English Language Proficiency - PowerPoint Presentation

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English Language Proficiency

Last updated 1/16/14

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Office of Graduate and Professional Studies Works with Departments on policy interpretations, approvals, and exceptions.

Data and Research Services

Testing – English Language Proficiency Examination

English Language Institute

Instruction in English

Areas of Responsibility

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English Language Proficiency Verification Required of all

TAMU international students for whom English is not the native language (as defined by the Office of Admissions)English Language Proficiency Certification

Required of all TAMU international students who will serve as Graduate Assistant – Teaching or who have not achieved ELP Verification.

English Proficiency Policy

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TOEFL Test Score Internet – 80 Paper – 550

IELTS Score – 6.0 GRE Verbal Score – 146 New Scale (was 400) GMAT Verbal Score – 22

Alternative verification through OGAPS

English Language Proficiency Verification

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Alternative Verification methods (handled through OGAPS)

Master’s degree from an accredited U.S. institutionDepartments initiate alternative verification requests

The Department Head must sign the submitted Alternative Verification Form

English Language Proficiency Verification

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Four Areas of Competence:Written Composition

ListeningOral SkillsReading

Can meet certification requirement with:

Score of at least 80 on each section of English Language Proficiency Examination (Writing Skills, Listening Comprehension, Oral Skills, Reading Comprehension)

Grade of A or B in an English Language Institute course at 300 level or higher (Composition, Listening, Oral Skills, Reading)

English Language Proficiency Certification

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Alternative Certification methods (handled through OGAPS) Undergraduate degree following four years of study at an accredited U.S. institution.

Completed an equivalent English Proficiency Program at another institution.Other requests require strong department justification and review in compliance with OGAPS policies and deadlines

Departments initiate alternative certification requests.

The Department Head must sign the submitted Alternative Certification Form

English Language Proficiency Certification

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On rare occasions, a department may need to hire as a Graduate Assistant-Teaching an international student who has not met the English Proficiency Certification requirements

In such a case, the department may request from OGAPS a one-time, one-semester emergency deferral of:

One or more English Language Proficiency Exam (ELPE) sections OR

A retest of one or more ELPE sections

Deferral request comes to OGAPS through the Graduate Operations Committee (GOC) Dean via a memo from the Department Head

The level of justification for approving an emergency deferral is very high. See Graduate Advisor Handbook for examples of justifiable conditions

Emergency One-Semester Deferral

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English Proficiency on Compass

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Z1EL – Overall ELPE Status

Z2G –Grammar (

UGrad only)

Z3C –Composition

Z4R – Reading

Z5L – ListeningZ6V – Vocabulary (Ugrad only)

Z7O – Oral Skills

SHANCRS –

Non-Course Requirement

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SHANCRS

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ZA – Certified by Alternate Means

ZC – CertifiedZE – Native English Speaker

ZN – Not Verified

ZP – Postponed

ZV – Verified

ZX - Excluded

SHANCRS –

Status

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Offered on a monthly basis.Students register at dars.tamu.eduTesting in August and January for new students handled with a priority system.

Students must wait three months between exam administrations (except with written approval from OGAPS).Students without ELP Verification or enrolled in an ELI course must test between semesters.

English Language Proficiency Examination

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First priority given to students who have not met ELP Verification.Next priority goes to departments using new, first-semester international graduate students as GATs. The department will send DARS a list of students identified as potential GATs.

Remaining slots will fill on a first-come, space-available basis.

ELP Examination Priorities

For late August and early January testing

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Written Composition30 minute essay on a general topic.Scored by 2 or 3 readers using a structured rubric.

Listening90 question test delivered by recorded exam developed at the University of Michigan.

Oral Skills

Short oral reading passage.

Brief lecture presentation based on content provided by the student’s department.Question and answer on a general topic chosen by the student.

Reading20 Question test using short passages, developed at University of Michigan.

English Language Proficiency Examination

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Retesting within 3 months of most recent attempt requires OGAPS permission.Request comes from the Departmental Graduate Advisor

Department Head must sign the submitted Request to Retake the English Language Proficiency Examination Form

Eligibility requirements: The department needs the student to work as a Teaching Assistant

The student has passed at least two sections of the ELPE

The two ELPE areas lacking have a minimum score of 75 in each

Students will be scheduled with DARS once OGAPS permission is granted.

Retesting

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Required of students not meeting ELP Verification or Certification requirements or departmental standards.Certain departments allow students to postpone English Verification requirements for their first enrolled semester ONLY at TAMU.

ELI course placements are handled by the Departmental Graduate Advisor in consultation with OGAPS, DARS and the English Language Institute

Placement in ELI courses

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