ENGLISH SKILLS ASSESSMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Description of the Examination Program Measurement and Research Services Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University requires students from other countries to demonstrate the ability to speak, write, and understand the English language. One way students can meet this requirement is through the English Language Proficiency Examination (ELPE). These materials describe the ELPE and provide examples of the tests.

English Requirements for International Students Undergraduate students may meet the English proficiency requirement in one of four ways: 1. Official TOEFL score of 600 or higher, 2. Attend grades nine through twelve of secondary education in the United States, graduate from a U.S. high school, and score at least 550 on the TOEFL, 3. transfer from an accredited U.S. institution of higher education with at least 30 semester credit hours (including the equivalent to TAMU English 104), or 4. Achieve English Language Proficiency Verification by taking the English Language Proficiency Examination (ELPE) before registration for the first semester at TAMU. Graduate students may meet the English proficiency requirement in one of four ways: 1. English Proficiency Verification through official TOEFL score 550 or higher taken within the last two years, GRE Verbal score 400 or higher taken within the last five years, or GMAT Verbal score 22 or higher taken within the last five years, 2. Graduate with a Bachelors degree following four years of study at a U.S. institution, 3. English Language Proficiency Certification through appropriate English training programs at other U.S. institutions, or 4. English Language Proficiency Certification by passing the English Language Proficiency Examination (ELPE) and/or the corresponding English Language Institute (ELI) courses. Students who will be serving as Graduate Assistants-Teaching (GAT) must complete the English Proficiency Certification Process at TAMU or show that they have completed an equivalent program at another U.S. institution. Students who have graduated with a Bachelors degree following four years of study at a U.S. institution are also eligible to serve as GATs. The English certification process at Texas A&M begins with the ELPE.

Placement Procedures for Students Taking the ELPE This section describes the placement procedures for students who are required to take the ELPE, either through University policy (as listed above) or through departmental requirement. Undergraduate Students: Undergraduate international students who are required to take the ELPE must either pass the test or enroll in the English Language Institute (ELI) for those areas not passed. Following the test, your test scores and ratings on the essay and interview will be submitted to the International Student Placement Committee (ISPC). This committee, which includes representatives from the colleges of Agriculture, Engineering, and Science, reviews the results and determines which courses you will be required to take at the ELI. In general, undergraduates are required to take ELI courses in all areas they do not pass. A score of 70 is the passing score in each area.

Students can also demonstrate proficiency through superior performance in ELI courses. To appeal an ISPC decision regarding TAMU and/or ELI placements you may contact the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs for your college. Graduate Students: Your test scores and ratings on the essay and interview are forwarded to your graduate department. The passing score for graduate students is 80 for each of the proficiency requirements. Graduate students may also demonstrate proficiency through superior performance in ELI courses. The Departmental Graduate Advisor makes placement decisions on the basis of the scores, departmental policy, and consultation with the English Language Institute. Graduate advisors may also interview the students themselves. The Departmental Graduate Advisors are responsible for making all placements of graduate students in ELI courses. If you score below 550 on the TOEFL you may be allowed to postpone some or all of your English Proficiency requirements for one semester. You must begin to take ELI courses (in at least one of the areas not yet passed) no later than your second semester enrolled at TAMU. Students may take a combination of TAMU and ELI courses up to a total of 15 hours in fall or spring semesters and up to a total of 12 hours for a ten-week summer session. If you want to appeal your placement in ELI courses, see your Departmental Graduate Advisor. Graduate students are required to complete the English Proficiency Verification and Certification Process before final oral examinations (for Master's candidates) or before preliminary examinations (for Doctoral candidates). Students receive the official results for the English Language Proficiency Examination, including ELI placements, approximately one week following the examination.

The first part of the following material describes testing procedures and the second part describes the 1987 English Language Institute placements of international students by level of TOEFL scores. This provides some indication of your likelihood of passing all of the English proficiency requirements.

Part One: Testing Procedures Oral Skills Assessment The Oral Skills Assessment interview has the following features: 1) The interview is conducted by a panel of three trained people. 2) The interview takes about ten minutes. 3) The interviewers have pre-session training to ensure common standards. Students are required to read a short passage, answer 2 questions, explain a cartoon, and describe a picture. Students should consider all conversation in the interview room to be part of the oral skills assessment. The current standard for graduate students is a level of proficiency that indicates that the student should be capable of both participating in seminar discussions and speaking clearly enough to be understood in instructional settings. If a graduate student passes the interview, it does not mean that the student has the subject matter expertise or the communication skills necessary to serve as a teaching assistant. Our determination should be interpreted as denoting that we found no evidence that the student's oral skills were likely to be a major hindrance to teaching based on our interview. As always, the decision to allow a student who is not required to take additional oral skills instruction to serve in a teaching capacity rightly belongs with the department. For undergraduate students, the standard is lower but remains indicative of the ability to successfully interact in Texas A&M University classroom situations (e.g., to ask questions, to respond to questions, to be able to communicate effectively in one-to-one situations). Assessment of Writing Skills The composition assessment is a 30-minute written essay on an assigned topic. New test forms are used for each test administration and the writing prompts are academically oriented. Two recent prompts were as follows: Graduate Students: "THE MOST SERIOUS THREAT TO WORLD SOCIETY: ILLITERACY OR OVERPOPULATION (Note: a brief definition of illiteracy was provided.) Choose which of these problems you think is more serious and support your choice with specific discussion. Include the causes and effects of the problem." Undergraduate Students: "THE EXPLORATION OF SPACE: Should the countries of the world continue to explore space? Argue for or against continuing this exploration and support your choice with specific discussion." Each essay is graded by two raters with expertise in composition and training in the scale and standards used in our program. If a discrepancy of 10 or more points exists between the two raters, then a third rater scores the paper. Training sessions are held before each testing session to insure common standards.

Assessment of Comprehension

Grammar,

Vocabulary,

Reading

Comprehension,

&

Listening

These areas are measured through the Michigan English Language Proficiency series. The Michigan series are objective tests designed to specifically measure the English skills of students for whom English is a second language. Barron's Educational Series, Inc. publishes a book How to Prepare for the Michigan Battery that may be useful in familiarizing students with the format of the test. This book is on reserve in the Sterling C. Evans Library and is sometimes available in local bookstores. Example test items follow:

Grammar: "Was it easy to follow the directions?" "No, there were too ___________." a) many direction c) much direction b) many directions d) much directions

Vocabulary: I would like to work on my automobile but I don't have any ________ cars. a) contention about b) familiarity with c) realization of d) prediction of

Listening: "The manager overrode the suggestions of the 2 other committee members." (Heard from cassette tape) a) The manager invited suggestions. b) The manager never listened to any suggestions. c) The manager disregarded the wishes of the others.

Reading Comprehension: These questions address your understanding of a short passage. The following is an example of a similar reading comprehension item. Studies of children's acquisition of language suggest that the faculty of language includes an inborn knowledge of the formal principles of language structure, a knowledge that depends on genetically determined portions of (usually) the left cerebral hemisphere. Although it is well established that the left hemisphere is specialized for language, one cannot say that language is "located" in this or that part of the hemisphere. What is known is that language disorders are the result of lesions in the left hemisphere. Disorders of language resulting from damage to the brain are called aphasias. The anterior portion of the "language area" is termed Broca's area. Lesions in this area interfere with the motor and articulator aspects of language. Speech is slow, labored, grammatically incorrect, and telegraphic; in extreme cases, it may be impossible to carry out. Writing is likewise severely impaired. Comprehension of the spoken or written word, however, may be unimpaired or nearly so. (It is interesting to note that under emotional stress, a patient with Broca's aphasia may be temporarily fluent.) Because Broca's area is close to the motor cortex, if the former is damaged, the latter is often damaged simultaneously. Hence, such patients often suffer from weakness or paralysis of the right side of the body. Similar lesions in the right hemisphere will cause a left-sided weakness or paralysis but will have no effect on language. Damage to the posterior portion of the "language area," especially to Wernicke's area, results in a loss of comprehension of the spoken word and often of the written word. The patient's native language is now like a foreign language. In addition, the patient's speech is rapid and well-articulated, but without meaning. Writing is defective, and words that are heard cannot be repeated, although hearing itself is completely normal. Similar lesions in the right hemisphere usually have no effect on language. Injuries to the "language area" in children result in severe aphasias, but the development of language mechanisms in the right hemisphere can often compensate for them to an extraordinary degree. This potential function of the right hemisphere is probably normally suppressed by the left hemisphere. In adults, aphasias from similar lesions are often permanent. The author is primarily concerned with a) describing the process of language acquisition. b) explaining potential treatments of language defects. c) showing the importance of the left hemisphere of the brain to language mechanisms. d) depicting various means of diagnosing language defects e) explaining why the left hemisphere of the brain dominates the right hemisphere

Part Two: Description of ELI Course Placements Note: The following observations were based on the first-time test results of international students who took the test in Fall, 1989 through Spring, 1991. ----------------------Students with TOEFL Scores of 600 or Higher------------------About 60% of graduate students and about 85% of undergraduate students with TOEFL scores in this range passed all six areas of the ELPE. For the graduate students in this range, the majority of ELI course assignments were in Oral Skills and Composition. Specifics: For graduate students, 55% of the sections failed were either Oral Skills or Composition. Of the graduate students who failed only one section, two-thirds of the students failed Oral Skills or Composition. Only 3% of the undergraduate students with TOEFL scores above 600 had more than one ELI course required. The most commonly failed sections were Vocabulary and Reading. -------------------Students with TOEFL Scores between 550 and 600-----------------About 90% of the graduate students and 65% of the undergraduate students in this group did not pass at least one section of the ELPE. Although only 10% of the undergraduates in this group did not pass three or more sections, about 55% of the graduate students with TOEFL scores between 550 and 600 failed at least three sections. Specifics: Over half of the graduate students in this category failed Grammar (52%), Composition (56%), or Oral Skills (51%). About 25% of the graduate students failed Listening. About a fourth of the undergraduate students failed either the Grammar (24%), Vocabulary (36%), or Reading Comprehension (25%) sections. Almost none of the undergraduate students in this category failed Listening. -----------------------Students with TOEFL Scores Less than 550---------------------Students with TOEFL scores in this range have a greater than 70% chance of failing three or more sections of the ELPE. Specifics: 85% of the graduate students and 65% of the undergraduate students with TOEFL scores below 550 failed at least 3 sections of the ELPE. About 25% of the graduate students and 10% of the undergraduate students in this category failed all 6 sections of the ELPE. Only 1% of the graduate students and 5% of the undergraduate students in this category passed all six areas.

NOTE: Graduate student placements are determined by Departmental Graduate Advisors. Graduate students may not be required to take ELI courses for all areas of the test that are failed. See your departmental advisor if you have any questions regarding placements. English Language Proficiency Verification Process for Undergraduate International Students Undergraduate international students whose native language is not English (as defined by the Office of Admissions) must meet University English Language Proficiency requirements. Undergraduate students will be considered "English Proficiency Verified" and will have met the

minimum English standards required for enrollment as full-time undergraduate students if they meet one of the following requirements. A. Achieve a TOEFL score of at least 600. Students must supply official TOEFL scores to the University to meet this requirement. Scores from TOEFL examinations administered more than two years prior to the application for admission will not be valid for English Proficiency Verification. OR B. Transfer from an accredited U.S. institution with a minimum of 30 semester credit hours and have satisfactorily completed the equivalent of TAMU English 104 with a grade of C or better. OR C. Attend grades nine through twelve of their secondary education in the United States and graduate from a U.S. high school and achieve a TOEFL score of at least 550 or an SAT Verbal score of at least 400 or an ACT English score of at least 19. OR D. Students who do not meet the TOEFL or transfer criteria for English Proficiency Verification (A or B above) must take the English Language Proficiency Examination (ELPE) prior to their initial registration at TAMU. The ELPE evaluates English skills in the areas of grammar, vocabulary, reading, listening, written composition, and oral communication. Individuals who score at least 70 on each area of the English Language Proficiency Examination or achieve grades of A or B in the corresponding English Language Institute (ELI) courses at the 300 level or higher will be considered English Proficiency Verified. Undergraduate students must continue to take ELI courses and take the ELPE at the end of each semester until all of the English Proficiency Requirements are met. Following the ELPE, placements in TAMU and/or ELI courses for undergraduate students will be made by the International Student Placement Committee (ISPC). Appeals to the ISPC regarding TAMU and/or ELI placements should be made through the college representative, who, in turn, will present the appeal to the ISPC. Students who have obtained English Proficiency Verification will be eligible to register for TAMU courses after they have checked in with the Office of International Student Services and confirmed their immigration status (on specific days set aside for this purpose) and attended the new student Orientation/Registration Conference. Students who are considered English Proficiency Verified but believe they need further instruction in basic English skills should contact the English Language Institute (ELI).

English Proficiency Verification and Certification Processes Graduate International Students 1. There are two levels of English Proficiency Status for graduate students: English Proficiency Verified and English Proficiency Certified. In order for students to become Graduate Assistants-Teaching, they must obtain English Proficiency Certification. All other students must obtain English Proficiency Verification. 2. Students whose most recent TOEFL score is at least 550 will be considered "English Proficiency Verified". Scores from TOEFL examinations administered more than two years

prior to the application for admission will not be valid for English Proficiency Verification. English Proficiency Verification may also be obtained with a GRE Verbal score of 400 or higher, or with a GMAT Verbal score of 22 or higher. Students must obtain English Proficiency Certification before they can serve as Graduate Assistants-Teaching. English Proficiency Certification can be achieved by scoring at least 80 on each of the six sections of the English Language Proficiency Examination (ELPE), by obtaining grades of A or B in ELI courses at the 300 level or higher, or through alternative certification by the Office of Graduate Studies. Students who have received a Baccalaureate degree following four years of study at an accredited U.S. institution will also obtain English Proficiency Certification. It is recommended that those students who will need English Proficiency Certification for teaching, and have not received it through study at another school, begin the certification process by taking the ELPE their first semester at TAMU. Graduate students who have successfully completed an equivalent English training program at an institution other than TAMU may request a waiver of the English Proficiency Verification and/or Certification process. The waiver is requested through the student's Departmental Graduate Advisor. The student should provide the Departmental Graduate Advisor with documentation to support Verification or Certification. The Departmental Graduate Advisor will then submit a letter requesting the waiver (with documentation attached) to the Office of Graduate Studies (OGS). The Office of Graduate Studies will determine on a case-by-case basis whether English Proficiency Verification or Certification should be waived. Students who have obtained English Proficiency Verification will be eligible to register for TAMU courses after they have registered with the Office of International Student Services. Individual colleges may choose to establish minimum TOEFL standards that exceed the University minimum for English Proficiency Verification (effective Spring Semester, 1992). 3. Graduate students who score below 550 on the TOEFL (or have not submitted official TOEFL scores to TAMU) and have not obtained English Proficiency Certification by other means (GRE/GMAT scores, U.S. Baccalaureate, or OGS waiver) must take the English Language Proficiency Examination (ELPE) prior to registering for TAMU courses in their first semester. The ELPE evaluates English skills in the areas of grammar, vocabulary, reading, listening, written composition, and oral communication. ELI course placements for graduate students will be made by the Departmental Graduate Advisor in consultation with personnel from the Office of Graduate Studies, English Language Institute, and Measurement and Research Services. Graduate students who have not had their English Proficiency Verified through the TOEFL and take the ELPE may be allowed to postpone some or all remaining English Proficiency requirements for one semester. They must begin to take ELI courses (in at least one of the areas not yet passed) no later than their second semester enrolled at TAMU. Graduate students will be allowed to take a combination of TAMU and ELI courses up to a total of 15 hours in fall or spring semesters and up to a total of 12 hours for a ten week summer session. Graduate students who do not score at least 550 on the TOEFL must score at least 80 on each area of the ELPE or obtain grades of A or B in ELI courses at the 300 level or higher in order to obtain English Proficiency Certification. Graduate students who want to appeal their placement in ELI courses should make this appeal through their Departmental Graduate Advisor. The Departmental Graduate Advisor will present the appeal to the Office of Graduate Studies. 4. Graduate students who score between 550 and 600 (and do not intend to become Graduate Assistants-Teaching at any point during their graduate programs) will be asked to go through

English Proficiency Counseling prior to registration for TAMU courses. The counseling sessions will be conducted by ELI instructors during the time period in which the ELPE is administered. In the interviews, the counselors will discuss any concerns the students may have regarding their English skills and then make recommendations about whether further language training is advisable in order for the students to be successful in their TAMU courses. These recommendations will not require the students to take ELI courses. Instead, the students will take the recommendations to their Departmental Graduate Advisors, who will discuss them with the students and make further recommendations regarding the need for additional language training. 5. Graduate students who score at least 600 on the TOEFL (and do not intend to become Graduate Assistants-Teaching at any point during their graduate programs) will not be asked to attend a counseling session and may register for TAMU courses after they have confirmed their immigration status with the Office of International Student Services on specific days set aside for this purpose. Questions and Answers for Determining Proficiency Status for Graduate students:

1. Is the student going to serve as a Graduate Assistant - Teaching (GAT)? NO: Continue to next question. YES: Students are required to obtain English Proficiency Certification before they can serve as GATs. It is recommended that students begin this process by taking the English Language Proficiency Examination (ELPE) upon arrival at TAMU or as soon as it is determined they will be needed as GATs.

2. Did the student receive a Baccalaureate degree following four years of study at an accredited U.S. institution? NO: Continue to next question. YES: Student is English Proficiency Certified by University standards. The ELPE is not required.

3. Does the student have TOEFL, GRE, or GMAT scores on record (SIMS screen 221)? NO: The student must take the ELPE upon arrival at TAMU. YES: Continue to next question.

4. Are the student's scores official (SIMS Source (SRC) code of T, R, M, A, or O)? No: If official scores are not received by the day students are to report to TAMU, proficiency status will be determined by the best official scores available. If no official scores are available, the student will be required to take the ELPE. YES: Proficiency status will be determined from the scores.

5. Is the TOEFL score less than 550 and the GRE Verbal score less than 400 and the GMAT Verbal score less than 22? NO: Continue to next question. YES: Student is required to take the ELPE. Status is based on the "best" score; each of the scores (TOEFL, GRE-V, GMAT-V) must be below the minimum or unavailable.

6. Is the TOEFL score between 550 and 599 (inclusive), or the GRE Verbal score between 400 and 499 (inclusive), or the GMAT Verbal score between 23 and 29 (inclusive)? NO: Continue to next question. If scores are below this range, see #4. YES: Student is Proficiency Verified by University standards. However, English Proficiency counseling with the English Language Institute is recommended. The ELPE is only required for students who will become Graduate Assistants - Teaching or at departmental option.

7. Is the TOEFL score 600 or above, or the GRE Verbal score above 500, or the GMAT Verbal score 30 or above? NO: Refer to previous questions for correct categorization. YES: Student is Proficiency Verified by University standards. The ELPE is only required for students who will become Graduate Assistants - Teaching or at departmental option.

English Language Proficiency Verification Process for Non-Degree Status International Students

International students whose native language is not English (as defined by the Office of Admissions) must meet University English Language Proficiency requirements. Students admitted under non-degree status are not exempt from the English Language Proficiency requirements, except under the conditions listed below. Therefore, undergraduate non-degree status students (U0) must meet the undergraduate English Language Proficiency requirements and post-baccalaureate non-degree status students (G6) must meet the graduate English Language Proficiency requirements. The following exceptions to the English Language Proficiency requirements have been approved for students admitted under non-degree status: 1. Post-baccalaureate non-degree status students admitted to TAMU under a special arrangement approved by the Assistant Provost for International Programs or a Memorandum Of Agreement (MOA) that postpones the English Language Proficiency requirements for the duration of the program, are not required to obtain English Proficiency Verification . The student's Departmental Graduate Advisor must request the postponement through the Office of Graduate Studies. 2. Undergraduate students admitted to TAMU under a special arrangement approved by the Assistant Provost for International Programs or a Memorandum Of Agreement (MOA) that postpones the English Language Proficiency requirements for the duration of the program, are not required to obtain English Proficiency Verification. The Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs of the student's college must request the postponement through the International Student Placement Committee. 3. Exchange students admitted to TAMU through the Study Abroad Office are not required to obtain English Proficiency Verification. Postponement of the English proficiency requirements for the duration of the exchange program will be done by the Office of International Admissions.

Appeals regarding this policy for undergraduate students should be made through the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs of the student's college. Appeals for post-baccalaureate non-degree status students should be made through the Departmental Graduate Advisor.