The American Language and Culture Program

The American Language and Culture Program (ALCP) serves international students from many different backgrounds who need to develop their English-language skills in order to successfully pursue academic studies at UDM. The ALCP provides English-proficiency testing and placement services to newly-arrived UDM nonimmigrant students and offers a structured program of classes in English as a Second Language (ESL) to those who lack sufficient proficiency. Because the ALCP administers its own English proficiency test, prospective students do not need to submit a TOEFL (or other standardized test) score in order to be admitted to UDM.

The Detroit Test of American English

Students are placed into ALCP classes based on their scores on the Detroit Test of American English, which UDM uses in place of the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The Detroit test was designed specifically for UDM international students and is based in the academic areas in which UDM students are most likely to enroll: business and engineering and science.

All nonimmigrants in F-1 (student) status (or a dependent status such as H-4 or L-2) must take the Detroit Test unless they meet one of the following conditions:

They come from a country where English is the primary language.
They have completed a four-year undergraduate degree or a graduate degree at a college or university in the U.S. or in another country where English is the primary language.
They have a TOEFL score of at least 600 (paper test) or 250 (computer test) and a score of 5 on the writing test, or a score of 100 with a writing section sub-score of 24 on the internet-based test.

The Detroit Test is composed of four sections: grammar, reading, listening and composition. Questions in the grammar, reading and listening sections are multiple choice. The composition section requires the student to respond in writing to a question or topic. The test takes approximately two and a half hours to complete. Download a sample Detroit Test.

Students who pass all sections of the Detroit Test are exempt from further English-language study. Other students are placed into either a full-time or part-time English-language program. The following chart illustrates possible placement:

TEST SCORE	COURSE
59% or below	AL 101
60-69% (graduate student) 60-74% (undergraduate)	AL 201
Failing grade on writing section	AL 315

Undergraduate students who place into AL 201 will be required to take a test of spoken English.

ALCP classes

American Language and Culture Program English classes are semester-long courses based in a curriculum designed to meet the academic needs of nonimmigrant undergraduate and graduate students at UDM.

AL 101 (23 hours per week) is a lower level comprehensive English program that includes writing, reading, speaking and listening. Students who are placed in AL 101 can register only for English classes. Registration in AL 101 constitutes full-time enrollment.
AL 201 (9 hours per week) is an intermediate-level course which emphasizes writing, reading and listening. Students who are placed in AL 201 are required to register for both English classes and academic courses in order to meet the full-time enrollment requirement. Graduate students must register for at least 3 academic credits and undergraduates for at least 6 academic credits in addition to their English course. Beginning in the fall semester 2009, all undergraduate students in AL 201 must partially satisfy the academic credit requirement by taking the three-credit course Advanced Culture offered by the Language and Cultural Training (LCT) department. In addition, undergraduate students who do not pass the speaking test administered to AL 201 students at the beginning of the semester must enroll in an additional three credits of English instruction through LCT. Students required to take six academic credits through LCT will not be permitted to take additional academic classes.
AL 315 (3 hours per week) teaches academic writing skills. Students who are placed in AL 315 must also register for academic credits in order to meet the full-time enrollment requirement. Graduates need at least 6 academic credits, undergraduates at least 9 academic credits in addition to their English course.

The Detroit Test is administered again at the end of the semester to all students enrolled in AL 101 and to undergraduate students enrolled in AL 201. Graduate students enrolled in AL 201 who receive a final class grade below C are also required to repeat the Detroit Test. Students' results on the test along with their grades in the class determine whether they will move on to full academic study, be promoted into a higher level, or repeat the current level the following semester.

Students exiting the program are deemed to be sufficiently proficient in English to successfully engage in a program of academic study at the undergraduate or graduate level.

Undergraduate students receive four credits for an AL course; however the credits are not counted against graduation requirements. Matriculated students receive letter grades just as they do in academic classes. Points for the grade are factored into the grade point averages of undergraduate students but not of graduates. AL grades remain on students' transcripts permanently.