Class Schedules and Catalog Background Image

Noncredit ESL

Noncredit ESL

Certificates

Certificate of Competency

Beginning Noncredit ESL

This entry-level certificate is designed to help students communicate in everyday life situations they will encounter in the community and at home, school, and work so they can meet their personal, academic, and career goals. Students earn this certificate by successfully completing at least two noncredit beginning-level ESL courses. Students must successfully complete the highest core course and at least one elective course to help them progress through the sequence and transition into intermediate-level courses or employment.

Program Student Learning Outcome

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to demonstrate the English language skills needed to communicate in everyday life situations they will encounter at home, at school, at work, and in the community.

Core Courses
Students must earn a passing grade in at least one core course from the following list:96-108
English as a Second Language, Level 1
English as a Second Language, Level 2
English as a Second Language, Level 3 *
Elective Courses
Students must earn a passing grade in at least one elective course from the following list:48-108
Noncredit ESL Conversation Skills for Beginning Students
Reading and Writing for Beginning Level Students
Basic Computers and Digital Literacy (BCDL) for ESL Students (Beginning Level)
Total Hours144-216
*

Students must complete the highest core course in order to earn this certificate.

Certificate of Competency

Intermediate Noncredit ESL

This intermediate-level certificate is designed to help students build on their abilities to communicate in English and to progress through the noncredit ESL program. Students earn this certificate by successfully completing at least two noncredit intermediate-level ESL courses. Students must successfully complete the highest core course and at least one elective course to help them progress through the sequence and transition into advanced-level courses or employment.  

Program Student Learning Outcome

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to demonstrate the English skills necessary to successfully progress through the program to the advanced levels.

Core Courses
Students must earn a passing grade in at least one core course from the following list:96-108
English as a Second Language, Level 4
English as a Second Language, Level 5 *
Elective Courses
Students must earn a passing grade in at least one elective course from the following list:48-108
Noncredit ESL Conversation Skills for Intermediate Students
Reading and Writing for Intermediate Level Students
Workplace English as a Second Language (Intermediate)
English as a Second Language, Citizenship **
Basic Computers and Digital Literacy (BCDL) for ESL Students (Beginning Level)
Computers and Digital Literacy (CDL) for ESL Students (Intermediate/Advanced Level)
Total Hours144-216
*

Students must complete the highest core course in order to earn this certificate.

**

Students may earn a passing grade in this course by completing a minimum of 48 hours.

Certificate of Competency

Advanced Noncredit ESL

This advanced-level certificate is designed to help students build on their abilities to communicate in English and to progress through the noncredit ESL program. Students earn this certificate by successfully completing at least two noncredit advanced-level ESL courses. Students must successfully complete the highest core course and at least one elective course to help them progress through the sequence and transition into Adult High School/GED courses, credit courses, or employment.

Program Student Learning Outcome

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to demonstrate the English skills necessary to successfully transition to ABE/Adult High School/GED, credit classes, or employment.

Core Courses
Students must earn a passing grade in at least one core course from the following list:96-108
English as a Second Language, Level 6
English as a Second Language, Level 7 *
Elective Courses
Students must earn a passing grade in at least one elective course from the following list:48-108
Noncredit ESL Conversation Skills for Intermediate Students
Reading and Writing for Intermediate Level Students
Workplace English as a Second Language (Intermediate)
Bridge to College and Career ESL (Advanced)
English as a Second Language, Citizenship **
Computers and Digital Literacy (CDL) for ESL Students (Intermediate/Advanced Level)
Total Hours144-216
*

Students must complete the highest core course in order to earn this certificate.

**

Students may earn a passing grade in this course by completing a minimum of 48 hours.

Courses

NCESL 10: English as a Second Language, Level 1

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 6 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

Level 1 ESL is designed for students with little or no previous background in English. Non-literate or students with extremely low English skills are placed at this level. This integrated skills course provides students instruction in speaking, listening, reading, and writing English.

NCESL 15: Multilevel Beginning English as a Second Language

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 4.25 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This beginning multilevel course is designed for students with little ability in English. It focuses on the speaking and understanding necessary to satisfy routine social demands and limited work requirements. Students in this level learn to comprehend high-frequency words in context, use learned phrases and sentences to communicate needs, and read and write simplified materials.

NCESL 20: Noncredit ESL Conversation Skills for Beginning Students

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This course promotes listening comprehension and provides conversation practice. Students acquire the skills needed to have basic conversations with native speakers of English. Instruction focuses on beginning-level speaking and listening skills appropriate for conversational English.

NCESL 21: English as a Second Language, Level 2

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 6 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This course is designed for students with very little ability in English. It focuses on the speaking and understanding necessary to satisfy routine social demands and limited work requirements. Students in this level learn to comprehend high-frequency words in context, use learned phrases and sentences to communicate needs, and read and write simplified materials.

NCESL 22: English as a Second Language, Level 3

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 6 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

Level 3 ESL focuses on further development of the oral language skills and vocabulary required in day-to-day situations. Additionally, this course assists students to aurally comprehend conversations in routine situations, read and write simplified materials, and have control of basic grammar.

NCESL 23: Reading and Writing for Beginning Level Students

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course focuses on the reading and writing skills beginning-level learners need in order to learn vocabulary and produce simple and compound sentences and basic paragraphs.

NCESL 25: Multilevel Beginning-Intermediate English as a Second Language

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 4.25 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This multilevel beginning-intermediate course focuses on further development of the oral language skills and vocabulary required in day-to-day situations. Additionally, this course assists students to aurally comprehend conversations in routine situations, read and write simplified materials, and have control of basic grammar.

NCESL 29: Listening and Speaking Skills for Multilingual Students

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall or Spring

This course emphasizes the development of listening and speaking skills for successful communication in English through listening to and participating in a variety of communicative activities. It offers instruction and practice in listening and speaking skills to develop students' ability to understand and effectively participate in conversations, discussions, and other interpersonal communication exchanges in academic, work-related, and social contexts. Practical applications include participating in pair and small group discussions, recognizing unique pronunciation and intonation patterns, giving oral presentations, and developing academic note-taking abilities.

NCESL 30: Noncredit ESL Conversation Skills for Intermediate Students

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This course promotes more advanced listening comprehension and conversation practice. Students acquire the skills needed to have conversations beyond basic survival needs with native speakers of English. Instruction focuses on authentic communication practice for home, work, community, and educational needs.

NCESL 31: English as a Second Language, Level 4

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 6 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

Level 4 ESL assists students to expand their listening and speaking skills in face-to-face conversations, read and interpret narrative and descriptive passages on familiar and some unfamiliar topics, and write simple routine correspondence and short paragraphs. Instruction focuses on the refinement of skills needed in conversations beyond students' survival needs. Students begin to monitor themselves on basic grammatical structures.

NCESL 32: English as a Second Language, Level 5

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 6 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

Level 5 ESL focuses on further development of the oral language skills and vocabulary required in day-to-day situations. Additionally, this course assists students to aurally comprehend and participate in routine conversations, read and write simplified materials, and have control of basic grammar.

NCESL 33: Reading and Writing for Intermediate Level Students

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This course focuses on the reading and writing skills intermediate-level learners need in order to do process writing and self/peer editing at the paragraph level.

NCESL 35: Multilevel Intermediate-Advanced English as a Second Language

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 4.25 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This multilevel intermediate-advanced course assists students in gaining skills that enable them to use English to meet social, academic, and vocational demands. The course supports students' language development in the skills areas of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and vocabulary so that students have the ability to comprehend and participate in routine conversations and written correspondence.

NCESL 39: Reading and Vocabulary Development for Multilingual Students

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall or Spring

This course is designed for multilingual students who are making the transition to the use of academic English and who desire the development of reading and vocabulary skills needed for academic and workplace success. Students read a variety of texts and materials from culturally diverse traditions and apply appropriate reading strategies as well as participate in activities to advance vocabulary and facilitate comprehension.

NCESL 40: English as a Second Language, Level 6

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 6 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

Level 6 ESL stresses the refinement and expansion of language skills that enable students to use English to meet social, academic, and vocational demands effectively. Listening skill development focuses on the comprehension of abstract topics in familiar context. Speaking skill development focuses on participation in casual and extended conversations. Reading skills development focuses on reading authentic materials. Writing skill development focuses on the formal development of the writing process.

NCESL 45: English as a Second Language, Level 7

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 6 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

Level 7 ESL prepares noncredit ESL students to enroll in credit academic and/or vocational courses. This course emphasizes fluency and communication by integrating language functions and forms with appropriate information, sources, skills, and topics. The course promotes the continued development of reading and writing skills through the writing process.

NCESL 49: Grammar for Multilingual Students

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall or Spring

This course is designed for students from multilingual backgrounds who are making the transition to the use of academic English and desire the development of grammatical skills for educational and workplace success. This course reviews basic English grammar to support students' communicative needs in speech and writing in both academic and social settings . Topics include parts of speech, clauses, verb forms and tenses, noun usage, mechanics, punctuation, and sentence types.

NCESL 50: English as a Second Language, Learning Lab

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 6 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This course is designed for students at any of the seven levels of noncredit ESL instruction who want to improve their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in small groups or individually based on their assessed proficiency level.

NCESL 53: Advanced Grammar for Writing for Multilingual Students

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course is designed to provide comprehensive instruction and practice of the more complex elements of English grammar and usage in writing. By refining grammatical skills, students express complex ideas and craft engaging, structurally sophisticated sentences in English that meet their specified communicative needs. Completion of this course enhances student writing clarity and confidence in college courses, particularly ENGL 100.

NCESL 55: Introduction to Academic Writing for Students from Multilingual Backgrounds

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3.50 hours, laboratory 1.50 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This course is designed for students from diverse language backgrounds who are making a transition to the use of academic English and who desire the development of writing skills. Building on students' unique personal, linguistic, and cultural experiences, the course emphasizes critical thinking, reading, and writing. It provides practice in gathering, organizing, and communicating information and in applying the principles and conventions of academic writing.

NCESL 57: Introduction to College Composition for Students from Multilingual Backgrounds

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3.50 hours, laboratory 1.50 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This course, designed for students from diverse language backgrounds, offers intensive practice in the writing process, critical reading, and critical thinking. It also provides practice in acquiring, synthesizing, and communicating information and in applying the principles and conventions of analytical writing. The course focuses on the development of analytical writing skills through the lens of the students own heritage, cultural identity, and unique experiences.

NCESL 62A: Workplace English as a Second Language (Intermediate)

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall or Spring

This course prepares students at the low-intermediate to high-intermediate levels of non-credit ESL for a vocational program or career. Through English instruction for employment and academic skills needed to select a career and technical program, students develop English skills for workplace communication and job-search skills for entry-level job positions. This course also emphasizes the cross-cultural skills needed to function effectively in the workplace.

NCESL 62B: Workplace ESL (Advanced)

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 6 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring

This course prepares students for a vocational program by providing instruction in the language and academic skills needed to succeed in selected career and technical programs. This course also emphasizes the acquisition of the language and cross-cultural skills needed to function effectively in the workplace. (Formerly NCESL 62).

NCESL 62C: Bridge to College and Career ESL (Advanced)

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall or Spring

This course builds everyday career skills while supporting professional English language use. Students are given the opportunity to gain confidence through listening, speaking, reading, and writing practice that will bridge them to achieving educational and employment goals. Students in this course are strongly encouraged to attend this Bridge to College and Career ESL course in conjunction with career education courses in order for Bridge to College and Career ESL to support the learning progress and additional needs in career education courses. Students will be given the opportunity to discuss questions, concerns, and needs for review of concepts in their career education classes; as well as learn employability skills applicable to job positions in the community.

NCESL 65: English as a Second Language, Citizenship

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 6 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This course provides intermediate and advanced ESL students with the basic knowledge and information necessary for becoming a United States citizen and a basic understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Students study U.S. history and government, basic geography, and culture to prepare for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services naturalization exam. Students study the process and samples of the required forms to successfully pass the naturalization examination.

NCESL 65A: Citizenship Preparation (Beginner)

Prerequisites: None
Advisory: NCESL 10 or be eligible for NCESL 21.
Lecture 6 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This first of two citizenship courses prepares beginner ESL students for the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) naturalization exam. The course introduces students to the naturalization process and requirements. It focuses on writing simple English sentences, developing fluency in speaking and listening, and producing accurate pronunciation as students study the US system of government and history as well as the rights and responsibilities of US citizenship.

NCESL 65B: Citizenship Preparation (Intermediate - Advanced)

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 6 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This second of two citizenship courses prepares intermediate/advanced ESL students for the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) naturalization exam. Students learn about the naturalization process and requirements, including Form N-400. The course focuses on writing paragraphs with complex sentences, improving English speaking, reading, and writing skills, and understanding the US system of government and history as well as the rights and responsibilities of US citizenship.

NCESL 81: Basic Computers and Digital Literacy (BCDL) for ESL Students (Beginning Level)

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This computer class for beginning students in the Noncredit ESL program covers basic vocabulary related to technology and computers, email, word-processing, and presentation software. Students are exposed to keyboard lessons and activities to increase their accuracy. Students develop language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) through individual, pair, and group work.

NCESL 82: Computers and Digital Literacy (CDL) for ESL Students (Intermediate/Advanced Level)

Prerequisites: None
Lecture 3 hours.
Course Typically Offered: Fall, Spring, and Summer

This computer class for intermediate/advanced students in the Noncredit ESL program covers vocabulary related to technology and computers. It also covers topics such as digital literacy, Internet, email, word-processing, presentation software, and spreadsheets Students develop language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) through individual, pair, and group work.

Campus Locations

MiraCosta Community Learning Center

1831 Mission Avenue
Oceanside, CA 92058
760.795.8710
888.201.8480
View Map

View Campus Map
MiraCosta Oceanside Campus Building

1 Barnard Drive
Oceanside, CA 92056
760.757.2121
888.201.8480
View Map

View Campus Map
MiraCosta San Elijo Campus

3333 Manchester Avenue
Cardiff, CA 92007
760.944.4449
888.201.8480
View Map

View Campus Map
MiraCosta Technology Career Institute Building

2075 Las Palmas Drive
Carlsbad, CA 92011
760.795.6820
888.201.8480
View Map

Visit Career Institute