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ESOL: English for Speakers of Other Languages

Interested? Talk to ESL Connect

Program Spotlight

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes are designed for students who want to improve their written and spoken English skills.

The ESOL department provides:

Testimonial

student"ESOL classes at Skyline College made a difference in improving my English skills. I started at the lowest ESL course with low confidence in my abilities. The ESOL professors not only taught me writing and grammar, but they really supported me and believed in my potential which led me to succeed in my classes and pursue a bachelor’s degree." Mary Rondon

ESL Connect helps non-native English speakers apply to Skyline College and make use of its resources to achieve their educational goals.

Want to learn more? Need help with anything? Ask ESL Connect.

Program Type Total Units
Proficiency In American Culture and English (PACE) CA 16 Units

Program Mission:
To empower and transform our global community of nonnative English (ESL) learners.

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
Reading Skills

Comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and discuss English texts for the purpose of furthering academic, personal, vocational and civic growth.

Writing Skills

Critically evaluate and modify own written language to enhance academic, personal, vocational, and civic communication.

Listening & Speaking Skills

Listen effectively, and consistently produce comprehensible spoken English in a variety of academic, personal, vocational and civic situations.

Office Information
Location: Building 1-218
Email: skyesl@smccd.edu
Phone: (650) 738-7089
Hours: Mon/Tue/Wed 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Fri 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.
Fall 2024 Courses  |  Summer 2024 Courses

Type Status Title Days Time Instructor
Day Class   CLOSED ESOL 400 - 89128 - English Comp-Nonnative Spkrs

ESOL 400 ENGLISH COMPOSITION FOR NONNATIVE SPEAKERS (5)
(Pass/No Pass or letter grade.)
Hours/semester: 80-90 lecture. Prerequisite: ESOL 840 or appropriate skill level as indicated by ESL placement test and other measures as necessary. Recommended: Completion of or concurrent enrollment in ESOL 854 and ESOL 875.
For advanced non-native speakers of English who have completed ESOL 840, or equivalent. Emphasis on composing coherent, logical, expository essays based on thorough analysis of complex pieces of writing, both fiction and non-fiction, and utilizing advanced English language structure and vocabulary. Successful completion qualifies students for entrance into ENGL 100/105. Transfer credit: UC; CSU.

 T Th 9:10am-11:35am Struss, E
Day Class   OPEN ESOL 400 - 98317 - English Comp-Nonnative Spkrs

ESOL 400 ENGLISH COMPOSITION FOR NONNATIVE SPEAKERS (5)
(Pass/No Pass or letter grade.)
Hours/semester: 80-90 lecture. Prerequisite: ESOL 840 or appropriate skill level as indicated by ESL placement test and other measures as necessary. Recommended: Completion of or concurrent enrollment in ESOL 854 and ESOL 875.
For advanced non-native speakers of English who have completed ESOL 840, or equivalent. Emphasis on composing coherent, logical, expository essays based on thorough analysis of complex pieces of writing, both fiction and non-fiction, and utilizing advanced English language structure and vocabulary. Successful completion qualifies students for entrance into ENGL 100/105. Transfer credit: UC; CSU.

 M W 2:10pm-4:35pm Shaw, L
Evening Class   OPEN ESOL 400 - 84396 - English Comp-Nonnative Spkrs

ESOL 400 ENGLISH COMPOSITION FOR NONNATIVE SPEAKERS (5)
(Pass/No Pass or letter grade.)
Hours/semester: 80-90 lecture. Prerequisite: ESOL 840 or appropriate skill level as indicated by ESL placement test and other measures as necessary. Recommended: Completion of or concurrent enrollment in ESOL 854 and ESOL 875.
For advanced non-native speakers of English who have completed ESOL 840, or equivalent. Emphasis on composing coherent, logical, expository essays based on thorough analysis of complex pieces of writing, both fiction and non-fiction, and utilizing advanced English language structure and vocabulary. Successful completion qualifies students for entrance into ENGL 100/105. Transfer credit: UC; CSU.

 T Th 6:10pm-8:30pm Nava, J
Day Class   OPEN for Waitlist ESOL 830 - 98318 - ENGL Spkrs Other Languages III

ESOL 830 ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES III (6)
(Pass/No Pass or letter grade.)
Hours/semester: 96-108 lecture. Recommended: ESOL 820 or equivalent.
For intermediate students who have studied the grammatical structures in ESOL 820, or equivalent, and have acquired conversational fluency and basic reading and writing skills. Emphasis is on critical reading, intermediate grammar, and paragraph and essay writing. (Units do not count toward the Associate Degree.)

 T Th 9:35am-12:25pm Shaw, L
Day Class   CLOSED ESOL 840 - 97667 - ENGL Spkrs Other Languages IV

ESOL 840 ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES IV (6)
(Pass/No Pass or letter grade.)
Hours/semester: 96-108 lecture. Recommended: ESOL 830 or equivalent.
Offers practice in writing organized and well-developed paragraphs and essays to develop composition skills. Students will build reading skills with a focus on critical thinking. Emphasis on high-intermediate grammar structures and editing within the context of the student's own work. (Units do not count toward the Associate Degree.)

 T Th 9:35am-12:25pm Vaughn, M
Day Class   OPEN ESOL 840 - 98319 - ENGL Spkrs Other Languages IV

ESOL 840 ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES IV (6)
(Pass/No Pass or letter grade.)
Hours/semester: 96-108 lecture. Recommended: ESOL 830 or equivalent.
Offers practice in writing organized and well-developed paragraphs and essays to develop composition skills. Students will build reading skills with a focus on critical thinking. Emphasis on high-intermediate grammar structures and editing within the context of the student's own work. (Units do not count toward the Associate Degree.)

 M W 12:10pm-3:00pm Struss, E
Evening Class   OPEN ESOL 840 - 94966 - ENGL Spkrs Other Languages IV

ESOL 840 ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES IV (6)
(Pass/No Pass or letter grade.)
Hours/semester: 96-108 lecture. Recommended: ESOL 830 or equivalent.
Offers practice in writing organized and well-developed paragraphs and essays to develop composition skills. Students will build reading skills with a focus on critical thinking. Emphasis on high-intermediate grammar structures and editing within the context of the student's own work. (Units do not count toward the Associate Degree.)

 T Th 6:10pm-9:10pm Kocak, M
Day Class   OPEN ESOL 853 - 97668 - Int. ESL Listening & Speaking
ESOL 853 INTERMEDIATE ESL LISTENING AND SPEAKING (3)
(Pass/No Pass or letter grade.)
Hours/semester: 48-54 lecture. Recommended: ESOL 852 or equivalent.
Development of listening comprehension and oral proficiency of standard spoken English at the intermediate level. Listening focuses on note-taking and aural comprehension of standard spoken English using information from media, discussion, and academic contexts. Speaking focuses on English fluency, proficiency, and strategies for discussion and personal interaction. ESOL 853, when taken with ESOL 863 and ESOL 873, is equivalent to ESOL 830. (Units do not count toward the Associate Degree.)

 T Th 1:10pm-3:15pm Tungkaburana, C
Day Class   OPEN ESOL 854 - 95748 - High-Int. ESL Listen & Speak
ESOL 854 HIGH-INTERMEDIATE ESL LISTENING AND SPEAKING (3)
(Pass/No Pass or letter grade.)
Hours/semester: 48-54 lecture. Recommended: ESOL 853, or appropriate skill level as indicated by ESL placement test and other measures as necessary.
Development of listening comprehension and oral proficiency of standard spoken English at the high-intermediate level. Listening focuses on note-taking and aural comprehension of standard spoken English in academic situations, media, and discussion. Speaking focuses on fluency of English speech, proficiency in clarifying and restating, and strategies for facilitating discussion. ESOL 854, when taken with ESOL 864 and ESOL 874, is equivalent to ESOL 840. (Units do not count toward the Associate Degree.)

 T Th 1:10pm-3:00pm Struss, E
Evening Class   OPEN ESOL 873 - 97670 - Intermediate ESL Grammar
ESOL 873 INTERMEDIATE ESL GRAMMAR (3)
(Pass/No Pass or letter grade.)
Hours/semester: 48-54 lecture. Recommended: ESOL 872 or equivalent.
Development of sentence variety and grammatical and mechanical accuracy of standard spoken and written English at the intermediate level. (Units do not count toward the Associate Degree.)

 S 9:00am-12:50pm Kocak, M
Day Class   OPEN ESOL 875 - 97671 - Advanced ESL Grammar & Editing
ESOL 875 ADVANCED ESL GRAMMAR AND EDITING (3)
(Pass/No Pass or letter grade.)
Hours/semester: 48-54 lecture. Recommended: ESOL 840 or ESOL 874, or appropriate skill level as indicated by ESL placement test and other measures as necessary, or equivalent.
Non-native English speaking students will review complex grammar and language structures applicable to academic writing, as well as strategies for editing their own writing. This course assumes advanced study of English as a Second Language and the ability to read, write, and use English language structures appropriate to the level of ESOL 400. (Units do not count toward the Associate Degree.)

 M W 12:10pm-1:40pm Shaw, L
View all ESOL Courses at Skyline

ESOL / English Course Comparison Chart

The table below shows the type of assignments (reading and writing) students can expect to do at each level and the language skills (grammar & listening/speaking) that students should have when entering each level to maximize their success. You can also download the chart.

    Level 2 (not offered at Skyline College – see Adult School partners) Level 3: 830/853/873 Level 4: 840/854/874 Level 5: 400/875 Transfer-level (not ESL) ENGL 100/105
Expected Work:

Students can expect these assignments during the course of each level

Writing

Short descriptive paragraphs about routines and familiar topics

4 to 5 assignments of 1-2 paragraphs (1-2 pages each).

1 book report on a chosen book

Short journals and summaries (1-2 pages each)

3 take-home essays (3-5 pages each).

2 in-class essays (2-3 pages each)

3 take-home essays (3-7 pages each, with citations)

2 in-class essays (2-4 pages each)

Library research

4-5 text-based essays (4-8 pages each, with citations)

Library research

Reading

Short texts simplified for ESL

1 book (200-300 pages) with simple to intermediate vocabulary

Several short newspaper articles

1 book of choice, may be simplified for ESL

1 book (250-350 pages) in authentic English with advanced vocabulary

3-5 articles (2-3 pages each)

1 book (250-400 pages) in authentic English with advanced vocabulary

4-6 articles (3-9 pages each)

Topics: personal, academic, and social science

2-4 books (250-400 pages each) in authentic English with advanced vocabulary

5-8 articles (3-12 pages each)

Topics: academic, business, poetry, literature, social science, or philosophy
Necessary Skills: students need these skills and abilities when they enter this level

Grammar

Write simple sentences in English

Use simple statements, negatives, and questions in English

Write longer sentences in different verb tenses

There will be lots of intermediate ESL grammar instruction at this level

Write long sentences with complex ideas and developing control of grammar

There will be lots of intermediate / advanced ESL grammar instruction at this level

Students learn to edit their own writing

Write long, mostly grammatically correct sentences with complex ideas

There is very little grammar instruction at this level, and it is all advanced

Students edit their own grammar in their own writing with some in-class help

Write long grammatically correct sentences with complex ideas

There is no ESL grammar instruction at this level

Students edit their own grammar in their own writing with no in-class help
Listening & Speaking

Understand simple instructions

Ask and answer simple questions

Understand 60-70% of classroom instruction spoken at a slow to moderate pace

Ask and answer questions, and add follow-up questions, in English

Some translation may be needed

Understand 75% of classroom instruction spoken at a moderate pace

Ask questions and explain point of view in English

Student is becoming independent of translation

Understand 75% of classroom instruction spoken at a fast pace

Ask questions, discuss, explain point of view, debate, and present in English

Student is mostly independent of translation. 

Understand 90% of classroom instruction spoken at a fast pace

Ask questions, discuss, explain and defend point of view, debate, and present in English

Student is independent of translation

Prerequisite Challenge

The prerequisite challenge is for students who have been placed into ESOL 840 or equivalent and who wish to challenge their placement and enter ESOL 400. There is no challenge process for ESOL 830 or 840 which do not have prerequisites. If a student has placed into 830 or lower and would like to challenge into ESOL 400, we recommend that they visit the ESL Connect office.

Process

  • What:
    • For ESOL 400, the challenge consists of an in-person reading and writing sample that can take, at minimum, 50 minutes (at the Assessment Center)
    • Students may attempt the 400-challenge only once.
  • How:
    • Make an ESOL 400 challenge appointment with the Assessment Center. Please send an email to the Assessment Center (skyassessment@smccd.edu) with the following student information:
      1. Full legal name
      2. Student ID (G number)
      3. Current ESOL placement
      4. Statement that you wish to challenge the placement and enter 400
      5. Preferred email address for further communication

View the ESOL / English Course Comparison Chart

Primary Contact

Mylene Foo
Mylene Foo (Program Services Coordinator)
Language Arts-ESL Connect
foom@smccd.edu
(650) 738-7167
BLDG 08-204
More details »

ESOL Faculty

Leigh Anne Shaw
Leigh Anne Shaw (Professor)
Language Arts-ESOL
shawl@smccd.edu
(650) 738-4408
BLDG 08-8215
More details »
Mine Kocak
Mine Kocak (Assistant Professor)
Language Arts-English|ESOL
kocakm@smccd.edu
BLDG 08-8114
More details »
Erinn Struss
Erinn Struss (Professor/Faculty Coordinator for ESL Connect)
Language Arts-ESOL
strusse@smccd.edu
(650) 738-4361
BLDG 08-8215
More details »
Meegan Vaughn
Meegan Vaughn (Assistant Professor)
Language Arts-ESOL
vaughnm@smccd.edu
BLDG 08-114
More details »
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mazzif@smccd.edu
More details »