Placement of English as a Second Language (ESL) Student Learners in Higher Education

Immigration into the U.S. will continue to increase in the coming years, thereby increasing the postsecondary enrollment of ESL students. Yet there is still a limited amount of research designed to evaluate which ESL placement programs are most effective. This study was designed to determine if the use of correct testing instruments would ensure proper ESL student placement in reading, writing, and comprehension of English courses at the postsecondary level. The theoretical framework for this study was based on Bachman and Palmer's concept of construct validity and authenticity in relation to ESL placement tests. The research used a mixed methods approach and included 100 ESL students and 10 ESL instructors. The quantitative portion of the study included a Likert survey administered prior to ESL student placement and following the completion of the first semester. Quantitative analysis of the data included a dependent t test of paired samples which tested for differences in the results of the 2 surveys. The quantitative findings were significant for ESL students with lower-level English skills but not for those with a more extensive background in English. The qualitative data were collected from the 10 ESL instructors and 10 representative ESL students by means of semi structured interviews. The findings showed a need to adjust placement of ESL students entering college based on the needs of the student instead of on an average of test scores. These results may help educational institutions develop an accurate placement system that addresses the needs of ESL students, making a positive impact educationally and facilitating ESL students' success in an ever-changing global society.