Montclair State University’s non-credit English as a second language (ESL) program offers English instruction and practice for non-native speakers at all levels of language proficiency. Students who are high school graduates and at least 17 years of age may enroll in day or evening classes to accommodate their family and work schedules. Proper class placement is essential for effective learning. Therefore, each new student is assessed individually for English language proficiency and then interviewed by a faculty member who recommends the most appropriate course of study. Because placement is so important, all registration takes place in person. All classes are held on the Montclair State University campus.
Credit-bearing ESL courses are also available at Montclair State through the Linguistics Department. To enroll in these courses, students must be matriculated (seeking a degree) at the University.
Foundations is the first step in the progression of ESL programs offered by Montclair State University. Students who want a course that offers instruction in all four language skills will find this program to be an excellent choice. Learn the essential skills of listening and speaking, grammar, writing, reading and mastering vocabulary. At registration time, each student is assessed individually and placed at the appropriate level. Both day and evening sessions are offered. All classes meet twice (2) per week except the TOEFL (three (3) nights per week) and summer classes, which meet four (4) times per week.
ESL Course Registration
All registration is in person only on the dates listed under Sessions and Fees. Students will be tested for proficiency at that time. Register for either day or evening classes in the Freeman Hall Annex, classroom 4A/003, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. or 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Please arrive at least 30 minutes before the end of the registration period. Freeman Hall Annex is attached to the Freeman residence hall. Classes can be canceled due to insufficient enrollment. For further information, please call 973-655-7695 or e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.org
The US government does not issue F-1 student visas for part-time study (less than 18-class hours per week).
Please go to the Red Hawk Parking Deck for visitor parking. Take the parking ticket with you so you can pay at the parking payment machines located on floors 2, 4, and 5 prior to returning to your car. Detailed parking information is on the web at the Parking Services website. Parking in unauthorized parking spaces anywhere on campus will result in a parking ticket. View the campus map.
FOUNDATIONS: General English Classes (beginner to advanced levels)
|Fall, Winter, Spring – two days||Mon & Wed||9:30-11:30 a.m.|
|Summer classes only – four days||Mon, Tues, Wed, Thur||9:30-11:30 a.m.|
|Fall, Winter, Spring- two evenings||Mon & Wed||8-10:00 p.m.|
|Summer classes only- four evenings||Mon, Tues, Wed, Thur||8-10:00 p.m.|
A series of additional ESL course offerings for high-intermediate to advanced level students. There is no TOEFL class in the summer. Beyond Foundations courses are offered four days per week in the summer: Mon, Tues, Wed, Thur.
|TOEFL Review Course, three nights (no summers)||Mon, Wed, Thur||8-10:00 p.m. ONLY|
|Advanced Grammar||Tues & Thur||9:30-11:30 a.m. or 8-10 p.m.|
|Conversation||Tues & Thur||9:30-11:30 a.m. or 8-10:00 p.m.|
|Practical Reading & Vocabulary||Tues & Thur||9:30-11:30 a.m. or 8-10:00 p.m.|
|Pronunciation||Tues & Thur||9:30-11:30 a.m. or 8-10:00 p.m.|
|Writing||Tues & Thur||9:30-11:30 a.m. or 8-10:00 p.m.|
- Foundations – General English Classes
- General English classes are divided into appropriate levels of beginning, intermediate and advanced groups and provide instruction in all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
- Advanced Grammar
- For high-intermediate and advanced-level students, learn basic grammar skills to improve your writing for business and academic purposes. Learn grammar functions, punctuation and sentence structure to improve the clarity of your writing.
- Join with other intermediate and advanced-level students in a stress-free session of American English conversation. Learn conversational styles and idiom usage. Increase your knowledge of daily-use vocabulary in various social settings.
- For intermediate and advanced-level students, develop and practice reading strategies, such as skimming, scanning and decoding in a variety of texts. Improve dictionary-using skills. Increase your vocabulary through word analysis, i.e., studying stems and affixes. Learn to guess at the meaning of new words from contextual clues.
- Pronunciation of American English
- This pronunciation course is designed for non-native English speakers. The workshop helps intermediate and advanced-level students improve their ability to be understood by mastering key American standard sounds in a conversational approach.
- TOEFL Review Course
- High-intermediate and advanced-level students preparing for undergraduate, graduate and professional study review for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The course builds self-confidence and develops test-taking strategies, listening comprehension, and vocabulary. Sample tests are part of the curriculum. Students will have access to the Conrad J. Schmitt Hall language lab to practice the internet-based test.
- For intermediate and advanced-level students, learn about the writing process and how to develop paragraphs. Linguistic accuracy will be refined through a review of grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and writing styles.