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Fall 2006 Schedule

Welcome to Syracuse University's English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program. You're invited to browse our site for information about the program, its faculty, and some of the many courses being offered this semester.

Please don't hesitate to contact us for any questions or comments. We welcome any inquiries you may have about our program!

Our ESOL Program operates upon a set of principles which recognize that language is an essential tool for communication and the fulfillment of academic and personal needs, that there are differences between first and second language learning, and that all languages and cultures are worthy of respect and appreciation.

Instructors in the ESOL Program are trained professionals with backgrounds in the theory and methods of ESOL teaching. They are committed to:

• Helping students become communicatively competent in the areas of communication and production as well as reading and writing.
• Helping develop students' confidence in becoming more at ease with instructors and peers.
• Helping students learn about their writing process as the teachers learn about their own. Statement of Purposes and Goals
• Using technology (e.g. e-mail, the internet, etc.) to enhance the students' writing experience.
• Recognizing the variety of students' learning styles.
• Periodically reviewing the goals and objectives of the program and the course offerings.
• Evaluating their own effectiveness in the classroom using tools such as student evaluations and conferences.
• Soliciting written student evaluations of their courses and their teaching effectiveness.
• Respecting and appreciating the culture of the students in the program.
• Being models of the culture.
• Helping students understand the culture, including the overall expectations of the academic community.
• Being goodwill ambassadors of their profession, their program, and their students in the university and the community at large.

Instructors are continually enhancing their scholarly preparation and professional experience and keeping abreast of changing pedagogies in language teaching to become more effective teachers. They are:

• Reading books and professional journals, such as the TESOL Quarterly, English Teaching Forum, and College Composition.
• Participating in the local, state, and national TESOL organizations.
• Planning and attending lectures, workshops, and conferences.
• Designing and participating in study groups (e.g. on the composing process, paper grading approaches, testing).
• Creating classroom materials, developing curricula, and evaluating and selecting textbooks.