ESL Courses and Schedule

The ESL program is integrated skills in nature. Listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, and other core language skills are integrated into the content of each language course. In this manner, students develop well-rounded English skills that will support their diverse personal and professional learning needs.

The ESL program is comprised of six proficiency levels. At lower proficiency levels, students focus on developing general English skills appropriate to successfully communication in their everyday lives. At the highest proficiency level, the curriculum focuses on workplace and academic success. At the highest proficiency levels, students may instead choose to enroll in a series of four academically-oriented courses specifically designed for academic preparation.

The ESL program is designed in alignment with the academic semester system (three semesters of 15-16 weeks each). Students at each proficiency level must complete their integrated-skills course with a score of at least 80% to progress to the next level of study. Thus, students enrolled in full-time program of study will be in class 20 hours per week for a total of 350 hours of classroom instruction per semester.

Table A:  ESL Curriculum