English as a Second Language (ESL)
The mission of the English as a Second Language (ESL) Department is to prepare students with adequate listening, speaking, reading, writing, and academic skills to enable them to be successful in everyday situations, vocational settings, and transfer-level classes.
The English as a Second Language (ESL) program at El Camino College has been in existence for over 25 years. During that time, it has served students from almost 100 different countries. The department has a large faculty highly qualified in English along with second language acquisition and linguistics. Many of the instructors are bilingual and have lived abroad.
Apply to El Camino College First
- Make an OpenCCC Account
- Submit an online application for El Camino College
- Complete the English and Mathematics placement survey in MyECC to receive proper placement in English and Mathematics courses. If English is not your first language, you may need to begin with the English as a Second Language (ESL) placement process. You can learn more details about ESL placement options, as per Title 5 §55522.5 (f), by visiting the Warrior Welcome Center.
- Sign up for a Placement Test: Credit ESL or Non- Credit ESL
- Complete New Student Orientation online via CANVAS, or by signing up for a Virtual ESL Orientation
- Apply for Financial Aid (highly recommended)
- Register for Classes: The Warrior Welcome Center can walk you through the registration steps online via Zoom - tinyurl.com/WWCDropin, Phone - 310-660-3405 (please leave a voicemail), or Email - WelcomeCenter@elcamino.edu
Credit vs. Mirrored vs. Non-Credit ESL
At El Camino College (ECC), there are two ESL programs, the CREDIT program, and the NON-CREDIT program. Our goal is to help you reach your educational goal(s). Per state legislation (AB 705), all students have the right to register directly into transfer-level coursework. Colleges such as ECC, utilize multiple measures to place students in ESL courses. Please see the chart below and find out what ESL program is best for you!
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Credit ESL |
Mirrored Courses (Non-Credit) |
Non-Credit ESL |
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Curriculum |
Classes that will count towards a degree or certificate in any of a wide variety of careers. |
Mirrored classes are exact replicas of credit classes; only they are non-credit. Students attend class with credit students and are expected to do the same work. |
Courses focused on helping students communicate in English at home, at work, and in the community. |
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Units per Class |
4 units Summer 2022 Please note: 5 units starting Fall 2022 |
0 |
0 |
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International (F1 Visa) Students |
Please contact the International Student Program regarding the classes you need to take |
DO NOT TAKE |
DO NOT TAKE |
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ECC Courses *Not all classes will be offered every semester |
Listening, Speaking and Pronunciation ESL 51 A – Elementary ESL 51 B – Intermediate ESL 51 C – Advanced
Reading and Vocabulary Building ESL 52 A – Elementary ESL 52 B – Intermediate ESL 52 C – Advanced Writing and Grammar ESL 53 A – Elementary ESL 53 B – Intermediate ESL 53 C – Advanced |
*Only 5 spots per class offered Listening, Speaking and Pronunciation NESL 51 A – Elementary NESL 51 B – Intermediate NESL 51 C – Advanced
Reading and Vocabulary Building NESL 52 A – Elementary NESL 52 B – Intermediate NESL 52 C – Advanced
Writing and Grammar NESL 53 A – Elementary NESL 53 B – Intermediate NESL 53 C – Advanced |
Noncredit ESL NESL 600 NESL 601 NESL 602 NESL 603 NESL 604 NESL 605
ESL for Health Care I & II ESL for Childhood Educators I & II ESL Support for Career and Technical Programs ESL for Math I & II ESL for Medical Terminology ESL for Anatomy and Physiology I & II ESL for Radiological Technology I |
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Placement Test |
After you apply to ECC, you can register to take the Accuplacer test by completing the following form Credit & Mirrored ESL Placement Test
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After you apply to ECC, you can request to take the CASAS exam by completing the following form:
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Cost |
Tuition & Fees |
FREE |
FREE |
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Contact |
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International Students
If you are an international student and want to take ESL classes at the college, you can get information from the International Student Program at (310) 660-3431. International students need a TOEFL score of at least 450. If an international student's TOEFL score is lower than 450, they can take classes at El Camino Language Academy before meeting the 450 TOEFL score requirement.
If you wish to further discuss your ESL placement results and/or challenge an ESL prerequisite, please contact the Dean of Humanities, Scott Kushigemachi, at skushigemachi@elcamino.edu.
Winter 2024 Courses
Spring 2024 Courses
Questions?
If you have any questions, please contact the Warrior Welcome Center at WelcomeCenter@elcamino.edu to help you get started!
Survey
El Camino College offers a variety of free ESL classes that prepare students for specific academic subjects and careers. Please complete the following survey to let us know which of these courses you are interested in taking.