Q. Does the Library provide ESL (English as a Second Language) services or materials to help students with English?

Overview

• International students admitted to CSUF are assumed to have a functional command of academic English due to their passage of the TOEFL exam.  Likewise, US ESL students are assumed to be English-adequate for CSUF due to finishing high school or a GED.  Therefore, CSUF does not offer any ESL-specific services (e.g. ESL tutoring).  

• CSUF previously had an intensive ESL program (to prepare pre-admitted students for the TOEFL and CSUF admission) called the “American Language Program” (ALP), but it was discontinued 2018.

• CSUF’s TESOL program is a graduate program to prepare master-degreed ESL teachers, not an ESL program for improving English.  The only exception is the TESOL-100 course, which is offered to international students admitted to CSUF with low TOEFL scores as a preparatory course before taking their required CSUF writing course.

(Non ESL-specific) Student Support Services

• Writing Center (WC).  This service, from the English Department, provides help and tutoring with writing (essays, research papers, theses, etc.).  It is open to students of all majors.  The Writing Center currently assists via Zoom only.  https://english.fullerton.edu/writing_center/ 

• University Learning Center (ULC). This is CSUF’s tutoring center.  Tutors (experienced students) provide 1-on-1 tutoring for all subjects (math, science, history, etc.) They can also help with writing and English, but they are not trained ESL specialists. https://www.fullerton.edu/ulc/ 

• Supplemental Instruction (SI). These are free drop-in workshops to help students improve their grades in specific courses (math, science, history, English, etc.) https://www.fullerton.edu/si/

Library ESL materials and services

• Materials.  The library has a large collection of adult ESL textbooks (grammar, writing, etc.). These are on the 4th floor North, in the back shelves labeled “TESOL materials” (shelf # PE-1128). The library also has some audio materials (CDs, DVDs) for listening/speaking self-learning. These can be found searching the library’s OneSearch catalog (https://www.library.fullerton.edu), typing “ESL” and limiting (on the left sidebar) to: audio or video

• Services. Starting Spring 2022, the Library will provide free drop-in workshops for international students to assist with any academic needs: writing skills, library research, thesis preparation, citing, etc.  Also at these workshops (tentatively planned) will be “conversation partners” (US students) for practicing conversations and oral presentations with. Contact TESOL Librarian John Hickok (jhickok@fulllerton.edu) for more on this.

ESL Self-Learning

• LinkedIn Learning videos.  CSUF’s IT offers free self-learning academic/professional training videos from LinkedIn (formerly Lynda videos).  At https://www.fullerton.edu/it/services/software/linkedinlearning/ , log on, and then in the search box, type keywords (ESL, pronunciation, grammar, etc.) for ESL-related videos.

• Grammarly.  CSUF’s IT offers the online grammar/writing tool Grammarly, for free.  It assists in writing papers (spell checks, grammar, etc.)  https://www.fullerton.edu/it/students/software/grammarly/ 

• ESL websites.  TESOL Librarian John Hickok has compiled a list of ESL websites that provide free self-learning (tutorials, grammar guides, listening exercises, etc.): https://libraryguides.fullerton.edu/tesol  (“Web sites” tab).

Off campus ESL assistance

• Fullerton College (https://humanities.fullcoll.edu/esl/), North Orange County Continuing Education (https://noce.edu/programs/english-citizenship/), and Language Systems (private; https://languagesystems.edu/language-systems-orange-county/) offer ESL classes.

Answered by John Hickok, TESOL Librarian