English Exam for New International Students (Graduate and EAP)
DATE: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
TIME: 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (Students should bring a photo ID and pen or pencil.)

LOCATION: 1100 Social Science and Humanities

Questions and Answers about the English Examination for New International Students at UC Davis and Information about ESL Courses for Graduate Students, Education Abroad Students, and Limited Status Students

1. What is the purpose of the English Exam?
The exam has been designed to indicate to you, your advisor and major professor whether you will have any difficulty in handling the English skills which are essential to doing well in courses at UC Davis. For example, the exam results will indicate whether you are likely to have difficulty in comprehending spoken English, in understanding lectures and summarizing them accurately, or in expressing ideas in clear, well-organized written English. If there is a need to develop any of these skills further, time in your schedule needs to be given to doing some English improvement work along with your other academic classes during your first and possibly also your second quarter of study here. The results of the examination do not affect your admission status as you have already been admitted when you take the exam. The only effect is on whether you may need to take an ESL course in order to help you meet the high standards for English writing and speaking that will be required of you here.

2. Who is required to take the exam?
The English Exam is an enrollment requirement at the University of California, Davis. It is required of International Graduate Students: All new graduate students in departments and programs under Graduate Studies and the MPVM Program (School of Veterinary Medicine) whose native language is not English and who do not hold degrees from academic institutions where English is the language of instruction. This exam is required no matter the level of the TOEFL or any other language test scores presented as admission factors. If a student is from an English-medium university in a country where English is not one of the official languages, the student will still required to take the exam in many cases. The decision about whether a student takes the exam or not is made in the Graduate Studies Admissions Office. Education Abroad Program and Limited Status International Students: All new Education Abroad Program and Limited Status students whose native language is not English. The decision to hold a student for the exam is made in the Education Abroad Program office or in the Undergraduate Admissions office.

3. What is the exam like?
The examination lasts approximately two hours and a half and is divided into three parts. None of the parts can be specifically studied for in advance because the exam tests general academic language proficiency. Part I Grammar in the Context of Writing (20 points) You will be given a written paragraph with several blank spaces to be filled in with appropriate words. Part II Lecture, Notetaking, and Summarizing (30 points) You will listen to a 10-15 minute lecture. You will take notes and summarize the lecture in sentence and paragraph form. Part III Writing (20 points) You will write a response to one of several given topics.

4. How is the exam scored? What does the score mean?_
a. If you receive a score of 70% or more out of a possible 100, you are given a grade of I. You should not have many problems in handling a full course load, so no work in English is required.
b. If your score is between 60% and 70%, you are given a grade of II. This score indicates that you are writing on a level beneath University of California standards and may have some problems in carrying a full course load. A student with this score should give some time to working on language skills the first quarter on campus and is required to enroll in Linguistics 25 (4 units). You and your advisor can decide how many other courses you should register for in addition to English during your first quarter here.
c. If your score is under 60%, you are given a grade of III. You should most likely carry a light academic load the first quarter you are here. You are required to enroll in Linguistics 25 the first quarter, and, depending on your progress in Fall, should enroll in Linguistics 26, Linguistics 96, or Linguistics 391 the next quarter (see below for course information).

5. When is the exam and when will the results be available?
In Fall 2008, the exam is on Wednesday, September 17, 2008 from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in 1100 Social Science and Humanities. The exam results will be available the following Monday, September 22. When you pick up your results, you will receive an official result form and a letter to take to your advisor. You will also be given the opportunity to see the test and discuss the results with the examiners, if you wish.

6. What course will students who do not pass the exam take?
They take Linguistics 25, a 4-unit ESL course designed for graduate students and Education Abroad students. You will take this course along with other courses in your field of study, and you will be graded on a Pass/No Pass basis only in the English course. The course includes work on writing, speaking, listening, and vocabulary/idioms as needed for successful academic work at UC Davis. Specifically, students will work on the following skills: 1) Writing clearly and accurately under time pressure, 2) Organizing and writing effective out-of-class papers, 3) Organizing and giving effective oral presentations, 4) Building vocabulary and understanding idioms/expressions, 5) Increasing listening comprehension, 6) Reviewing grammar as needed for speaking and writing clearly and accurately, 7) Summarizing and paraphrasing accurately in English, 8) Participating effectively in common speaking situations in the university environment.

7. Can Linguistics 25 be audited rather than taken for credit?
No. Students must enroll for credit; however, the class is taken on a Pass/No Pass basis.

8. Can students who have passed the English exam enroll in Linguistics 25?
Yes. Students who have passed the entrance exam but wish to work on their English skills can enroll in the course.

9. After taking Linguistics 25, what other English courses are available for ESL graduate students at UCD?
1) Linguistics 391, a 3-unit course on speaking skills, is offered Winter and Spring quarters. This course is particularly useful for Teaching Assistants and other graduate students who wish to improve their spoken English.
2) Linguistics 26, a 3-unit writing course for ESL graduate students is offered in Winter and Spring Quarters. This course reviews grammar and covers the type of writing done by graduate students, such as progress reports, research proposals, critiques, and internship and job applications.
3) Linguistics 96 is usually offered in Winter and Spring Quarters. It is a less-formal course for students who wish to continue working on their English for a second quarter for only 1 or 2 units of credit. The class consists of small group sessions (12 students or less), and students may choose from a variety of topics, such as vocabulary and idioms, paragraph writing and grammar review, intensive listening, and seminar presentation techniques.

10. After taking Linguistics 25, what other English courses are available for ESL Education Abroad and Limited Status undergraduate students?
1) Linguistics 96, for 1 or 2 units, is usually offered in Winter and Spring quarters (see description in #9 above).
2) Linguistics 22 or 23 (ESL Reading and Writing) if space is available.
3) Linguistics 26 and 391 are available to EAP students with permission of the ESL Coordinator. For further information about the exam or about ESL courses offered at UC Davis, please contact: Janet Lane, Graduate ESL Coordinator Linguistics Department, 211 Sproul Hall (530) 754-6357 or jrlane@ucdavis.edu