An ESL instructor works with a student at a computer

Evening Program (Community ESL) Overview

Community ESL Program Structure

The Community English Program (CEP) at Lane Community College offers 6 levels of English as a Second language study that ranges from true beginning through high intermediate proficiency level. These classes combine the language skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. We also offer two levels of literacy classes. All new students will take a placement test and get placed in an appropriate class level.

Classes are held during the evening on Mondays and Wednesdays both online or in-person. Each class session is 2.5 hours, for a total of 5 hours of study each week.

Community ESL Program Course Descriptions

The content of each course courses are divided into three terms (eg. 101, 102, 103), spanning the academic year.  Students may attain proficiency of the level at any point in the three-term sequence and advance to the next level.

Course Number Course Description
Level 001-003 This class focuses on developing basic English language skills.  At the end of the class, students should be able to use English in basic, every day functions and personal interactions, communicate in both written and spoken English to give simple information about self.
Level 101-103 This class focuses on continuing to develop basic English language skills.  At the end of the class, students should be able to use English to have brief, routine conversations with some effort, read very simple and familiar or patterned sentences on familiar subjects and write common words and phrases. 
Level 201-203 This class focuses on continuing to develop basic English language skills.  At the end of the class, students should be able to use English to have brief, routine conversations, read simplified texts, and write simple sentences related to daily needs.
Level 301-303 This class focuses on developing high beginning English language skills. At the end of the class, students should be able to use English to have brief conversations on familiar topics, read short texts with clear organization, tables, graphs, maps and diagrams, and write short paragraphs on familiar and high interest topics.
Level 401-403 This class focuses on developing low intermediate English language skills and on the rights and responsibilities of community membership. Students who complete this level should be able to have fluent conversations on familiar topics, and provide a short narrative.  Students will also be able to understand main ideas, details, and some implied meaning in extended conversations, read a range of increasingly elaborated texts, and write texts to address work and family purposes.
Level 501-503 This class focuses on continued development of intermediate English language skills and on the rights and responsibilities of community membership.  At the end of this level students will be able to have moderate-length conversations with increasing ease and fluency, listen to detailed presentations about simple academic topics, read introductory academic texts, popular literary texts and everyday work and community documents, and write a range of simple and functional and narrative texts for work, community, family, academic, and creative purposes.  
Level 601-603

This class is dedicated to preparing students to access and use resources in the community and at the college to successfully transition to work or college level or workplace training. This may include a variety of teacher-guided and crafted activities. These may include but are not limited to guest speakers, field trips to job sites, Worksource Oregon, training centers and community college departments, appointments with worksource Oregon college advising, participation in occupational interviews and job shadowing, internships,  volunteering, job skills, and career-building workshops and use of digital tools and devices in educational and workplace settings.