Date of Award

2008

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Teaching English as a Second Language

First Advisor

Dr. Stephanie Dhonau

Abstract

The success of English as a Second Language (ESL) students at university level in the United States depends upon their ability to perform at a level of language proficiency deemed adequate by university core-course instructors. This writing begins with the historical derivation of “language proficiency,” and continues on to examine the curricular demands of the Intensive English Language Program (IELP) at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR). ESL students, both IELP graduates and IELP non-affiliates, may enroll in the core courses required to earn a degree from UALR. This thesis is based on the results of a survey administered to UALR core-course instructors to determine what these teachers believe about ESL student English-language proficiency.

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