English for Academic Purposes (EAP/ESL)

The mission of the EAP Program is to equip students whose first language is not English with the skills and resources they need to achieve academic success, including progressing toward and reaching graduation at GGC, and to provide them with an integrated educational experience that develops the whole student, academically, socially and personally. The EAP program offers courses at the high-intermediate and advanced levels in reading, writing, and academic listening and speaking.

Placement into EAP/ESL Classes

All entering non-native speakers of English without transferable college level English credit and scores below SAT 480 or ACT 21 will be required to take the COMPASS/ESL placement test to determine at what level of EAP/English they will be placed. Depending on their placement score, students may be required to take courses in one or both levels of EAP before becoming eligible for English 1101 and other college level courses.

Students should visit Testing Services or call 678.407.5240 to schedule a test. The COMPASS/ESL placement test consists of a listening comprehension, reading comprehension, and grammar exam. In addition, there is a required writing sample. Students must complete all four parts of the exam to register for classes. It usually takes about a week to get the full results back. Therefore, students are encouraged to take the COMPASS/ESL placement test as early as possible before the term begins.

EAP Classes

Exiting the EAP Program

To exit the EAP program, students in EAP for Student Success II (90-level) courses must pass all courses with a C or better, which includes passing the end-of-course final exams.

Students in EAP for Student Success I (80-level) courses may also be eligible for exit if they have an A average in all EAP courses and are recommended by all of their EAP instructors to sit for the 90-level final exams.

EAP Frequently Asked Questions