English as a Second Language (ESL) Course Placement
Placement into ESL courses will be determined by individual sections of TOEFL, TOEFL Essentials, IELTS, PTE, or Duo Lingo scores as listed below. Students will submit the score card for admission to Wilmington University.
ESL Placement and Test Scores
| Test | Minimum Overall Score |
|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | 46 |
| TOEFL Essentials | 5.5 |
| IELTS Academic | 5.5 |
| PTE Academic | 46 |
| Duo Lingo Overall | 75 |
| Test | ESL 101 & 203 | ESL 203 only | Courses Waived |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT Writing Score | 12-16 | 17-18 | 19 or higher |
| TOEFL Essentials Writing Score | 4-7 | 8 | 8.5 or higher |
| IELTS Academic Writing Score | 5.5 or lower | 6.0 | 6.5 or higher |
| PTE Academic Writing Score | 61 or lower | 62-74 | 75 or higher |
| Duo Lingo Production | 90 or lower | 91-109 | 110 or higher |
| Test | ESL 102 & 204 | ESL 204 only | Courses Waived |
|---|---|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT Speaking Score | 12-16 | 17-18 | 19 or higher |
| TOEFL Essentials Speaking Score | 4-5 | 6-7 | 7.5 or higher |
| IELTS Academic Speaking Score | 5.5 or lower | 6.0 | 6.5 or higher |
| PTE Academic Speaking Score | 45 or lower | 46-54 | 55 or higher |
| Duo Lingo Production | 90 or lower | 91-109 | 110 or higher |
ESL Placement for Undergraduate Students
Students will be placed in specific courses as a result of the scores as listed above. Upon successful completion of ESL course(s), undergraduate international students will be placed into ENG 121. Students will still be required to complete the general placement assessments for placement into their academic Math courses. If an undergraduate student has been found exempt from ESL courses upon admission, the student will be required to complete the general placement assessments for placement into their academic Math and English courses.
ESL Placement for Graduate Students
Students will be placed in specific courses as a result of the scores as listed above. Upon successful completion of ESL course(s), graduate international students will be placed program courses. If a graduate student has been found exempt upon admission, the student will be placed directly into program courses.
Mandatory Enrollment
As a part of admission, students are expected to enroll in ALL assigned ESL courses in their first semester. If the student fails to do so, they will be blocked from registering for future semesters, without the approval of the International Affairs Office. F-1 Students Remember: Being unable to register yourself may result in dropping below full-time enrolment and endanger your visa status.
Exceptions from Submitting Scores
Students may be exempt from submitting test scores if one or more of the following requirements are met:
- Students from a country where English is the Official and Majority language.
- Students who have graduated from a U.S. accredited high school with the university approved SAT scores.
- Students who have successfully completed ENG 121 and ENG 122 or equivalent at an accredited U.S. college or university.
- Students who have earned a 4-year degree from a U.S. accredited college or university.
Challenging Your ESL Placement
After acceptance, students can submit one additional test score. New test scores can be submitted up to 10 days before the start of the term. After that deadline, ESL placement is finalized and the assigned classes cannot change. To challenge your placement, please submit an ESL Placement Test Submission Request form.
English as a Second Language (ESL) Courses
ESL 101/ESL 5101: Intermediate Grammar and Writing
This course will emphasize the fundamentals of academic writing and grammar skills with emphasis on the needs of non-native speakers of English. Students will receive instruction and practice in effective paragraph and essay writing, decoding text, grammar usage, and writing mechanics.
ESL 102/ESL 5102: Intermediate Vocabulary and Speech
This course will emphasize vocabulary-building elements and verbal communication with an emphasis on the academic needs of a non-native English speaker. Students will receive instruction and practice in listening and decoding skills. Students will improve pronunciation and speech fluency through short, in-class presentations and conversation.
ESL 203/ESL 5203: Advanced Grammar and Writing
This course is designed to improve students’ writing skills by providing instruction and practice in the process of writing a research paper. Students will learn how to search for and evaluate information to determine its reliability. Students will also learn about the writing process, features of research writing, developing content, and expressing themselves in comprehensible and grammatical language. The course will emphasize the proper use and formatting of sources according to APA style guidelines. It will also identify the most common grammatical and mechanical errors made by ESL students while providing opportunities to correct these errors through instruction and practice.
ESL 204/ESL 5204: Advanced Vocabulary and Speech
This course will emphasize advanced vocabulary-building elements and verbal communication, with an emphasis on non-native speakers’ student needs. Students will be required to expand their speaking and vocabulary skills learned in ESL 102 and apply these skills to selected presentation assignments. Students will improve decoding, reading, pronunciation and speech fluency skills. Students will also learn basic research and citation (APA, current edition) skills in preparing for their presentations using various multimedia technologies.
These courses cannot be used toward fulfillment of a degree program.
These policies are effective for applicants and accepted students after July 15, 2022 (or May 16, 2022 for end of Summer 1 registration).