English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

School of Adult & General Education (SAGE)

The School of Adult and General Education (SAGE) provides developmental education English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes. These courses are designed to prepare non-native English speakers for college-level reading, writing, and oral communication demands. ESOL instructors not only address listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, but they also concentrate on developing students’ grammatical and lexical knowledge. Additionally, ESOL teachers help learners explore the aspects of American culture that impact college students.

See Recommended Sequence of Courses

ESOL 0971  and ESOL 0981  serve as prerequisites to other DE (Developmental Education) courses in SAGE and at CNM, and they may be taken in place of IRW 0970  and IRW 0980 , respectively.

Students who start the ESOL sequence of prerequisite courses are not committed to completing the entire series; rather, they have a choice between ESOL and IRW each term.

Cost and Financial Aid

•    ESOL 0971 and ESOL 0981 are financial aid eligible.

Approximate Program Cost

•    Tuition: See table of Tuition and Fees
•    Books: ~$0-$80 per course

Special Requirements

Students entering directly into credit-level ESOL courses (who have never taken an ABE ESL class) must have some knowledge of English before taking ESOL courses.  Students new to CNM who would like to learn basic English language skills should be directed to the ABE office on the first floor of the Student Services Center (SSC).

Students registering for the ESOL Certificate of Completion classes must have an English 1 proficiency.  Students can take the ESOL Certificate of Completion classes in one term or on a part-time basis over several terms.

Career and Educational Opportunities

The School of Adult and General Education values the idea that educational institutions should prepare students for the world we live in. This means students will need to have basic academic language skills as well as the abilities to apply known information to new and “real world” situations, to work effectively on teams, to integrate relevant technologies into their lives, and to communicate effectively.  All of these skills are emphasized in the ESOL classes to prepare students for the workforce.