Courses

ESL Core Courses

ESL Core Courses provide instruction in academic reading, writing, and critical thinking. In addition, each course is supported by vocabulary and grammar concepts relevant to each level. Students who complete the ESL Core Course Sequence are more successful in transfer-level English (ENGL 100 F, ENGL 101 F, or ENGL 110F), which is a required course for Associate Degrees or transfer to a 4-year university.

After applying to Fullerton College, NEW STUDENTS must take the ESL Guided Self-Placement Survey and meet with a college counselor to help identify the appropriate ESL core course level for your placement.

A graphic showing the ESL course sequence at Fullerton College

ENGL 110 F: Enhanced College Writing for Non-Native Speakers (5 units)

ENGL 110 F develops advanced reading, writing, and critical thinking skills necessary for academic success. The focus is on expository and argumentative writing, research, and documentation skills with additional language instruction to empower non-native speakers to write with increasing clarity and style. This course meets the same general education requirements as ENGL 100 F and ENGL 101 F. It satisfies IGETC 1A, CSU GE A2, and Associate Degree GE A1. 

In this class, you will:

  • Write thesis-driven expository essays from 4 to 5 pages based on ideas from class readings and discussions,
  • Survey a variety of texts for their content and rhetorical strategies, particularly purpose, tone, intended audience, and methods of support,
  • Identify the rhetorical function for a particular writing task and employ relevant vocabulary and grammatical choices to create voice, style, clarity, and power in writing,
  • Evaluate, compare, organize, and synthesize ideas from various sources, such as periodicals, books, websites, and academic journals to expand and support points in an essay without plagiarizing.

    Recommended Support Courses:

    • ESL 45 F – Advanced English Grammar
    • ESL 48 F – Intermediate American English Pronunciation
    • ESL 49 F – Advanced Academic Vocabulary for Non-Native Speakers
    • ESL 56 F – Advanced Conversation: Academic Topics
    • ESL 58 F – Advanced American English Pronunciation

    ESL 190 F: Advanced Accelerated English (5 units)

    ESL 190 F is for advanced English learners. It provides instruction in college level reading, essay writing, basic research skills and a review of English grammar and editing.

    In this class, you will:

    • Write academic essays and research papers from 2 to 4 pages,
    • Respond to author’s opinions with critical thinking and analysis,
    • Research academic topics by using databases, evaluate sources, and use MLA format,
    • Utilize summarizing, quoting, and paraphrasing of outside sources to support research papers,
    • Proofread and edit writing to correct disruptive English grammar, usage, and punctuation errors that interfere with meaning.

    Recommended Support Courses:

    • ESL 45 F – Advanced English Grammar
    • ESL 48 F – Intermediate American English Pronunciation
    • ESL 49 F – Advanced Academic Vocabulary for Non-Native Speakers
    • ESL 56 F – Advanced Conversation: Academic Topics
    • ESL 58 F – Advanced American English Pronunciation

    ESL 184 F: Low Advanced Academic English (5 units)

    ESL 184 F is for low-advanced English learners. It provides instruction in academic reading, short essay writing, critical thinking, and advanced grammatical concepts.

    In this class, you will:

    • Read academic articles, identify main and supporting ideas, and make inferences,
    • Write summaries of news and academic articles,
    • Write clear and organized essays of 1½ – 2 pages on various academic topics,
    • Write stronger sentences by using infinitives, gerunds, passive voice, adjective clauses, adverb clauses, and transition words effectively.

    Recommended Support Courses:

    • ESL 35 F – Intermediate English Grammar
    • ESL 45 F – Advanced English Grammar
    • ESL 46 F – Intermediate Conversation
    • ESL 48 F – Intermediate American English Pronunciation
    • ESL 49 F – Advanced Academic Vocabulary

    ESL 83 F: High-Intermediate Reading and Writing (5 units)

    ESL 83 F is for high-intermediate English learners who will work on academic reading, paragraph writing, grammar, and vocabulary. It offers continuing practice in listening and speaking.

    In this class, you will:

    • Improve reading skills and identify main ideas and supporting information in readings at the intermediate level,
    • Write well-organized, well-developed 1-page paragraphs,
    • Learn and use a variety of verb tenses, modal verbs, and connecting words,
    • Communicate and share ideas in written and spoken English.

    Recommended Support Courses:

    • ESL 29 F – Idiomatic Expressions for Students of ESL
    • ESL 35 F – Intermediate English Grammar
    • ESL 38 F – Fundamentals in American English Pronunciation
    • ESL 39 F – Vocabulary Expansion Techniques: Students of ESL
    • ESL 46 F – Intermediate Conversation

    ESL 82 F: Intermediate Reading and Writing (5 units)

    ESL 82 F is for low-intermediate and intermediate English learners who will work on oral communication, basic grammar, reading, sentence and paragraph writing, and vocabulary development.

     In this class, you will:

    • Read short articles on academic topics and learn new vocabulary,
    • Write well-organized paragraphs of 8 – 12 sentences,
    • Use simple present and past tenses and continuous tenses in statements and questions,
    • Use punctuation, capitalization, and spelling correctly,
    • Practice listening and speaking skills through discussions, group activities, and presentations.

    Recommended Support Courses:

    • ESL 10 F – Basic College Technology for Language Development
    • ESL 25 F – Basic English Grammar
    • ESL 29 F – Idiomatic Expressions for Students of ESL
    • ESL 36 F – Basic Listening and Speaking
    • ESL 38 F – Fundamentals in American English Pronunciation

    ESL Support Courses

    ESL Support Courses are designed to provide focused instruction in specific aspects of English language learning such as conversation, grammar, pronunciation, reading, and vocabulary.

    Couse offerings vary by semester.

     

    • ESL 36 F – Basic Listening and Speaking (3 units)
      This course will help beginning English speakers understand and participate in conversations in English. The focus will be on review and practice of common conversational and academic situations on a basic level. Recommended for students in ESL 82 F and ESL 83 F.
    • ESL 46 F – Intermediate Conversation (2 units)
      Designed for students at an intermediate level, this course will improve conversational speaking and listening skills on a variety of everyday topics. Suitable for students with an intermediate skill level. Recommended for students in ESL 83 F and ESL 184 F.
    • ESL 56 F – Advanced Conversation: Academic Topics (2 units)
      This course is designed to practice and improve conversation, class discussion, and presentation skills for advanced ESL students. Topics will focus on current events and issues common to the academic setting. Recommended for students in ESL 184 F, ESL 190 F, and ENGL 110 F.
    • ESL 25 F – Basic English Grammar (3 units)
      This course is designed for beginning ESL students who need a basic introduction to English grammar and is designed to increase students’ knowledge and usage of verb tenses, sentence structure, and other basic grammatical topics. It will develop grammatical accuracy in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Recommended for students in ESL 82 F and ESL 83 F.
    • ESL 35 F – Intermediate English Grammar (3 units)
      This course is designed for intermediate ESL students who need to strengthen their grammatical skills in reading and writing. Recommended for students in ESL 83 F and ESL 184 F.
    • ESL 45 F – Advanced English Grammar (3 units)
      This course is designed for advanced ESL students who need to refine their grammar in written communication. Recommended for students in ESL 184 F, ESL 190 F, and ENGL 110 F.
    • ESL 38 F – Fundamentals of American English Pronunciation (2 units)
      This course is for ESL students at a beginning level of oral expression and pronunciation. It provides instruction in developing basic pronunciation. Recommended for students in ESL 82 F and ESL 83 F.
    • ESL 48 F – Intermediate American English Pronunciation (2 units)
      This course is for ESL students at an intermediate level of oral expression and pronunciation. It provides instruction in developing language fluency and style. Recommended for students in ESL 83 F and ESL 184 F.
    • ESL 58 F – Advanced American English Pronunciation (2 units)
      This course is for ESL students at an advanced level of oral expression and pronunciation. It provides instruction in refining pronunciation skills in order to reduce foreign accent. Recommended for students in ESL 184 F, ESL 190 F, and ENGL 110 F.
    • ESL 29 F – Idiomatic Expressions for Students of ESL (2 units)
      This course provides instruction in idiomatic expressions and slang for high beginning to intermediate ESL students. Recommended for students in ESL 82 F and ESL 83 F.
    • ESL 39 F – Vocabulary Expansion Techniques: Students of ESL (3 units)
      This course will present principles and techniques of vocabulary expansion for high beginning to intermediate ESL students. Recommended for students in ESL 83 F and ESL 184 F.
    • ESL 49 F – Advanced Academic Vocabulary for Non-Native Speakers (3 units)
      This course is designed for advanced ESL students who wish to expand their academic vocabulary in preparation for transfer to a university. Recommended for students in ESL 184 F, ESL 190 F, and ENGL 110 F.
    • ESL 10 F – Basic College Technology for Language Development (1 unit)
      In this course students will learn to use technology for college success and at the same time expand their vocabulary and English communication skills. Students will explore a variety of websites, platforms, and applications used for language learning. This course is recommended for high-beginning to intermediate English learners. Recommended for students in ESL 82 F and ESL 83 F.

    The Skills Center

    The ESL Lab at the Fullerton College Skills Center (Room 801) provides materials to help ESL students develop English skills and strategies in listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary.

    ESL Core Courses 82, 83, 184, and 190 require one hour of lab attendance every week of the semester.

    The Skills Center