1. Who is required to take the ELPE?

Nonnative speakers of English, including both international students and Permanent Residents, are required to take both the written and the oral portions of the ELPE.

2. Are there any exceptions to this requirement?

Yes. Beginning Fall Quarter, 2009, nonnative speakers of English are exempted from both the oral and the written ELPE if they have completed the entirety of their undergraduate degree equivalent to a U.S. Bachelor’s degree at an institution recognized as one of English medium instruction. If this describes your background, you should have been notified that you are exempt.

In addition, students who will take the English language oral exam for prospective Teaching Assistants do not need to take the oral ELPE. These students do, however, need to take the written ELPE.

3. Who determines whether or not my institution is recognized as one of English medium instruction?

Eligibility of institutions meeting this criterion will be determined by departmental Graduate Assistants as they receive and review all application materials for admission.

4. I attended an English medium instruction institution for a few years but not for my entire undergraduate degree. Do I still have to take the ELPE?

Yes. If you have been informed by the Graduate Division that you need to take the ELPE, you must do so prior to the beginning of your first quarter.

5. I believe that there may have been a mistake in evaluating my eligibility for ELPE exemption and that I should be exempted. Whom should I contact about this?

You should first check with the Graduate Assistant of your department to see why you were not exempted. If there continues to be some question about this, you can contact the Director of the ESL Program by e-mail and she will respond to your query.

6. I have checked my ELPE placements. Am I required to take the course(s) into which I have been placed?

The ELPE is mandated by UCSB's Graduate Division because the university expects all nonnative English speaking graduate students to demonstrate proficiency in English. The ESL Program does not enforce placements; however, the university and many individual departments expect students to take the ESL courses into which they are placed. If you have a problem with your placement, you should discuss this with the contact the Director of the ESL Program or your Graduate Advisor.

7. If I have placements in two ESL courses (one for writing, one for speaking), do I have to take them both in the same quarter?

No. Many graduate students do not have time in their schedules to take two English courses, or the time of an ESL course may conflict with a major course, so the ESL Program does not expect students to take two courses into which they are placed at the same time.

8. I have a course conflict with an ESL course into which I have been placed. What should I do?

You will need to decide which course gets priority. If you cannot take an ESL course now, you may be able to take it in a later quarter. It may help to consult with a faculty advisor. Please note that some courses are not offered every quarter. For example, Linguistics 5 is usually offered only fall quarter.

9. I have a placement for a course that is not offered this quarter. What should I do?

These courses will be offered in other quarters. Check the ESL course schedules for winter and spring course schedules.

10. I received an "exempt" for placement. Does this mean I am not required to take ESL courses?

Yes.

11. If I am exempt from ESL, may I still enroll in ESL courses?

Yes.

12. I received a Linguistics 4 placement. What is this course?

If you received a Linguistics 4 placement for the written exam, it means that your written English is, overall, fluent and rhetorically appropriate, but that you have a few strong patterns of error in your writing, such as article usage, word forms, or verb tense/agreement. Linguistics 4 is a tutorial course in which students meet one-on-one with an ESL faculty member. In some cases, students meet in small groups. You and the instructor negotiate a time that is convenient for both. This course has variable credit: 1-3 units. Students generally take Linguistics 4 for two units and set up conference sessions with the instructor five times during the quarter (every other week). If you enroll for one unit, you meet with the instructor three times during the quarter. Students who are placed into or interested in Linguistics 4 should attend the first class meeting as noted in the Schedule of Classes posted on the ESL website; if there is a question about number of units, the instructor can review your placement exam.