ESL PROGRAM LEVELS

Courses are offered at four levels of difficulty. New students take a placement test to determine which level is the best fit for them. Each level takes one semester to complete.

Level 1: Elementary
Level 2: Intermediate
Level 3: Advanced
Level 4: High-Advanced (two concentrations)

At Level 4 (High-Advanced), students can choose from two concentrations: college preparatory and culture/conversation. The college preparatory courses focus on academic skills and TOEFL preparation. Successful completion of the college preparatory courses satisfies VIU's English proficiency requirements for admission to our academic programs. If a student wants to complete courses in both concentrations, they can be taken in any order.

It is also possible to register for a combination of high-advanced ESL classes and undergraduate English courses such as English Composition I & II, Academic Writing, and Oral Communication Skills.

Placement into the 'combo' level requires either a very high score on the placement test or successful completion of our College Preparatory classes.
Registration for these undergraduate courses does not require an application to one of our academic program for students who do not plan to continue their academic studies at VIU.
Please keep in mind that undergraduate courses are more expensive than ESL classes.