| English Language Institute
College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature
Moore 570
1890 East-West Road
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-8479
Fax: (808) 956-2802
E-mail: uhmeli@hawaii.edu
The English Language Institute (ELI) is located in the Department of Second Language Studies. The ELI's primary purpose is to provide English instruction for international and immigrant students, or others, whose native language is not English so as to facilitate their academic studies at the University. The ELI program is only for graduates and undergraduates enrolled in degree programs. Therefore, only students admitted to the University are eligible to register for ELI courses.
All international and immigrant students admitted to the University are referred to ELI to determine if they must take the ELI placement test before registering for University courses. If a student does not fulfill this obligation, ELI will place a hold on the student's registration. The ELI placement test is generally offered three times at the beginning of each semester. Information about the testing dates and times can be found in the current Schedule of Classes, and students must sign up in person at Moore 570 prior to the testing date.
ELI Exemptions
Students are exempt from taking the ELI placement test under the following conditions: (a) the student is a native speaker of English; (b) the student has received a score of 600 or better on the paper-based TOEFL, or a score of 250 or better on the computer-based TOEFL; (c) the student has received a score of 460 or better on the verbal section of the GRE; (d) the student has received a score of 460 or better on the verbal section of the SAT if taken before April 1995 or a score of 540 or better if taken in April 1995 or thereafter; (e) the student has an AA or AS degree from a community college within the University of Hawai'i system; (f) the student has obtained the equivalent of 60 transferable semester credits with a GPA of 2.0 or better from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States or from a university whose academic standing is recognized by the University of Hawai'i and where English is the primary language of instruction; or (g) the student has completed six years of full-time schooling with English as the medium of instruction at a middle school, high school, college, or university in Australia, Canada (except Quebec), Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States. Documentation of all six years is required.
These exemption criteria apply at the time students are admitted to the University. An exemption on the basis of one of these criteria may be automatically granted by the University, or it may be granted by the ELI office if the student can provide the appropriate documentation, including transcripts or test results.
Assignment to ELI Courses
All other international or immigrant students who have been admitted to the University must take the ELI placement test before they can register for courses. Placement into ELI courses or exemption from ELI courses will be based on the test results. All ELI courses must be completed within the first year of study at the University. The student will receive a placement form from ELI indicating the courses to be taken each semester. Students who do not complete ELI coursework as planned may not be allowed to graduate.
Relationship to Other Course Work
ELI courses are not credit-bearing courses, but they are considered equivalent to 3-credit courses when considering a student's course load. Students placed into ELI courses need to reduce the number of additional credit courses they can take and should expect to make slower progress in their regular University studies. This is an especially important factor in some graduate programs and should be considered carefully by students whose time or financial support is limited.
Hawai'i English Language Program
College of Languages, Linguistics and Literature
Makai Campus 13-1
1395 Lower Campus Road
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-6636
Fax: (808) 956-5100
Email: eslhelp@hawaii.edu
Web: www.lll.hawaii.edu/programs/help
The Hawai'i English Language Program (HELP), administered by the Department of SLS, is a noncredit, comprehensive, intensive ESL program for students who wish to improve their English language proficiency (speaking, listening, reading, and writing) for academic, business, or professional pursuits. Most students in the program are preparing to enter an American college or university, although many are studying English for other reasons. HELP also offers an intensive TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) preparation course to students who require that examination for college/university entrance. Admission to HELP is open to individuals aged 18 or older who have completed high school or its equivalent. There are four 10-week sessions each year beginning in January, April, July, and October. For an application packet and information, call or write to HELP. |
