CT State offers non-credit ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) courses teaching core English skills to non-native speakers each semester, including reading and writing, grammar, and conversational speaking and listening. You will often work with partners or in groups as a means to practice your skills and prepare for academic classes and employment.
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) courses are also offered most semesters.
Please note: You will be placed in ESOL levels based on the ESOL Placement Test which includes reading comprehension, grammar and writing a composition.
Most ESOL non-credit classes meet four hours per week, twice a week for 14 weeks (58 hours per semester). Full-time students will take twelve hours of classes per week. Students are expected to attend all classes regularly and are required to do homework and take tests.
ESOL Non-Credit Core Courses
Learn to write sentences and compositions. Study correct sentence structure for speaking and writing. Practice the writing process including brainstorming, organizing, drafting and editing. Read short stories and articles and discuss them. Do exercises to improve comprehension and vocabulary. You will be expected to read and write a lot in class and at home.
Learn grammar for writing and speaking. Study verb tenses, parts of speech and other grammar points. Practice writing sentences and paragraphs. Read and discuss a few stories to improve comprehension, grammar and vocabulary. You will do a lot of grammar exercises and some writing in class and at home.
Improve your speaking and listening skills and build your confidence. Listen to audio CDs and discuss them to improve listening comprehension, vocabulary, grammar, and speaking. Practice speaking English in small groups. You will also do writing exercises in class and at home.
Begin to develop reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Learn to speak and write English with basic grammatical sentences and short dialogues about personal information, daily life skills, and classroom directions and tasks. Practice speaking and listening using basic grammar and vocabulary in pairs and groups. You will also listen to audio CDs, do grammar exercises and read and write short paragraphs in class and at home.
Improve your grammar and writing. Review correct sentence structure and paragraph organization. Practice the writing process including brainstorming, planning, editing and the correct essay format. You will read some stories and discuss them. You will do a lot of grammar exercises and writing in class and at home.
English for Specific Purposes (ESP) Courses
- Conversation Circles 26/36–Open to Levels 20 and 30 (58 hours)
Conversation Circles 76–Open to Levels 40, 50, 60 and up
Designed for Au Pairs and open to all ESOL students, you will practice speaking, listening and vocabulary for conversation and pronunciation. This is a fun, dynamic, interactive, informal conversation class.
Learn to speak more clearly. Practice sounds, words, intonation and stress in words & sentences to improve pronunciation. Students will also practice speaking and listening skills. Students will have assignments in the Language Lab and at home.
Study different kinds of businesses and the basic operations of business. Discuss international business including importing and exporting. Learn about starting and owning a small business (entrepreneurship). Practice communication skills used in corporations such as reading and writing business proposals, marketing plans, emails and customer service. Review vocabulary for management, marketing, production, etc. Discuss current topics in business from news sources such as the Wall Street Journal.
Prepare for the TOEFL exam (Test of English as a Foreign Language). This course will provide intermediate learners of English as a Second Language with techniques for taking this international exam. Learn strategies and tips for vocabulary acquisition, reading comprehension, grammar, speaking and listening, and writing an effective essay. The TOEFL exam is often required to enter a four-year college or university in the United States, but not at CT State. This is a high level, intense course with a lot of writing and homework.
This class is for higher level ESOL students who enjoy reading to improve English fluency. American short stories will be the basis for discussion to improve reading comprehension and speaking/listening. These skills will help students in ESOL and academic classes, work and living in the United States. You will review grammar and learn new vocabulary and idioms used in the stories. You'll read short stories, do comprehension exercises and write short assignments in class and for homework.
This class focuses on sentence structure and organization of a basic written composition. You will practice writing good sentences with correct grammar.
Course Outcomes:
- Develop ability to use verb tenses and other grammar structures in sentences
- Learn to write a variety of sentences (simple and compound) with clear meaning
- Improve ability to write an organized composition (introduction, body, and conclusion)
- Improve writing a coherent composition that develops an idea in 1 to 1 ½ pages
- Learn to use the computer to write a composition
- Learn to use Blackboard website for grammar exercise, writing, and homework
This class focuses on developing a well-written essay. You’ll practice applying grammar rules and write complex sentences.
Course Outcomes:
- Develop use of a variety of sentence structures (simple, compound, complex)
- Improve ability to apply basic grammatical structures in exercises and writing with consistency and accuracy
- Improve ability to produce logical, coherent, meaningful essays (with introduction, body, and conclusion)
- Practice editing essays
This Writing/Grammar 63 class is open to students in levels 60 and above and students who have completed Reading/Writing 50 AND Grammar 55/53/61.
