A Mixed Methods Analysis of the Impact of a Writing Capstone Course on Transitioning ESL Students to Academic English

Many adult English language learning (ELL) U.S. immigrants have not mastered written academic English, which hinders their economic mobility and full participation in their new society. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to determine which student group, ESL students or non-ESL students, earned higher grades in the first academic English course and to identify critical incidents described by ESL students and ESL and English faculty that assisted or thwarted ESL student transition from ESL courses to written academic English. Research questions addressed the difference in academic success between ESL community college students who had completed the ESL capstone writing course and those who had not. Critical incident survey results also indicated significant learning steps described by faculty or students related to best practices in second language learning and teaching and to ESL student academic success. Durkheim's and Chirot's social change theories and Krashen's second language acquisition theory provided the theoretical framework. Quantitative data were analyzed through determining the statistically significant higher grade point average mean and qualitative data were analyzed for key themes. Findings indicated that ESL students who had previously successfully completed the ESL capstone writing course were more academically successful in the first academic English writing course than the general student population. Faculty and students both identified student attitude as critical for transitioning to academic English. Implications for positive social change include identification of key ESL learning experiences and best practices for teaching ESL that can help ESL students be successful in their mastery of English.