Admission requirements
Not all international students are in the English Language Institute (ELI) and required to take ESL classes. International students are admitted to UHH in two different classifications: 1) they are admitted into a degree program in the same way as native speaking students; or 2) they are admitted (as classified students) into the English Language Institute (ELI) and restrictions (based upon their reading and writing scores) are placed on their registration.
- Students admitted into a degree program (non-ELI):
International students who are admitted with a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score above 500 on the paper-based test (equal to 173 on the computer-based test and 61 on the internet-based test) or with transfer credit for ENG 100 are not required to complete additional ESL requirements except to meet a prerequisite for ESL 100. They are free to register for their own classes and can use the advising center and be assigned an advisor.
Students can also be admitted into a degree program without a TOEFL score if they are transferring from another university and have taken the equivalent of English 100.
- Students admitted into the English Language Institute (ELI):
International students who are admitted to UHH without a TOEFL score or with a TOEFL score below 500 (173/61) are admitted into the ELI and a hold is placed on their registration. The advisor for all ELI students is the director of the ELI. These students must see the director of the ELI to register. (If you are unsure whether a student is an ELI or student or not, you can check on STAR or BANNER to see if the student has an academic hold placed by the ELI director). These students are restricted to taking ESL classes and a few selected non-ESL classes depending on their assessed reading level. ELI students must obtain the written approval of the professor to take any non-ESL class.
Admissions Path for International Students
English Proficiency Test and Writing Placement Exam
- English Proficiency Test:
The English Proficiency Test (EPT) is administered by the ELI on the first day of orientation. This test assesses listening, grammar, and reading skills. This test is administered to all newly admitted non-native speaking students. This test is used to provide class placements for the students admitted into the ELI and recommendations for non-ELI students. The results are converted into class placements (i.e. ESL 061, 062, 073, 074). These placement scores are written on pink index cards for ELI student and blue index cards for non-ELI students and given to the students the day after the test (see box below). For non-ELI students, these placements can be used by the student and the advisor to determine if additional ESL classes are warranted. The test is only given during orientation week.
Non-ELI students may not register for an ESL class that they have not been placed into. The presence of a TOEFL score of above 500 does not necessarily indicate English competence in all areas. Therefore, the class placements resulting from the EPT must be followed when helping a non-ELI student with registration. Please follow the placement guidelines provided by the ELI. If you are advising a student who has not taken the EPT, but you believe needs ESL assessment, please contact the ELI director.
Students who have taken the EPT but want to improve their placement can take the test the following semester. The dates and times of the EPT are available on the ELI website at www.uhh.hawaii.edu/academics/eli/.
- Writing Placement Exam:
The Writing Placement Exam (WPE) is administered and evaluated by the English department. Non-native English speakers are either placed in ENG 100, ENG 100T, ESL 100, ESL 100T or below ESL 100. The ELI staff places students who are below ESL 100 into an ESL writing class (ESL 064, 074, or 084). The WPE and EPT placements are posted on Banner on SOATEST. ELI students are required to take the ESL class that they are placed into. Non-ELI students are not required to take ESL classes, and can only register for the ESL classes they were placed into. Non-ELI students who do not receive placement into ESL 100 or ESL100T must either take the WPE again or enter the appropriate ESL writing class and ultimately pass ESL 084.
3) ESL 100 Prerequisite
- ESL 083:
The English department has a reading proficiency prerequisite for ESL 100. Reading proficiency is demonstrated by the concurrent enrollment in or completion of ESL 083 (Introduction to Academic Reading). For ELI students, ESL 083 is a required class. However, non-ELI students must still demonstrate reading proficiency. To do so, they must take the English Proficiency Test when it is offered during orientation week. Once the students have their reading results, they can enroll in ESL 100 or ESL 100T if they meet one of three requirements:
- Be concurrently enrolled in ESL 083 and ESL 100
- Have taken and passed ESL 083 in a previous semester
- Score 70 percent or higher on the reading portion of the EPT and be placed out of ESL reading.
- If students enroll concurrently in ESL 083 and ESL 100 or ESL 100T, they cannot drop ESL 083 without also dropping 100 or 100T.
NOTE: Non-ELI students cannot take ESL 083 unless they have placed into the class on the EPT. For example, if a student has a reading score that places him/her into ESL 073, he/she must either take ESL 073 and pass the class or wait a semester and take the EPT the following semester and try to achieve a placement of ESL 083 or higher.
English Language Institute Course Descriptions
Courses in the English Language Institute (ELI) do not count towards graduation.
Placement into these classes is dependent on results from the English ProficiencyTest administered by the ELI during orientation week. Students who do not have placement results are not allowed to register. If you are advising a student without placement results, please contact the ELI director.
ESL 061 Listening and Speaking in English 3 credits
Practice in listening comprehension, conversational skills, discussion skills, and understanding cultural differences. Includes language lab. . Entry requirement: ESL 061 placement in English Proficiency Test.
ESL 062 Essentials of English Grammar 3 credits
Intensive drill in and contextual practice of the rules of noun and verb forms and usage in English, and in connectives and other function forms. Entry requirement: ESL 062 placement in English Proficiency Test.
ESL 063 Basics of Reading in English 3 credits
Preparation for college-level reading with work in vocabulary, understanding complex sentence structures, reading strategies, and relation of writing to reading. Includes self-paced reading lab. Entry requirement: ESL 063 placement in English Proficiency Test.
ESL 064 Preparation for English Composition 3 credits
Preparation for college-level writing with work in vocabulary, sentence structure, and the development and reinforcement of paragraph skills. Entry requirement: 064 placement in the English Proficiency Test and Writing Placement Exam.
ESL 071 Basic Communication Skills 3 credits
Designed for non-native speakers to improve listening, thinking, and communicating ideas in English. Native-speaker lectures and speech practice accelerate the learning skills needed for college work. Includes language lab. Entry requirement: ESL 071 placement in the English Proficiency Test or successful completion of ESL 061.
ESL 072 Basics of English Grammar 3 credits
Introduction and the practice of English grammar. Emphasis on accurate use of basic structures in both speaking and writing. Entry requirement: ESL 072 placement in English Proficiency Test or successful completion of ESL 062.
ESL 073 English Reading Skills 3 credits
Designed for non-native English speakers to build and acquire academic reading skills. Focus is on increasing reading speed, building vocabulary, previewing and predicting, skimming and scanning, and finding main ideas and details. The course also includes work in a self-paced reading lab. Entry requirement: ESL 073 placement in the English Proficiency Test or successful completion of ESL 063.
ESL 074 Introduction to Composition 3 credits
Introduction and practice in writing coherent, well-organized paragraphs as well as muli-paragraph essays in a variety of rhetorical styles. Entry requirement: ESL 074 placement in English Proficiency Test and Writing Placement Exam or successful completion of ESL 064.
ESL 081 Academic Communication Skills 3 credits
Designed for non-native English speakers to practice listening, thinking, and communicating ideas in English requisite for college study. Authentic lectures and formal speech practice expose students to the language used and required in academic coursework. Includes language lab. Entry Requirement: ESL 081 placement in English Proficiency Test or successful completion of ESL 071.
ESL 082 Intermediate English Grammar 3 credits
An overview of advanced grammatical structures that are used in college-level speaking and writing. One-third of the class is a writing lab. The lab will be focused on identifying grammar problems and developing editing skills for academic writing. Entry requirements: ESL 082 placement in English Proficiency Test or successful completion of ESL 072. This
ESL 083 Introduction to Academic Reading 3 credits
A course for non-native speakers of English using authentic texts and selected fiction which is designed to develop reading skills necessary for college-level work. Emphasis on vocabulary development, finding main ideas and specific details, and drawing inferences. Training and practice in developing increased reading rates. Entry requirements: ESL 083 placement in English Proficiency Test or successful completion of ESL 073.
ESL 084 Intermediate Composition 3 credits
Introduction and practice in writing expository essays. Attention to various stages of the writing process: generating ideas, drafting, peer review, and revision. Special emphasis on identification and editing of grammatical errors. Entry requirement: ESL 084 placement in English Proficiency Test and Writing Placement Exam or successful completion of ESL 074.