2013–2014 UNIVERSITY CATALOG - Florida Institute of Technology

NONDEGREE PROGRAM
Languages and Linguistics ____________________
Program Chair
Alan Rosiene, Ph.D.
Organization
Florida Tech’s division of languages and linguistics is operated by the
department of humanities and communication. It administers and
teaches all foreign language courses offered by the university and
provides training in English for students whose home language is
not English and who have been admitted into a Florida Tech degree
program.
English Language Proficiency
English language proficiency is required of all students whose home
language is not English and who are taking academic courses at
Florida Tech. Evidence of English proficiency in the form of results
from an Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (iBT),
International English Language Testing System test (IELTS) or Pearson
Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) must be submitted to the
university before arrival on campus. Applicants should note the PTE
Academic results will be accepted only for students admitted to the
Nathan M. Bisk College of Business..
English proficiency is not required for admission or for issuing immigration
documents. However, in the rare instance when students whose
home language is not English enter Florida Tech without establishing
proof of English proficiency with either an iBT, IELTS or PTE
Academic result, they will be required to take an official Florida Tech
TOEFL (paper-based) before the start of classes. In this instance,
students should register with the division of languages and linguistics
at check-in for the TOEFL and report to the division of languages
and linguistics for the examination results before meeting with their
academic advisor.
For all academic students (both international and domestic) whose
home language is not English and whose command of the English
language does not meet the requirements of their academic programs,
English language courses at two levels of proficiency are available each
semester. These courses are listed in the Course Descriptions section
under “English as a Second Language (ESL).”
Determining Proficiency
The division of languages and linguistics determines the incoming
student’s competence in English and establishes the most beneficial
program of study. Both undergraduate and graduate students whose
home language is not English with scores below 79 on the iBT, 6.5 on
IELTS, 58 on the PTE Academic or 550 on the Florida Tech TOEFL
are required to take ESL courses as specified by the program chair.
Students who score below 61 on the iBT, 6.0 on the IELTS, 50 on
the PTE Academic or 500 on the Florida Tech TOEFL are referred to
the ELS Language Center on campus where lower-level ESL courses
are offered. Only Florida Tech paper-based TOEFL scores are valid.
No other paper-based TOEFL scores will be accepted.
Students whose home language is not English are considered to have
demonstrated English language proficiency if they have done any of
the following:
154 Florida Tech 2013–2014
1. Taken an Internet-based TOEFL (iBT) with an earned score of
at least 79, an IELTS with an earned score of at least 6.5, a PTE
Academic with an earned score of at least 58 or an official Florida
Tech TOEFL (paper based) with an earned score of at least 550,
no more than two years before attendance at Florida Tech; or
2. successfully completed the ELS 112 certificate taken at the
Melbourne, Florida, ELS Language Center within two months of
their report date at Florida; or
3. successfully completed a total of 20 semester credit hours at an
accredited mainland U.S. university or college where English
is the language of instruction, including three semester credit
hours of English that qualify as transfer credit for Florida Tech’s
Composition and Rhetoric (COM 1101); or
4. earned a bachelor’s or higher degree from an accredited mainland
U.S. university or college where English is the language of
instruction; or
5. attended for three consecutive years and graduated from an
accredited mainland U.S. high school where English is the
language of instruction; or
6. obtained an official score of four or higher on either the
International Baccalaureate Higher Level Language A examination
in English or the College Board Advanced Placement
Program (AP) examination in English Language and
Composition.
Students who score 79 or above on the iBT, 6.5 or above on the IELTS,
58 or above on the PTW Academic, or 550 or above on the Florida
Tech TOEFL may still need to complete certain ESL courses if it is
so deemed by their academic advisor. The program chair of languages
and linguistics makes the final determination. For more information
about the policies and requirements for English language proficiency
at Florida Tech, contact the program chair of languages and linguistics
in the department of humanities and communication.
Registering for Academic and ESL Courses
Students are permitted to begin their academic coursework in conjunction
with ESL courses. However, ESL courses take precedence over
academic courses. Although these courses are credit bearing (three
semester credit hours per course, three to five days per week), they
cannot be applied toward completion of a degree and are not included
in GPA calculations. Any student who is taking an ESL course cannot
take humanities (HUM), chemistry (CHM), flight (AVF) or introduction
to engineering courses.
The program chair of languages and linguistics makes the final determination
of what and when ESL courses are to be taken and enforces
all English proficiency policies. Any student who accumulates four
failing grades of F in ESL courses may be academically dismissed at
the direction of the program chair.
International students and students whose home language is not
English must have documented proficiency in English (either through
submitted writing samples, or TOEFL or placement examinations, or
a combination of these) before making the transition from English as
a Second Language (ESL) courses to Basic Writing for ESL Students
(COM 0100), Basic Writing Skills (COM 0110) or Composition and
Rhetoric (COM 1101).
Language Requirements for Graduate Assistantships
International students are eligible for graduate assistantships in some
academic units. In addition to specific academic unit requirements,