challenging skill, and it
takes practice. You can’t learn to shoot a free throw by having someone else do it for
you. Nor can you learn to write if you have someone do it for you either. Again, get help
so you can become more confident in yourself.
 They didn’t know it was wrong. The rules for plagiarism may be different in your home
country – what you could there, you can’t do here. Make sure you understand what your
professor expects of you. If you aren’t sure, ask. As a rule of thumb, if you didn’t think of
it yourself, you better say where the idea came from.
Life Outside of Your Classes
You probably will be spending most of your time at MCC working on your classes. However, don’t be so
focused on your studies that you miss out on some of the other activities that are happening all around
you. Getting involved in these activities will help you meet new people and make friends. You can learn
new skills and grow as a person. And you can even practice those English skills. Here are just a few of the
many events going around on campus.
Student Activities
There is always something going on at MCC. If you visit the Student Activities website
(http://www2.middlesexcc.edu/campus-life/student-activities-homepage.html) you will probably find an
event or a club that you would like to be a part of. There are over 50 clubs including clubs for Art and
Photography, Dance, Self Defense, and even ESL.
If you go to the Events Calendar under the Campus Life tab on the MCC website, you can also see all the
activities on the schedule for the coming weeks. These include athletic events, academic dates, art and
theater shows, and more. Many of these events are free for students.
Recreation
As an MCC student you can use the gym facilities on campus. There is a swimming pool, racquet ball
courts, fitness center, and basketball courts. Bring your student ID and check the schedule to see what is
open for the day and time (http://www2.middlesexcc.edu/campus-life/athletics-and-recreation/pe-centerrecreation-information/recreation-schedule.html).
Democracy House
Democracy House is dedicated to providing community service with learning. If you like to be involved
in your community, you might to check out Democracy House (http://www2.middlesexcc.edu/campuslife/democracy-house-homepage.html).
13
Final Thoughts
Beginning a college career is both an exciting and scary time. You will find many new paths to explore,
and you may discover new talents and interests you never knew you had.
 Take some chances, and try something different.
You will also have a lot of questions about what to do, how to do it, or when to do it. You may not even
be sure who to talk to in order to get help.
 Keep asking questions until you know what to do.
On top of all that, you are still developing your English skills, which could add a layer of confusion. You
may be frustrated with yourself because you can’t make yourself understood. You may be frustrated with
others because they aren’t paying careful attention.
 Don’t give up.
Lastly, remember this:
 Say Please
 Say Thank you
 We are here to help you.
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