Writing & Research Center

Virginia Western Resources for Students Who Need Help with English - Links to Advising, Tutoring, and Community Support Sites.

• Placement Testing Info - Testing Center

  All students who are entering a program of study or enrolling in any courses requiring a mathematics or English prerequisite may need to take the Virginia Placement Test (VPT).

• Virginia Placement Test Help for Students

  • Online Resources for VPT Preparation

Virginia Western Placement Testing Policies - Requirements and Exemptions

Please refer to the links below for information about Virginia Western's student requirements and exemptions for Placement Testing.

General Admissions Policy (I-12)
Placement Testing Policy (I-7)

Advancing your writing or conversation skills in English can be challenging. Listening to podcasts is a great way to help improve your English. Here are some recommendations selected by the VWCC Writing & Research Center staff for English language learners of many levels:

• Voice of America podcasts: VOA podcasts and video series focused on many topics, such as grammar, education, history of words, American idioms and more! You will find content appropriate for beginners, intermediate and advanced English learners.  
• American English Pronunciation Podcast: American pronunciation can be tricky. Many letters and words are pronounced differently in different contexts. If you learned English from a UK English speaker, you have probably noticed that Americans not only have a different accent, but also pronounce the same words very differently, and even use very different words for the same object! If you have struggled with any of these things, we recommend this podcast for you. Intermediate level English skills are recommended for this podcast. 
• English Class 101 - Apple Podcast: A helpful podcast and video lesson series that emphasizes learning strategies and American English for social interaction. Most episodes are under 5 minutes--quick and easy! Intermediate level English conversation skills are recommended.
• Go Natural English Podcast: Hosted by American English speakers, this podcast helps students of English advance their listening skills and expand their vocabulary. Episodes are a mix of study suggestions, word differentiation and pronunciation. And if you happen to be a native English speaker reading this, this is a great podcast to help you too! Ideal for advanced English learners.

Arabic-speaking students who are just beginning to learn English may find the ESL-Learn English for Arabic Speakers podcast helpful.

The Inglespodcast - Aprende ingles con inglespodcast de La Mansion del Ingles: is a great resource for Spanish speakers who have some familiarity with English already but would prefer instruction specifically for students coming from a Spanish-speaking background (note: one of the co-hosts speaks with a British English accent).