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The Commanding English Program: Opening Doors for English Language Learners
By Laurene L. Christensen
Graduate Instructor in Commanding English
Five years ago, when Kito was living with his family in a refugee camp in Kenya he found out that he would be relocated to Minneapolis , Minn. His family, however, would remain in Kenya . Having virtually no formal schooling prior to his arrival in Minneapolis , Kito was surprised when he was placed into the 9th grade at a local urban high school. Kito struggled to gain his bearings, but by the end of his high school experience, he was excited about the possibility of college. He also knew that he needed to continue to work on his academic English proficiency and that the Commanding English program would help him improve his English as he began his college experience.
The Commanding English (CE) program at the University of Minnesota is a first-year program for students who lack fluency in English but may not fit well in traditional ESL programs that focus on skills such as listening and speaking, writing, reading, and grammar. The CE program takes a content-based approach, contextualizing language learning into courses typical of a first-year load. Courses such as writing, speech, grammar, and literature are taught by instructors who have special training in English language support; content courses, such as anthropology, biology, art, and sociology are paired with "reading adjuncts" that provide additional language and study skills support. Commanding English, then, is not preparing
for the college experience, but rather doing the work of college while also getting additional language support.
Students are considered for admission to Commanding English if they have been in the United States less than eight years, have a home language other than English, and have test scores that indicate a need for additional language support at the university (usually defined as an ACT English or reading score below 18). Students are then asked to take either the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the MELAB (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery), and students are considered for Commanding English if they have a TOEFL score of 145-207 or a MELAB score of 65-79. CE is an access point for students who may have otherwise been admitted to the university if not for their need for additional language support. Robin Murie, director of the CE program, explains, "Commanding English opens the door for talented students who might not otherwise have a place at the university and puts them into courses where their opinions and experiences matter."
Kito agrees. He acknowledges that Commanding English helped him develop his academic skills. He explains that he learned about writing longer papers and expanding his ideas. He recalls that the first time he received an assignment in a CE class, he remembers "just staring" at his instructor, incredulous that she would ask so much of him. He thinks the writing and the reading classes helped him learn how to write better papers, manage his college reading load, and manage his time more effectively. The small class size of CE classes helped Kito develop his voice. He rarely hesitates now to contribute to class discussions in his non-CE classes, he said.
Now that Kito is a college junior majoring in global studies, I recently asked Kito to reflect on his year in Commanding English and how it helped him transition into other coursework at the university. Kito acknowledges that his university experience has not been easy; he has focused heavily on working to support himself as well as his family back in the refugee camp, and his work has been a distraction from his coursework much of the time. He has considered dropping out of school to get a full-time job. However, Kito says that the small learning community of Commanding English has helped him persevere. His advisor helped him find a major that fits with his abilities and interests, and Kito still feels connected to his Commanding English instructors and classmates. Overall, he thinks that CE helped him learn about the culture of the university. Because of CE, Kito said, "you know what to do and you know where to go. You know how to solve problems and get the help of your instructors."
Commanding English is an important access point for students like Kito, who are inspired and excited by the university experience, but may not have otherwise found their place here.
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