English Language Acquisition (ELA)

Kirkwood’s English Language Acquisition (ELA) course of study offers many opportunities for you to practice your English speaking and writing skills. A Kirkwood education can help prepare you for a better career or get you ready to transfer to a four-year institution.

All courses are taught in English, which helps prepare you for further study at Kirkwood. Additionally, studying English helps non-native speakers improve their employment and promotion opportunities.

Next Steps To Start ELA

English - Next Steps Français - Prochaines Étapes Español - Próximos Pasos

الخطوات التالية - عربى 中國 - 下一步 Tiếng Việt - Bước Tiếp Theo

English as a Second Language (ESL)	English Language Acquisition (ELA)
Free/no tuition	Tuition (limited financial assistance available)
Non-credit	Earn elective college credit
Beginner/advanced classes available	Beginner/advanced classes available
Classes cover all skills — enroll in one class at a time	Classes focus on one skill — enroll in multiple classes at a time
90-minute classes, 4 days per week	Classes available 5 days per week
7-week classes start in July, September, October, January, and March	16-week classes start in August and January; summer classes start in May and July
Learn academic and workforce-based language skills	Learn academic English for college
Personalized instruction	Personalized instruction
Small class sizes	Small class sizes
Highly qualified instructors	Highly qualified instructors
Pathway navigation assistance	Pathway navigation assistance

In-person

Available Levels — Starting in Fall, 2021: Levels 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Levels 1 and 2 are Mon., Tue., Wed., and Th.
Location – Iowa City and Cedar Rapids
Computer Requirements — Laptop or desktop computer required. Talon is used for all classes grading and assignments.
Attendance – Attendance is required. Students must be present in the classroom.
Meeting Times – Classes meet at a specific date and time.
Teachers – Teachers are in person in the classroom.
Homework and Assignments – Normal homework expectations.
Types of Students – Students who prefer the traditional in-person learning on campus.
Extra Help – ELA Tutoring; Cedar Rapids language lab; ELA Advisor is available to answer questions.

Zoom

Available Levels — Levels 3, 4, 5
Location – On computer
Computer Requirements — Laptop or desktop computer required. You cannot take classes from your phone. Talon is used for all classes grading and assignments.
Attendance – Attendance is required. Students must be on Zoom during class time.
Meeting Times – Classes meet at a specific date and time.
Teachers – Teachers are on the computer on Zoom.
Homework and Assignments – Normal homework expectations.
Types of Students – Students who prefer to or need to learn from home but prefer the structure of a daily schedule.
Extra Help – ELA Tutoring; Cedar Rapids language lab; ELA Advisor is available to answer questions.

Talon (Not Zoom)

Available Levels – Levels 3, 4, 5
Location – On computer
Computer Requirements – Laptop or desktop computer required. You cannot take classes from your phone. Talon is used for all classes grading and assignments.
Attendance – No specific attendance requirement. Students must log in to Talon regularly to do work and submit work.
Meeting Times – Classes do not meet at a scheduled time.
Teachers – Teachers are available for office hours and individual help but no specific class time.
Homework and Assignments – You will be responsible for getting work done on time on your own. You may ask questions to your instructor via email or office hours.
Types of Students – Students who prefer to learn from home and are very self-motivated. Students must be able to manage their own time on a weekly basis for weekly online assignments, homework, test, etc.
Extra Help – ELA Tutoring, Cedar Rapids language lab; ELA Advisor is available to answer questions.

New Students

If you plan to apply for financial aid, do so as soon as possible by filling out the FAFSA.

If you have questions, call Sharon 319-398-5668 on the Cedar Rapids campus. In Iowa City, call Mohamed Joreya at 319-887-3628. You can also email ELA@kirkwood.edu.

Testing

Each student must make TWO appointments for placement. Choose your prefence of hybrid in-person and online testing, or online only testing below. Each option contains an online portion that is taken at home on your own computer.

1. Cedar Rapids Campus: In-Person + Online

Grammar/Reading/Writing at Cedar Rapids Test Center and Listening/Speaking Online Test

2. Iowa City Campus: In-Person + Online

Grammar/Reading/Writing at Iowa City Test Center and Listening/Speaking Online Test

3. All Online Testing:

Reading/Writing/Grammar Online Test and Listening/Speaking Online Test

You will take five classes at each ELA level and gain proficiency in these areas:

Current Students

The Language Lab is located in 3010 Cedar Hall, on the main campus. It is open:

Monday: 9 – 11 a.m.

Wednesday: 9 – 11 a.m. and 12:30 – 2:30 p.m.

Friday: 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Spring Term (Feb. 1 – May 10, 2021)

MONDAY
9:05 – 10 a.m. | Rachel Winchel | Zoom link (Passcode: 191184)

10:10 – 11 a.m. | Hala Abumaizer-Scheetz | Zoom link

12:20 – 1:15 p.m. | Hala Abumaizer-Scheetz | Zoom link

1:25 – 2:20 p.m. | Jake Herring | Zoom link (Meeting ID: 298 840 5878; Passcode: Xuc5GG)

7 – 8 p.m. | Gail Koch | Zoom link

TUESDAY
12:20 – 1:15 p.m. | Sofia Chesney | Zoom link (Meeting ID: 915 698 8268)

1:25 – 2:20 p.m. | Neil Mulka | Zoom link (Passcode: 682523)

5 – 6 p.m. | Rita Cabello | Zoom link (Passcode: iowa)

7 – 8 p.m. | Gail Koch | Zoom link

WEDNESDAY
9:05 – 10 a.m. | Rachel Winchel | Zoom link (Passcode: 191184)

10:10 – 11 a.m. | Hala Abumaizer-Scheetz | Zoom link

12:20 – 1:15 p.m. | Hala Abumaizer-Scheetz | Zoom link

1:25 – 2:20 p.m. Jake Herring | Zoom link (Meeting ID: 298 840 5878; Passcode: Xuc5GG)

10:10 – 11 a.m. | Hala Abumaizer-Scheetz | Zoom link

12:20 – 1:15 p.m. | Hala Abumaizer-Scheetz | Zoom link

1:25 – 2:20 p.m. | Jake Herring | Zoom link (Meeting ID: 298 840 5878; Passcode: Xuc5GG)

SUNDAY
11:15 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. | Sofia Chesney | Zoom link (Meeting ID: 915 698 8268)

Resources:

Access the online learning tool Mango.

Zoom Tutorials:

Arabic

French

English

Kirkwood Web Links:

Student Help Desk

Kirkwood Password Reset

Kirkwood Library Services

Kirkwood Bookstore

Registration Forms

Face-to-Face

Summer 2021 L1 and L2 F2F Cedar Rapids Campus - English Language Acquisition

Summer 2021 L1 and L2 F2F Iowa City Campus - English Language Acquisition

Online via WebLive

Summer 2021 L3 WebLive English Language Acquisition

Summer 2021 L4 WebLive English Language Acquisition

Summer 2021 L5 WebLive English Language Acquisition

Classes & Curriculum

Kirkwood offers the following courses in ELA. While ELA courses do not transfer to other colleges and universities, two of the Level 5 bridge classes, which count as 6 elective credits, and the Kirkwood speech requirement, do transfer.

ELA Courses

Course Number	Course Title	Credits
ESI-007	L1 Listening and Conversation	3
ESI-010	L1 Phonetics and Pronunciation	3
ESI-006	L1 Reading and Vocabulary	3
ESI-011	L1 ELA Grammar	4
ESI-014	L1 ELA Writing	2
	Total Credits	15

Course Number	Course Title	Credits
ESI-019	L2 Listening Skills and Conversation	3
ESI-021	L2 Phonetics and Pronunciation	3
ESI-023	L2 Reading and Vocabulary	3
ESI-018	L2 ELA Grammar	4
ESI-016	L2 ELA Writing	2
	Total Credits	15

NOTE: Level 2 and 3 students may take an optional L2/L3 Keyboarding class for 1 credit.

Course Number	Course Title	Credits
ESI-039	L3 Listening Skills, Conversation, and Culture	3
ESI-040	L3 Phonetics and Pronunciation	3
ESI-042	L3 Reading and Vocabulary	3
ESI-038	L3 ELA Grammar	4
ESI-037	L3 ELA Writing	2
	Total Credits	15

Note: Level 2 and 3 students may take an optional L2/L3 Keyboarding class for 1 credit.

Course Number	Course Title	Credits
ESI-062	L4 Culture and Conversation	3
ESI-069	L4 Presentations	3
ESI-068	L4 Reading and Vocabulary	3
ESI-064	L4 ELA Grammar	3
ESI-063	L4 ELA Writing	3
	Total Credits	15

NOTE: Level 4 and Level 5 students may take an optional keyboarding class for 1 credit.

Level 5 Bridge Classes

Level 5 ELA students take five classes. Of these classes, three are bridge classes. These classes are taught in the same way as other credit courses, which allows students to practice their new skills and gauge their capacity for success after leaving ELA coursework.

Course Number	Course Title	Credits
ESI-090	L5 Culture and Conversation	3
RDG-130	Effective Reading Strategies	3
ENG-101	Elements of Writing	3
ESI-072	Fundamentals of English Grammar	3
	Total Credits	15

NOTE: Level 4 and Level 5 students may take an optional keyboarding class for 1 credit.

Meet Our Faculty

Elizabeth Baertlein
Title:	Instructor, ELA
Phone:	319-398-5899 ext. 5152 319-398-4998
Office:	3020 Cedar Hall
Education:	B.A.; St. Mary’s University, M.A.; St. Cloud State University
Bio:	Betsy Baertlein teaches English Language Acquisition (ELA) courses and has completed her master’s degree in teaching English as a second language at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, her bachelor’s degree in English at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota. She has completed additional graduate coursework in the Language, Literacy and Culture doctorate program at The University of Iowa and her research interests include critical pedagogy and language learner identities. Betsy is a dedicated bicycle commuter and can be seen biking to campus in all weather.

Ryan Dehner
Title:	Associate Professor, ELA
Phone:	319-887-3957
Office:	Room 343 Iowa City Campus
Education:	B.A.; University of Wyoming, M.A.; University of Iowa
Bio:	Ryan has experience teaching world languages at the K-12, community college, university, and federal government level. Before Kirkwood, he taught Spanish at Laramie High School, supervised student teachers at The University of Iowa, and trained language teachers at the Defense Language Institute's Instructor Development Branch. He has resided in England, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and explored many parts of Europe, Central and South America, Australia, the Middle East, South-Central Asia, and Africa. His professional interests involve teacher mentoring, building cross-cultural understanding, working with refugee populations, L2 curriculum design, L2 methodologies, competency-based learning, and oral proficiency assessment. Ryan teaches English Language Acquisition (ELA) courses.

Esperanza Muñoz Pérez
Title:	Professor
Phone:	319-398-4998
Office:	1019 Cedar Hall
Education:	B.A. and M.A.; University of Iowa
Bio:	Esperanza, a native of Spain, arrived in Iowa City in 1994 after living previously in Scotland and in the Pacific. Her passion for history, culture, and language was richly rewarded while working with 18th-century Spanish documents for the Micronesian Research Center at the University of Guam. All aspects of language intrigue her, whether related to her experience as an interpreter and translator or as a language professor for the last 16 years. Her love for Romance languages led her to study Latin, Portuguese, Italian, French language and Literature, as well as Medieval Spanish Literature. The intricacies of language have always been an important part of her academic and personal life. Esperanza teaches English Language Acquisition (ELA) classes.

Carlos Ortega-Amparán
Title:	Assistant Professor, ELA
Phone:	319-398-5988 ext. 5830 319-398-4998
Office:	3019 Cedar Hall
Bio:	Carlos teaches English Language Acquisition (ELA) classes.

Olga Petrova
Title:	Professor
Phone:	319-887-3952
Office:	Room 253 Iowa City Campus
Education:	M.A.; English and German, Russian Pedagogical State University, St. Petersburg, Russia, M.A.; TESOL, University of Northern Iowa, Ph.D.; Linguistics, University of Iowa
Bio:	Over the years, Olga has taught English and Linguistics at various levels to many audiences (high school, teacher-training university, adult foreign-languages program in Russia; undergraduate and graduate ESL and linguistics, Iowa Intensive English Program (IIEP) and Teaching Assistant Preparation Program (TAPE) at the University of Iowa). Olga has been teaching composition, linguistics, and ELA classes for Kirkwood Community College since 2002, as well as occasional linguistics classes at the University of Iowa. In the last few years, Olga has been teaching English Language Acquisition grammar, reading, and writing.

Colleen Schmitt
Title:	Instructor
Phone:	319-398-5899 ext. 5989 319-398-4998
Office:	3024 Cedar Hall
Education:	B.A.; Luther College, M.A.; Hamline University
Bio:	Colleen holds a B.A. in English and Spanish from Luther College and earned an M.A. in ESL with an adult learner emphasis from Hamline University. Prior to joining International Programs, Colleen coordinated Kirkwood’s noncredit ESL program in Iowa City. Her professional interests include advocacy for English Language Learners and best practices for teaching students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE). Colleen is a licensed K-12 educator and taught high school English, Spanish, and ELL for several years. She has studied in Chile, Spain, Ecuador, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Mexico and has led service-learning trips for American students abroad.

Hala Abumaizer-Scheetz
Rita Cabello
Sofia Chesney
Kelly Fink
Kim Flugga-Ciha
Amy Guo
Iryna Hasnikova
April Hetrick
Gail Koch
Stephen McTier
Jennie Morton
Linda Park
Eleanor Price
Gloria Wenman
Nancy York

Tamar Bernfeld
Scott Bleuer
Nathan Borrett
Craig Covington
Diane DeMaria
Robert DeSpain
Jacob Herring
Darren Hetrick
Wendy Labinger
Yvonne Maruniak
Sandy Marz
Dana Noble
Denise Tiffany
Emily Wagner

Questions?

Make an appointment for a Zoom meeting with our ELA advisor.

Contact Global Learning

Global Learning Cedar Rapids / ELA & English Language Learners
3051 Cedar Hall
319-398-5668
ela@kirkwood.edu

Global Learning Cedar Rapids Main Campus
1154 Linn Hall
319-398-5579
international@kirkwood.edu

Global Learning Iowa City Campus
Room 101
319-887-3628
international@kirkwood.edu