COC Classes Give Boost to Students Learning English
| English-learning students at College of the Canyons will have additional opportunities to improve their speaking skills this semester, as the college’s ESL program will begin offering a new supplemental English language instruction course this week. Helping non-native English speakers – both foreign and domestic – grasp the skills necessary to thrive in a collegiate classroom setting, COC’s English as a second language program offers students a number of beginning, intermediate and advanced supplemental instruction style courses to assist students with their educational goals. |  |
With a focus on strengthening the student’s writing, speaking, reading and vocabulary skills, ESL courses are structured to encourage student classroom participation and peer-to-peer communication. Beginning instruction March 6, ESL 083 – an entry-level course focused on reading and vocabulary and speaking skills – will be offered from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays at Golden Valley High School. “That’s actually a fun class,” said ESL department chair Heather Maclean. “They get to do a lot of talking, so students tend to like that.” During a typical class, students begin the session by conducting a group reading or speaking exercise, before breaking off with a partner and then a small group for more language practice, Maclean said. After the initial set of drills, students then gather to discuss new student reading strategies and play vocabulary-building games with each other. “There’s no teacher standing there lecturing,” Maclean said about the class format. “It’s very active, and it’s very student centered. But it’s a very safe and structured environment with teachers who are there to help.” Although class sessions have already started, students interested in enrolling in the course can do so in the COC admissions office, or simply attend a session – where ESL instructors are available to individually assist in the process.
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