The English for Speakers of Other Languages
Program is designed to prepare students to read,
write, speak, and listen at a level that enables them
to succeed in college courses.
The program consists of four levels. Students are
assigned a level based on the result of the placement
test.
The first level, L19, is a nine-unit combined skills
class. Students who successfully complete this
course are at the intermediate-low level. Some
students at the beginning level may find ESOL 19A
difficult. For these students, counselors are available
to discuss options and resources, including classes at
Continuing Education.
The second and third levels, L20 and L30, each
consist of three courses. The grammar/writing
component is a six-unit course (ESOL 20 and 30);
the reading (ESOL 21 and 31) and listening/speaking
(ESOL 22 and 32) components are three units each.
Faculty recommend that students who are attending
part-time complete the reading and listening/
speaking course at the appropriate level prior to the
writing/grammar course.
At the fourth level, L40, students have the choice
of two paths. In the traditional path, students take
a course in reading and writing (ESOL 40). Upon
successful completion this course, students can read
and write at an intermediate-advanced level and are
prepared to take English courses one level below
transfer (ENGL 48 & 49 or ENGL 47).
The other option for students at the L40 level
is to take an accelerated path. Upon successful
completion of a nine-unit accelerated reading and
writing course (ESOL 45), students will be able to
read at an advanced level and are prepared to take
courses in transfer level English (ENGL 101 and/or
105).
Students who score lower than level L40 on the
placement exam must complete ESOL 40 and ESOL
32 to be able to read, write, speak, and listen at an
intermediate-advanced level and be prepared to
take English courses one level below transfer (ENGL
48 & 49 or ENGL 47) or ESOL 45 and ESOL 32 to be
able to take English courses at transfer level (ENGL
101 and/or ENGL 105).
19A Transitional English For ESOL Students
9 hours lecture, 9 units
Letter Grade or Pass/No Pass Option
Advisory
: Assessment Skill Level L19. Students are
advised to take the ESOL placement test prior to
enrollment and perform at level 19.
Limitation on Enrollment:
This course is not open to
students with previous credit for English 7 or English
58 or English For Speakers of Other Languages 19..
This course prepares students to read, write, listen,
and speak at the intermediate-low ESOL level to
facilitate successful participation in a college setting.
This course emphasizes development of reading and
writing skills in academic contexts, focusing heavily
on the production of complete sentences with
minimal errors and basic paragraph and composition
development. This course is intended for non-native
speakers of English who read, write, listen, and speak
at a high-beginning level. (FT) Not applicable to the
Associate Degree.
20 Writing for Non-native Speakers of
English I
6 hours lecture, 6 units
Letter Grade or Pass/No Pass Option
Prerequisite
: English for Speakers of Other Languages
19A with a grade of “C” or better, or equivalent or
Assessment Skill Level L20.
Limitation on Enrollment:
This course is not open to
students with previous credit for English 8 or English
60.
This course in writing and grammar prepares
students to write at the intermediate-mid ESOL
level. Students learn to write compositions which
may include paragraphs, essays, and other types
of texts. Other topics include critical reasoning
in writing, critical reading and understanding
for a variety of texts, academic study skills, and
grammatical structures in the production and
editing of compositions so that errors will not
obscure meaning or distract the reader. This course
is intended for non-native speakers of English
preparing for college-level coursework. (FT) Not
applicable to the Associate Degree.
21 Reading for Non-native Speakers of
English I
3 hours lecture, 3 units
Letter Grade or Pass/No Pass Option
Prerequisite
: English for Speakers of Other Languages
19A with a grade of “C” or better, or equivalent or
Assessment Skill Level L20.
This course prepares students to read at the
intermediate-mid ESOL level. In this course, students
learn reading strategies and apply them as they
read a variety of texts. Students practice identifying
text organization, vocabulary, and grammar to
facilitate comprehension. Students also begin to
use information from class readings in discussion,
critical thinking, and writing. This course is intended
for non-native speakers of English preparing for
college-level coursework. (FT) Not applicable to the
Associate Degree.
22 Listening and Speaking for Non-native
Speakers of English I
3 hours lecture, 3 units
Letter Grade or Pass/No Pass Option
Prerequisite
: English for Speakers of Other Languages
19A with a grade of “C” or better, or equivalent or
Assessment Skill Level L20.
This course prepares students to understand spoken
English and to speak at the intermediate-mid ESOL
level. In this course, students continue to develop
communicative competence through listening to
and participating in a variety of communicative
activities. Topics include grammatical structures
specifically related to oral/aural course work to make
connections between structure and communicative
needs. In addition, students discuss, write about
and critically analyze information from oral and
written sources. This course is intended for nonnative
speakers of English preparing for college-level
coursework. (FT) Not applicable to the Associate
Degree.
30 Writing for Non-native Speakers of
English II
6 hours lecture, 6 units
Letter Grade or Pass/No Pass Option
Prerequisite:
EEnglish for Speakers of Other Languages
20 and 21, each with a grade of “C” or better, or
equivalent or Assessment Skill Level L30.
Limitation on Enrollment:
This course is not open to
students with previous credit for English 9 or 6.
This course in writing and grammar prepares
students to write at the intermediate-high ESOL
level. In this course, students learn to write
paragraphs, essays and other types of texts that
communicate a basic awareness of critical reasoning
and the components of the academic essay and
other types of writing. To achieve these goals,
students learn and apply knowledge of syntax
and grammatical structures in the production
and editing of compositions so that errors will not
obscure meaning or distract the reader. Students
also read academic texts and apply study skills
necessary for success in further academic studies.
This course is intended for non-native speakers of
English who wish to improve their writing skills. Not
applicable to the Associate Degree.
31 Reading for Non-native Speakers of
English II
3 hours lecture, 3 units
Letter Grade or Pass/No Pass Option
Prerequisite
: English for Speakers of Other Languages
21 with a grade of “C” or better, or equivalent or
Assessment Skill Level L30.
This course prepares students to read at the
intermediate-high ESOL level. In this course,
students continue to develop reading skills needed
for academic and workplace success. To achieve
these goals, students read a variety of texts and
apply appropriate reading strategies to facilitate
comprehension. In addition, students engage in
activities to build background knowledge as well
as knowledge of text structure, grammar and
vocabulary. Students also use information from
class reading in class discussion, critical thinking and
writing. (FT) Not applicable to the Associate Degree.
32 Listening and Speaking for Non-native
Speakers of English II
3 hours lecture, 3 units
Letter Grade or Pass/No Pass Option
Prerequisite
: English for Speakers of Other Languages
22 with a grade of “C” or better, or equivalent or
Assessment Skill Level L30.
This course prepares students to understand
spoken English and speak at the intermediate-high
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
level. Students continue to develop communicative
competence through listening to and participating
in a variety of communicative activities. Students
also continue to develop knowledge of grammatical
structures specifically related to oral/aural course
work as well as discuss, write about, and think
critically about information from oral and written
sources. This course is intended for speakers of other
languages pursuing basic skills English instruction.
(FT) Not applicable to the Associate Degree.
40 Reading and Writing for Non-Native
Speakers of English III
6 hours lecture, 6 units
Letter Grade or Pass/No Pass Option
Prerequisite
: English for Speakers of Other Languages
30 with a grade of “C” or better, or equivalent or
Assessment Skill Level L40 and English for Speakers
of Other Languages 31, each with a grade of “C” or
better, or equivalent or Assessment Skill Level L40.
Corequisite
Completion of or concurrent enrollment
in English for Speakers of Other Languages 32 with
a grade of “C” or better, or equivalent or Assessment
Skill Level L40. Students who met the prerequisite
by completion of English for Speakers of Other
Languages 30 and 31 must complete English for
Speakers of Other Languages 32 or be concurrently
enrolled in 32.
Limitation on Enrollment:
This course is not open to
students with previous credit for English 10, English
62, or English for Speakers of Other Languages 45.
In this course students
write essays and other types of texts that have some
complexity of expression, contain relatively few
mechanical and grammatical errors and illustrate
evidence of critical reasoning. Students also read
academic texts and apply study skills necessary for
success in further academic studies. This course is
intended for non-native speakers of English who
wish to improve their reading and writing skills.
(FT) Not applicable to the Associate Degree.