Course Descriptions
Beginning Literacy ELL
This course is designed to build upon emerging English listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills at the beginning literacy level. The instruction will include the development of basic literacy skills and communication for everyday living, which will help Guests progress towards their personal, academic, and/or professional goals. Integrated throughout the course will be workplace readiness skills, including critical thinking, diversity awareness, and soft skills.
Enrollment for this course is open to Guests whose CASAS Scale Score Range is **180 and below**.
Beginning Literacy Course of Study.
Beginning ELL
The focus of this class is to develop basic speaking, reading, writing and listening skills in English. This will be accomplished through oral and written exercises, life skills activities, conversation, and the use of multimedia sources, so students gain confidence and acquire skills needed for everyday life in the United States.
Enrollment for this course is open to Guests whose CASAS Scale Score Range is **181 - 190**.
Beginning ELL Course of Study.
High Beginning ELL
This course provides practice in everyday conversations about essential life skills through basic lessons in vocabulary, grammar, reading/writing, listening/speaking and pronunciation. It enables students to acquire functional English communication skills that are required for entry-level jobs and everyday life in the U.S.
Enrollment for this course is open to Guests whose CASAS Scale Score Range is **191 - 200**.
High Beginning ELL Course of Study.
Intermediate ELL
The focus of this class is instruction in English grammar and reading and are designed for adults who have good speaking skills, but who may need help with reading and writing in English. This course aims to improve students’ English grammar, pronunciation, conversation, life skills, reading and writing, while learning about the culture within the United States.
Enrollment for this course is open to Guests whose Scale Score Range is **201 - 210 (Low Intermediate)** or **211 - 220 (High Intermediate)**.
Intermediate Low Course of Study.
Intermediate High Course of Study.
Advanced ELL
This is a non-credit, open-enrollment course that is designed for students who have some advanced English language skills. This course aims to develop students’ proficiency levels in all four domains of the English language (reading, writing, speaking and listening) in order to efficiently communicate in everyday situations. It is also meant to support students in the development of critical thinking skills. The use of technology will also be integrated.
Enrollment for this course is open to Guests whose CASAS Scale Score Range is **221 - 235**.
Citizenship
Let Acalanes Adult Education help you in the process of becoming a United States citizen. This class is designed to assist students with both their understanding of English and the knowledge required to pass the Department of Homeland Security citizenship test. The class covers U.S. History and the federal, state, and local government. Sample tests will be available for students to practice. Guests need to be registered in an Acalanes Adult Education ELL course. **Competency in English at the Intermediate Low level is highly recommended**.
Guests interested in our Citizenship program must register for our ELL Orientation/Testing session in order to register for Citizenship.
In addition to our ELL Citizenship course, we also offer ELL Citizenship US History Focus where guests will be enrolled in an additional ELL Citizenship class, where the focus will be on US History, as well as further instruction on listening comprehension and speaking.
ELL Computer Basics
The ELL Computer Basics course will meet the needs of adult learners to learn basic computer skills. Students will be introduced to learning basic techniques of computer usage from topics on how to start up the computer, operate a keyboard and mouse. Lessons will also cover: the use of the Windows operating system; Microsoft Word including how to create, edit, and save documents; Google Drive; Internet search tips; how to send emails and attachments; and so much more.
ELL Conversation
This class is for Intermediate and Advanced Guests. Guests will engage in a variety of formal and informal speaking activities, such as small or whole group discussions, individual or group presentations, informal debates, among others. The focus will be on speaking fluency, as well as using specific grammatical structures, incorporating vocabulary, or utilizing the structure of formal presentation.
Listening, Pronunciation, and Speaking
This class is designed to help Intermediate and Advanced Guests master the aural/oral skills necessary to navigate daily life at school and work in the United States, employing the linguistic features specific to American English - letter/sound correspondence, syllable and sentence stress patterns, intonation - pitch, length, clarity of vowels, voicing, linking, emphasis patterns, thought groups, idiomatic usage, and more.