English as a Second Language (ESL)

Your Path to Academic English Proficiency

Offered at the Providence, Rhode Island Campus through the English Language & Culture Academy, the program develops speaking, listening, reading, writing and grammar skills for undergraduate and graduate study. Students are placed according to their English proficiency and receive academic advising and cultural support throughout the program. 

Instruction goes beyond lectures to promote interaction and prepare students for educational practices common to American higher education, including:

• Discussions
• Group work
• Presentations
• Integrated technology (blended learning)
• Project-based learning

Upon successful completion, eligible students continue into undergraduate or graduate degree programs.

English Language & Culture Academy

JWU Providence’s English Language & Culture Academy is fully integrated within JWU Global, where speakers of other languages receive advising and support related to their success and well-being as international students. ESL is offered to those students who wish solely to improve their English language skills in addition to those who wish to matriculate into a degree program.

Sample ESL Courses

ESL1120 Beginner Level Grammar for Academic Purposes

This course introduces present, past and future forms of verbs, including the verb “be.” Other grammatical components include nouns and pronouns, prepositions of location, and sentence structure.

ESL1210 Intermediate Level Oral Communication for Academic Purposes

Develop language, vocabulary, listening and note-taking and critical thinking skills through classroom discussions. Students also create presentations with a focus on topic choice and idea development.

ESL1330 Advanced Level Reading for Academic Purposes

This course prepares students for graduate academic reading and reading for research purposes. Using a variety of materials from textbooks, professional articles and journals to fiction and non-fiction books, students build comprehension skills and engage critically with the readings.

ESL1320 Advanced Level Grammar for Academic Purposes

Develop grammar skills through contextualized exercises with an emphasis on developing grammatical structures used in students’ academic studies. Instruction begins with an overview of the verb tenses followed by use of the verb forms in various grammatical structures. Grammatical skills are reinforced in both spoken and written form.

ESL1340 Advanced Level Writing for Academic Purposes

Learn the skills necessary to compose, revise and edit essays, summaries and business documents, as well as to collaborate on work using a process-writing approach. Constructive feedback through peer and teacher conferencing is provided throughout the course..