Department: Language and Cognition
The Department of Language and Cognition facilitates the acquisition of English language and academic skills within a sequential program of academic content-based ESL instruction. It seeks to help students to acquire reading and writing skills that satisfy university requirements and to prepare for success in the college's academic programs. The department also offers courses in Linguistics.
ESL - English as a Second Language
Entering students whose native language is other than English, and whose performance on the CUNY entrance examinations in reading and writing mandates additional instruction, are referred to the Language and Cognition Placement Committee for evaluation and placement. Depending on their placement level and progress, ESL students take a sequence of courses to complete the requirements for the A.A. or A.S. degree. The number of credits they need to complete depends on their original level of placement and progress.
Content-Based Program of ESL Instruction
The ESL program develops students' English language skills within an interdisciplinary content-based instructional model. Students enrolled in the ESL program concurrently enroll in content courses to satisfy their general education requirements. The sequence of ESL courses offered by the department is:
• course (ESL in Content Areas I) AND course (Literature and Contemporary Issues for ESL Students I). These courses are co-requisites.
• course (ESL in Content Areas II) AND either course (Contemporary Issues for ESL Students II) or course (Literature for ESL Students II). course and course/course are co-requisites.
• course (ESL in Content Areas III) AND either course (Contemporary Issues for ESL Students III) or course (Literature for ESL Students III). course and course/course are corequisites.
• course (Basic Composition) AND course (Foundations of Critical Reading). These courses are co-requisites, but students with advanced skills who satisfy college and university requirements may place out of one or the other.
•course (Basic Composition II). This course gives continuing students who satisfy CUNY requirements in reading and have strong writing skills and/or at least one attempt in course the opportunity to meet university requirements in writing. Freshmen students with strong entry skills may also register in course.
• course (Readings in the Natural Sciences). This course gives students who have already taken course the opportunity to read advanced texts in the natural sciences to meet university requirements in reading. Freshmen who qualify may register directly into this course.
• course (Readings in the Social Sciences). This course gives students who have already taken course the opportunity to read advanced texts in the social sciences to meet university requirements in reading. Freshmen who qualify may register directly into this course.
After successfully completing course OR course AND course, course OR course, and successfully taking the CUNY writing skills test, students proceed to course, Expository Writing.
College Language Policy
The College offers a transitional ESL Program designed to foster the movement from native language to English:
• Students in the beginning level (course) must take ONE content course in English.
• Students at the intermediate level (course) must take TWO content courses in English.
• Students at the advanced level (course) must take ALL* their content courses in English.
• Once students enter Basic Composition (course) they must take ALL* of their content courses in English.
*Students would be permitted to take courses to fulfill foreign language and literature requirements.
ESL Intensive Program
The ESL Intensive Program is a one-year accelerated ESL program divided into two (2) levels. This program provides content-based instruction in all language skills and is designed to bring a selected group of students through three (3) semesters of ESL in two (2) semesters. Students are selected after their first or second semester at Hostos through teacher recommendation and individual testing. Each level of the program involves fifteen (15) hours of ESL class work per week. This includes writing and reading components, as well as a language workshop. Additionally, students are blocked into two (2) content courses taught in English as part of the curriculum. The schedule for the student in the ESL Intensive Program includes the following:
Level I
• course Intensive ESL Writing and Language Workshop I - 3 credits, 9 hours • course Intensive ESL Reading and Conversation I - 2 credits, 6 hours
Level IIA
• course Intensive ESL Writing and Language Workshop II - 3 credits, 9 hours • course Intensive ESL Reading and Conversation II - 2 credits, 6 hours
Level II B
• course Intensive ESL Writing and Language - 3 credits, 9 hours
• course Intensive ESL Reading and Conversation - 2 Credits, 6 hours
In addition, content courses include selected courses in Mathematics, Behavioral Sciences, Humanities and Visual and Performing Arts. course/course and course/course of the Intensive ESL Program are the equivalents of the regular ESL sequence, course and course.
Note: Students in the Intensive Program who have completed four (4) courses, but have received only 11 credits, may apply for an exemption from the 12-credit requirement. The College Language Policy and all ESL offerings are currently under review and may change during the life of this Catalog.
Academic Support
The College offers basic skills support services within the Hostos Academic Learning Center (HALC), Writing Center, and Writing Lab, where trained tutors offer students at all levels of the ESL sequence the opportunity to develop their fluency, clarity, and grammar, and to refine reading and writing skills requisite to success in their classes. Students referred to the center may seek assistance in meeting course requirements. Individual students may also drop into the center for assistance, subject to tutor availability.