ESL Composition for International Students

The Department of Linguistics and Asian/Middle Eastern Languages offers three writing courses (Linguistics 100, 200, and 305W) designed to meet the needs of students whose first language is not English. These courses are equivalent to courses offered in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies.

LINGUISTICS 100

• fulfills the CSU written communication requirement.
• is equivalent to RWS 100 for students whose first language is not English.
• meets the same lower division SDSU GE requirement as RWS 100.

Course Description: Linguistics 100 focuses on the integration of academic reading and writing and on strategies for developing written arguments. It offers instruction in writing for different purposes and audiences in ways that respond to and incorporate ideas from college level reading selections. Linguistics 100 also addresses second language issues related to grammar or vocabulary as appropriate for a given class.

LINGUISTICS 200

• is equivalent to RWS 200 for students whose first language is not English.
• meets the same lower division SDSU GE requirement as RWS 200.
• fulfills the CSU critical thinking requirement.

Course description: Linguistics 200 focuses on the student as researcher, guiding the class through both original and text-based written research projects. The course emphasizes writing that draws from a variety of sources, including data collected by the student. Linguistics 200 continues the integration of academic reading and writing begun in Linguistics 100 and addresses grammar and vocabulary as appropriate for a given class.

LINGUISTICS 305W

• fulfills San Diego State's Upper Division Writing Requirement for students of SOME majors. IMPORTANT: Each student must consult with her or his department to determine whether Linguistics 305W is an option for the upper division writing requirement.

Course description: Linguistics 305W assists students in achieving upper division competence in their major fields of study. The focus of the course is the analysis and production of a variety of texts (and types of texts) related to each student’s discipline, both in and beyond the university setting.