ESL Program
Mt. SAC offers an outstanding ESL program designed to help improve your language, study skills, job skills, and general English communication skills. In addition, you will explore American culture, do research using technology, and work with classmates on projects that are interesting to you.
There are eight levels of ESL in our program. The ESL Placement Test that you take will help us determine the best level for you. Courses that we offer include level classes, skill classes, and specialized skill classes. For more information, contact ESL Registration.
Level Classes
In level classes, you will learn integrated English skills such as listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, idioms, and pronunciation. You will do projects and presentations in addition to taking a midterm and a final exam to show how much English you have learned. Level classes meet for 14 - 17.5 hours per week so you can get the most amount of learning time possible. Levels include:
| For Literacy Students | For Beginning Students | For Intermediate Students | For Advanced Students |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foundations | Level 1 | Level 3 | Level 5 |
| Pre-Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 4 | Level 6 |
Skill Classes
Skill classes are different from Level classes because they focus on just one or two skills. For example, in a Writing class, you will do more reading and writing, and less listening and speaking practice. In addition, you will do projects and presentations that help to measure your English skills.
| Literacy Levels | Beginning Levels | Intermediate Levels | Advanced Levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing A (Pre-1) | Writing A | Writing B | Writing C |
| Speaking A (Pre-1) | Speaking A | Speaking B | Speaking C |
Specialized Skill Classes
These classes are for students who share a very specific goal such as passing the USCIS interview for citizenship, or for those who need to take the TOEFL exam. These courses include: Citizenship Preparation and TOEFL Preparation. You should be in Level 3 (intermediate) or higher in order to take Citizenship Preparation courses. You need to be Level 5 or 6 (advanced) in order to take TOEFL Preparation courses. English for Specific Uses (ESU) courses focus on one occupation or profession. ESU courses are designed for ESL students who need to improve their vocabulary and skills needed in specific areas such as English for Health Professionals, English for Accounting, etc.
| Intermediate Levels | Advanced Levels & VESL Students |
|---|---|
| Citizenship Preparation | Citizenship Preparation |
| ESU: Academic & Career English | TOEFL Preparation |
| ESU: Accounting | ESL for Health Professionals |
| ESU: Academic & Career English | |
| ESU: Accounting | |
| ESU: Child Development | |
| ESU: Real Estate |
