About

English Department Resources for International Students and Students 
with ESL Backgrounds at Hunter

The English Department at Hunter College offers a variety of resources and courses for emergent bilingual students (i.e. ESL background students): sections of ENGLISH 120 and 220, free skills-based workshops, tutoring opportunities, and course advising.

Please note that students are placed in semester-long ESL courses based on their results on the CUNY assessment tests in writing and reading. Incoming students who have not met Hunter’s language proficiency standards are required to take placement tests, but all students with ESL backgrounds are encouraged to take the tests in order for the Department to better judge their abilities and advise them on what classes to take before moving on to advanced coursework. In particular, we highly encourage all transfer and 2nd degree students who are not required to take the ESL placement tests but who have gone to school primarily in non-English speaking settings to take the placement tests.

 Note that these courses are only for matriculated Hunter students. They are not language-learning courses. If you would like to improve your English and you are not a Hunter student, you can reach out to the (IELI) International English Language Institute at Hunter. Use the link. This is a language school at Hunter College. Please do not email the ESL Coordinator if you are just looking to take language courses.

For more information about Hunter's ESL Program, contact the ESL Coordinator, Cindy Wishengrad (cwisheng@hunter.cuny.edu).