English or ESL

Choosing the Right Language Arts Assessment

Our placement process is designed to help you find the courses that are right for you, based on your circumstances and goals. It's a key step for any student interested in taking English (EWRT) or English as a Second Language (ESL) courses at De Anza College.

Which Assessment is Right for You?

• What's the difference between the English and ESL assessment?

  The English assessment is

  • Designed for students who are native English speakers
  • Recommended for students who attended schools where all subjects were taught in English.
  • Intended for students who feel confident  about listening to college lectures, reading textbooks and writing academic essays in English

  The English assessment will give you a placement into the English course sequence (EWRT) for native speakers.

  The English as a Second Language (ESL) assessment is

  • Designed for students who are still learning English
  • Recommended for students who attended schools where all subjects were taught in a language other than English.
  • Intended for students who are not confident about listening to college lectures, reading textbooks and writing academic essays in English

  The ESL assessment will give you a placement into the ESL course sequence for those who are still learning English.

• What if I speak multiple languages?

  We recommend that you consider these questions:

  • Did you attend schools where all your subjects were taught in English?
  • Do you usually speak English with your friends and/or co-workers?

   

  If you answered 'No' to either question, then you should take the English as a Second Language (ESL) assessment.

• What if I need transfer-level English to reach my educational goal?

  We still recommend that you consider these questions:

  • Did you attend schools where all your subjects were taught in English?
  • Do you usually speak English with your friends and/or co-workers?

   

  If you answered 'No' to either question, then you should take the English as a Second Language (ESL) assessment. 

  If you take the English assessment and the results show that you are still learning English, the Assessment Center will reach out to you via email. You may then decide that you need to take the ESL assessment. These extra steps can delay your registration by two weeks or more. So, please start with the ESL assessment if you are not a native English speaker or did not have at least six years of education in which the majority of instruction was in English.

  If you take the ESL assessment first, you can be placed as high as ESL 5. An ESL 5 course placement will make you eligible to attempt the English assessment.

   

• What kind of work is expected in a transfer-level English course?

  De Anza's primary transfer-level English composition courses are EWRT 1A and ESL 5. In these courses, the instructor will expect you to do certain assignments. (These are not optional; they are required as part of the course.)

  • You will write at least four essays outside class. Some or all of these will require you to analyze books or articles that you read for the class.
  • You will be expected to read at least one book for the class.
  • You will write at least one essay in class. This will be a timed writing assignment.
  • Although assignments may vary, you should expect to be asked to write essays that are at least four to five pages long.

• What if I am a beginning English learner?

  You should complete the assessment process to find out which course is the right one for you to take first.

  • If you attended a U.S. high school, we can use your high school transcript to tell you which ESL class you should take first.
  • If you didn't attend a U.S. high school, you can take the Guided Self-Placement.

  Did you attend a U.S. high school for three or more years?

  IF YES, Click here

  IF NO, CLICK HERE

Click the buttons below to learn more about the assessment tool for each subject.