FAQ for students

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What ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) courses are offered at SLU?

SLU offers numerous opportunities for students to engage in English language learning. Through ESOL 201 and 202, students will improve academic English, learn American and academic culture, and connect with other students from all backgrounds. Students may be required to take an ESOL course due to admissions documents or the language assessment or they can elect to enroll in one of the courses to improve academic English. Each course has a unique designation that counts to SLU’s DIV13 general education requirement. The ESOL Program also offers other courses such as Business and Language Skills for the Global Workplace and Language and Education in East Africa, but these are not language specific courses.

ESOL 201: Introduction to American Culture, DIV13 designation

In this course, students will focus on English for academic purposes through the study of American culture and personal identity. This course will address language used in academic assignments and class discussions, expand academic vocabulary, and practice different types of academic writing. Students will study language and culture through TED Talks, newspaper articles, and readings and work to develop critical thinking skills. Students will also be asked to reflect on their own culture and identity. Currently not offered.

Course Objectives

     By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Determine central ideas or themes in spoken and written texts.
  • Write multi-paragraph text in different genres using complex grammar and sentence structure.
  • Develop a summary response paper with relevant details, concepts, examples, and analysis as part of a digital narrative project.
  • Determine the meaning of academic and content specific words and phrases.
  • Practice strategies for critical reading.
  • Expand vocabulary and collocation use.
  • Employ class and group discussion skills. 

ESOL 202: Advanced Stylistics, LANG designation

In this course, students will refine skills related to academic English and will have an intensive study of academic vocabulary. Students will examine advanced concepts and work to develop arguments by writing complex papers in different genres, giving oral presentations, and participating in class discussions.  Students will write within the theme of Danger of a Single Story and learn about American culture through the theme. Offered fall semester.

Course Objectives

  • Increase academic vocabulary and related connections and draw out our own connections and evidence-based arguments.
  • Refine strategies for critical reading.
  • Practice articulating and finding voice through different academic genre writing.
  • Engage with a variety of written and spoken texts to examine vocabulary and collocation use, writing structure, and usage.
  • Gain expertise in narrating, describing, and arguing skills.
  • Examine authentic texts such as TED Talks and podcasts to study rhetorical moves and grammar points.
  • Share stories and identities through content writing.
  • Work on areas of writing important to each student and allow expression through bilingual/multilingual and multimodal projects.

2- Are there tutors to help with English writing and other projects?

The WORD Studio (writing center) has tutors with specialization in multilingual writing (and are multilingual students) and provide ongoing individual support and tutoring to students whose first language is not English. Students can make appointments with these tutors by contacting rrhodes@stlawu.edu or visiting the WORD Studio in ODY Library and asking about the multilingual/ESOL tutors.

3- Can I get help with spoken English and meet new friends?

One goal of the ESOL program is to build bridges between international and domestic students. To this end, we off the opportunity to be part of the multilingual digital story map and enroll in the Language and Cultural Exchange Program (LCEP). Through the LCEP program, a student can either meet with a native/near native English speaker for weekly conversation or meet weekly with a language student to teach their own first language.

4- Is ESOL academic support on social media?

Yes! You can follow or join us here:

  • Instagram: slu_esol
  • WeChat: wxid_vg56p5j0pbr512

Language and Cultural Exchange Program     

The Language and Cultural Exchange Program gives all faculty, staff, and students the opportunity to have a conversation partner in a variety of languages. Students can meet with a native/near native speaker to improve conversational language. For example, if a student needs help with English, he/she can request an English-speaking partner. If a staff member wants to learn French, he/she can request a French speaking partner. This program places high value on all languages and the resources on campus to promote multilingualism. Participants can sign up to teach or learn a language. In addition, anyone can meet with students from a select country to learn more about the culture of a country prior to traveling. The LCEP is a great opportunity for anyone to practice listening and speaking skills in a safe and fun way as conversation teams meet once a week for hourly conversation. Many conversation teams meet for fun activities such as walks, sports games, visiting restaurants in town, hiking, and campus events.