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English as a Second Language

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English as a Second Language

PPCC's English as a Second Language (ESL) is a semi-intensive language program based at our Centennial Campus in Colorado Springs designed to meet the needs of those individuals who could use assistance with English language learning in order to achieve their academic, workplace, and personal goals.

 

Registering for Spring 2022

We hope you can study with us this springl! ESL will have in-person classes in the classroom.

Please follow these steps to register:

  1. Complete a PPCC Application. You will receive a Student Number.

  2. Take the ESL Placement Test. Testing is on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 8:30am, 11:00am, and 1:30pm, and on Fridays at 9:00am, 11:30am and 2:00pm.  An appointment is required. Please call 719-502-3370 or email testing.center@ppcc.edu to schedule an appointment.

  3. Meet with an ESL Advisor. Please call 719-502-3535 to make an appointment. Be sure to bring your test results to your appointment.

Registration begins November 1. Register as early as possible to get the best schedule. Class sizes are limited. All students will be required to wear a mask on campus. In case classes need to be switched to an on-line format due to COVID-19, students must have access to a computer and Internet at home. If you would like to apply for Financial Aid, please complete the FAFSA by December.

Many of our students receive Financial Aid, If you are not eligible to receive Financial Aid or other assistance in paying for classes, please consider applying for The Open Scholarship.

Who should enroll

  • Are you planning to go to an American college or university?
  • Do you need to improve English skills for the work environment?
  • Are you interested in improving your ability to read, write, and speak English?

Levels of Study

PPCC's ESL program has three levels of study: basic, intermediate, and advanced. Students who place in the basic level take three classes in that level before moving on to intermediate. Students in the intermediate level take three classes before moving on to advanced. There are three classes in the advanced level. We offer classes in grammar, writing, reading, listening/speaking, and pronunciation. Those who complete our advanced level will receive a Certificate of Completion. Many students who finish the ESL program continue at PPCC.

Our ESL sequence chart shows you the required classes for each level of our program and a brief description of each course.

Example Classes I Might Take

Provides listening and speaking activities that help students recognize and produce English vowel and consonant sounds and common stress and intonation patterns.
Reviews basic grammar and introduces intermediate structures. Provides integrated practice through a variety of oral and written exercises.
Provides listening and speaking activities that help the student communicate more competently. Provides practice with pronunciation, vocabulary, and basic grammatical patterns.
Prepares the student for academic reading assignments. Assists the student to read more accurately and critically through the development of vocabulary knowledge and reading skills. Introduces research skills.
Introduces the fundamentals of paragraph organization and development. Assists the student in developing sentence variety and grammatical competency within well-organized paragraphs.

Important Dates

Fall Semester: August 30 - December 16

Registration for Spring Semester begins: November 1

Spring Semester: January 19 - May 10

Register as early as possible to get the best schedule.

Flexible Schedules

We offer both daytime and evening classes in the fall and spring semesters. The classes meet twice a week (either on Mondays and Wednesdays or on Tuesdays and Thursdays) and go for 15 weeks. In the summer semester, basic and intermediate classes are offered. They meet in the daytime four days per week, Monday through Thursday, for 10 weeks. All classes meet at the Centennial Campus at 5675 S. Academy Blvd. Take a look at our current schedule.

Other questions?

Please see our list of Frequently Asked Questions.

Instructors and Advisors
Program Costs
Contact ESL

A few words from our students.

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Recent ESL Graduate

Yanshu Li

"The ESL program helped me prepare for my college classes, and it helped me integrate into American society very quickly. Even if the college classes were difficult for me, I still got a good grade because I have learned a lot of basic English knowledge like grammar, writing skills, and reading. Taking ESL classes is the best way to a beautiful future."

Get started in ESL

Apply to PPCC Request Information

Support to help you succeed

Academic PPCC tutors can work with you to keep on track.
Financial You can find lots of help in paying for college.
Support Accessibility, personal problems, food insecurity- PPCC staff can help.