Esmeralda Huerta

September 11, 2016 1

Module 2: Application Activity 2.4 Investigating an Institutional Context

ESL Program Manager
September 11, 2016
Northwest Vista College
3535 N. Ellison Drive
San Antonio, Texas 78251

Dear ESL Program Manager,

The Second Language (ESL) Program at Northwest Vista College is designed to give support to
students in their district whose first language is not English. After viewing the website on
Northwest Vista College Second Language (ESL) Program retrieved from
http://www.alamo.edu/nvc/esl/
Website. I can see the goal of this program is to help these students by developing and then
advancing to strengthening their English skills in order to be successful in the mainstream
classroom. Eventually, these students will be able to effectively listen, speak, read, and write
fluently in English at the end of this program. I think this website is ordered to adequately
address the diverse needs of these English Language Learners. I was reviewing the syllabus that
of a professor I interviewed earlier this week at Northwest Vista College who also works with
students outside of the classroom for a set period of time each school day. She provided these
students with a combination of direct English language instruction, and content-based instruction
that is designed to advance their vocabulary and comprehension skills in the various academic
content areas. The professor I spoke to mentioned that she established a strong conversational
level of English skills in order for the students to survive in the classroom. The professor is
helping ESL students to gain to increase the English proficiency.
The ESL Program from the Northwest Vista College website is informative about the program. It
highlighted the services the students should be aware in the program what it can do for the ESL
students. I believe the ESL program is effective because it gives an insight for the students to
learn the English language for their classes. On the ESL Home page it has contact Information
for the ESL Program manager and the CE Program Coordinator in case a student needs to get
more information on the program, they can get in depth about the program by talking to one of
the coordinators. Also, there is a google map of the location to the campus for the students to
find their offices. The website has alot of information on this program. I really enjoyed the
informative ESL Program video that is located on the home page this gives an insight and
highlights what this ESL program is about and what this program does to help bilingual students
learn English. The video mentioned there are intensive 6-level program that are designed for
accelerated learning. There is a model of instruction to help the students to achieve their
personal, professional, and academic goals. On the left hand side on the website there are six tabs
that are listed: ESL Home, Getting Started, Class Schedule, Course Descriptions, Faculty and
Staff and Informactin en Espaol on the blue column. Each tab leads to more in depth

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September 11, 2016 2

information about the ESL Program and highlights of classes the bilingual students should take
to complete the program. There is a class schedule brochure in a PDF file for students where can
view the courses of the intensive 6-level program and schedule that the bilingual student needs to
complete.
This ESL Program is effective and informative about the program but the website should provide
more videos about the program. There should be more videos on about the courses the students
should take and explaining more about the classes. There should be more links to lead to more
information about the program such as workshops to help the ESL students. There should be
more links about this particular program to help to expand the students learning about the
courses they are taking. I enjoyed viewing the website about the ESL Program and I learned a lot
from it. I have a few questions about the program: How does this law apply to a special
education student whos Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that requires bilingual or ESL
services? I think there should be information on students whose has learning disabilities and
needs to take an ESL courses. Another question, what happens if there are only a few students in
the class and how will this be handled? Will these students will join different class levels?
Lastly, what is done to keep students on the curriculum? Can the professor provide extra
assistance outside of the classroom when the student needs it? Thank you for your time for
reading this letter.
Sincerely,
Esmeralda Huerta

Module 2: Application Activity 2.4 Investigating an Institutional Context

For this assignment I used the ESL Program at Northwest Vista College website to learn about
the program and it is retrieved from http://www.alamo.edu/nvc/esl/. There is informative about
the ESL Program for the students to learn from and get answers before they begin the program.
The person I interviewed has been a professor at the NWV College for about five years. She is
an ESL educator. I asked her these questions below and her responses are in detail and concise.
1. What percentage of the student population consists of L2 writers?
I think the adolescent Second Language (L2) writers are a unique population in
secondary classrooms. There is an increase in the numbers of students that are
categorized as English Language Learner (ELLs) in U.S. schools and there has been a

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September 11, 2016 3

general lack of attention to the writing needs of this population at the secondary level.
There are various names that describe this population: Second language (L2) learners,
English language learners (ELL), foreign language (FL) learners, international students,
bilingual students, English as a second language learners (ESL), and multilingual
students.
2. What are the backgrounds of the L2 students in this program?
In my ESL group there literacy experiences of international and immigrant students.
There are students with different educational backgrounds because there are international
students that complete all of their formal education in their home countries before coming
to the U.S. Most of the immigrant students leave their home countries after attending
some school and then complete their educations in the U.S. The students I have taught
come from a wide variety of backgrounds. The last course I taught at a community
college was students from seven different countries and both permanent residents and
some students that are planning to return home after their studies.
3. How are L2 students placed into courses and levels?
The bilingual students have to take the TOEFL exam and they have to at least score a
minimum of 80 and they will be placed into a sequence of 6 developing writing courses
for L2 writers. The standardized test scores will indicate the general levels of language
skills. The scores will rate the students level and they will be placed into the appropriate
level course to help them gain knowledge to learn English.
4. How are they assessed during and at the end of classes?

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September 11, 2016 4

All students needs to take an assessment exam such as Test of English as a Foreign
Language (TOEFL) exam so they can be placed in the course levels.
5. Who are the instructors, and how are they trained to work with L2 students?
The assessment and other evaluation materials must be administered by a team member
who have been trained and that are knowledgeable in both the instruments and the
nuances associated with assessing to ELLs. I think the school has lack of school-based
professional training in the assessment of ELLs. According to the Ferris and Hedgcock
(2014) textbook, he emphasized, These challenges are often exacerbated by instructors
who are not trained in writing pedagogy or second language development and who may
not devise adequately clear assignments, scaffold those assignments effectively in
classroom, provide helpful feedback, or fairly assess students written products. There is
an ongoing need for much more outreach to, and training for, faculty in the disciplines
about the needs and abilities of L2 students in their classes (p. 47). There are team
members with limited knowledge about the acquisition of a new language and a new
culture that often confuse the differences with disabilities. I think it is important for
educators to be trained to recognize these differences and exercise caution when
interpreting the TOEFL test results.
6. Can you point to specific ways in which the curriculum is responsive to the diverse
needs of L2 writers?
Yes, the curriculum is responsive to the diverse needs of L2 writer because according to
the (ESL) Program website at Northwest Vista College (NVC), it is designed to help
English language learners to build the language skills that are necessary to achieve their

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September 11, 2016 5

academic, professional and personal goals. The enhanced ESL program can offer an
integrative curriculum that includes Grammar, Reading, Writing, Conversation, and
Vocabulary. It has an accelerated 6-level program that is offered as an elective course
which is targeted to a specific skill areas such as Pronunciation, Grammar, Reading, and
Writing, Conversation, Business English, and TOEFL preparation. These additional
courses prepares the ESL students and motivates them to pursue their goals by targeting
the areas they most need to improve on.
http://www.alamo.edu/uploadedFiles/NVC/Business_and_Community/ESL/Documents/S
chedule.pdf

7. How successful are the L2 students in meeting the goals of the program or course?
In meeting their own goals for being in the program or course?
The student whos enrolled as a non-native English speaking student is working through
English mastery through the Second Language (ESL) department. I think the program
gives an insight and provides the academic assistance in the students native language
with the transition into English. It is based on the students language test results and other
measures. School personnel may believe this program is the best option to meet their
instructional needs and to stimulate academic success in school. The ESL program
benefits students to succeed in academic subjects and improve their English language
skills. The goal of the ESL program is to meet their academic achievement standards for
grade advancement and to become proficient in the English language. The ESL
Department supports the students English language that will develop through

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September 11, 2016 6

coursework that focuses on listening, reading, speaking, and writing. The ESL program
does count toward the student graduation requirements and are individually selected
based on the students academic needs.

Esmeralda Huerta

September 11, 2016 7

Reference
Ferris, D., & Hedgcock, J. (2014). Teaching L2 composition: Purpose, process, and
practice (Third ed.). New York: Routledge.