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Laney College

Welcome to ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)

Welcome to ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)

The ESOL Department at Laney provides the foundation skills in English for a large percentage of the community, addressing the needs of immigrants who arrive in the Bay Area, international students, and multilingual students who have received most of their education in the U.S. (Generation 1.5). The department supports the individual learning of each student to improve his/her ability to speak and understand both oral and written English; to develop reading, writing, and critical thinking skills; and to appreciate and be successful in an American cultural environment.

The accelerated ESOL core curriculum, developed by the Peralta ESOL Advisory Council (PEAC), allows students to succeed at a rate that works for their level of proficiency.

It is a four level program— from High Beginning to Advanced and offers an A and B course at each level. The core courses at each level are designed to allow students to accelerate through the A levels, thus finishing the program in 4 semesters while providing up to 8 semesters to those students who need more time to acquire the language skills.