ESL Non-Academic Courses

Credit Classes

 

Advisory: A grade of C or higher in ESL 234, or ESL Placement Level 6 or higher 

At this level, students develop the ability to understand and engage in extended conversations and discussions and communicate with increasing fluency and grammatical accuracy. This course stresses the language skills necessary for further academic study. Students read authentic materials beyond the familiar, develop academic vocabulary, and write paragraphs and short compositions.

Advisory: A grade of C or higher in ESL 333, or ESL Placement Level 5 or higher

This course reviews and expands the intermediate language skills learned in the previous level. Students will develop the ability to communicate in oral and written English beyond the familiar. They will read authentic materials on everyday topics, identify the main ideas and draw conclusions, and write routine correspondence and brief compositions with increasing complexity.  

Non-Credit Classes

ESL noncredit courses are free. They are designed to help students learn English for everyday use at home, at work, and in the community. The highest-level course, ESL 336 Advanced, prepares students to transition to academic ESL classes.

This is a course designed for the absolute beginner with zero competency in English. Emphasis is on oral language skills and basic vocabulary related to daily living.

 

This course builds on the basic language skills from ESL 331. Language skills are expanded in communicative contexts. Emphasis is placed on the development of “social” English.

This course integrates intermediate language skills. Students at this level build the communicative ability to function in practical areas of daily life.

This course reviews and expands the intermediate language skills learned in the previous level. Students will develop the ability to communicate in oral and written English beyond the familiar. They will read authentic materials on everyday topics, identify the main ideas and draw conclusions, and write routine correspondence and brief compositions with increasing complexity.

At this level, students develop the ability to understand and engage in extended conversations and discussions and communicate with increasing fluency and grammatical accuracy. This course stresses the language skills necessary for further academic study. Students read authentic materials beyond the familiar, develop academic vocabulary, and write paragraphs and short compositions.

This course is designed for the low intermediate to advanced student of English as a Second Language. Major emphasis will be on refining and expanding the listening and speaking skills, aural-oral coping skills, and oral critical thinking and expression skills, which are necessary to function in routine social interactions, beginning level jobs, and/or further academic work.

This is a course designed to prepare prospective citizens for citizenship. Class activities will focus on U.S. history, government, basic geography and American culture and customs as it relates to the knowledge required to become an American citizen. While improving their English language skills, students will learn how to fill out naturalization forms and prepare for the written and oral test for citizenship.

This course emphasizes aural-oral language skills and basic literacy.

ESL Academic Courses

ESL academic courses are designed to develop the academic skills required for success in college-level classes. These courses are 5 units.

This course reviews and expands the intermediate language skills learned in the previous level. Students will develop the ability to communicate in oral and written English beyond the familiar. They will read authentic materials on everyday topics, identify the main ideas, and draw conclusions, and write routine correspondence and brief compositions with increasing complexity.

This course integrates the reading and writing skills English language learners need to prepare them for college-level courses. The reading component includes the development of skills in reading comprehension, fluency, and academic vocabulary. The writing component includes writing summaries, paragraphs, and short essays, and improving grammar and mechanics in the context of the writing task.

This course is the second of two academic reading and writing courses for English language learners. Students refine their academic reading skills and build academic vocabulary. Students follow the writing process to compose a variety of essays based on their analysis of college-level texts. Students also refine their grammar and sentence structure skills as they relate to the writing task.