Focus of Study and Benefit :
The English as a Second Language (ESL) program at Otterbein University combines the language skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing while developing academic skills in research and note taking when focusing on a variety of relevant and interesting topics. Students are engaged in activities that require the use of a variety of skills and strategies that encourage authentic communication. This creates a dynamic, student-centered learning environment in which students acquire language in a natural and meaningful way.

Curriculum :
The seven-week ESL session is an intensive program designed to immerse students in English language instruction four days per week (Monday through Thursday) for four hours per day. In the fall and spring sessions, ESL students meet for conversation practice with an American student 2 hours per week for a total of 126 contact hours per session. Students who successfully complete the Advanced Level of the ESL program can matriculate into Otterbein with the appropriate Institutional TOEFL (iTOEFL) score and instructors' recommendations. Students studying at the advanced level can concurrently take courses at Otterbein which are not language intensive (ex. math, art, etc.). At the end of each term, all students must take the iTOEFL exam, which is administered on the last day of class. The iTOEFL score, the instructor's recommendation and the course performance will determine a student's eligibility to proceed to the next course level in the ESL curriculum. Students who do not make satisfactory progress or who do not pass their current ESL level must retake the current level to increase proficiency before moving to the next level. Learning academic English is a process and level progression often takes two 7-week sessions. Because academic progress is important, students are only permitted to unsuccessfully take a level twice. Students who are unable to pass the exam after two unsuccessful attempts will be asked to leave the program.

4 hours per day, Monday to Thursday

Living on campus
-Living on campus offers the students various events like pizza parties, movie nights, midnight pancakes, tray sledding and the others.

 

Traditional Residence Halls

-double occupancy

-some feature single rooms, triples and quads.

-Traditional halls are composed of predominantly first year students and some upperclassmen who choose to live there during housing room selection.

 

Suite-style Residence Halls

-open only to upperclassmen who choose to live there.

 

The Commons Apartments

-Only for Junior and senior students for fully furnished apartments with 1 and 1/2 bathrooms and 2 to 4 bedrooms.

 

Theme Houses

-Returning students who wish to promote their specific theme to the campus community.

 

Break Housing

-Students who may request to stay on campus during break periods.