Learn About WCP’s English Language Classes and How They Benefit Our Community
According to the Vera Institute of Justice, 12% of the Denver Metro area’s population is comprised of immigrants. That’s about 344,000 community members who could benefit from English language services. Learning English can help people explore career opportunities and is often necessary when receiving healthcare, legal and educational services.
ACC’s Workforce & Community Programs is proud to serve English Language learners in our community. We offer a variety of affordable English Language courses, from ESL to English Conversation, and even a class on Becoming a U.S. Citizen.
Many of our English language students are au pairs who are required to obtain a certain number of hours while in the U.S., and our ESL classes provide them with 42 hours of coursework. Upon successful completion of their course, au pairs are issued a Certificate of Completion that they can present to their agency.
Students in our classes don’t receive grades, therefore the focus of class is truly on learning and improving their English. Our instructors are knowledgeable, professional, and invested in the success of their students. An Intermediate ESL student notes, “I really love this class. The teacher was amazing. I was able to improve my English level a lot thanks to her. She always clarified my doubts.”
Aside from being helpful, our instructors are passionate about what they do and go beyond helping students in the classroom. WCP instructor Victoria Martysh has taught at ACC for 27 years and has witnessed many students in her Becoming a U.S. Citizen class gain citizenship through naturalization. Victoria is often present at her students’ citizenship ceremonies.
Intermediate ESL Instructor Michelle Fuller says, “I absolutely love teaching English Language Learners! It is so inspiring to watch them move from shy individuals on the first night of class to a supportive community full of laughter by the end.”
Because our English language classes don’t overlap, many of our students enroll in several English classes at once, allowing them to learn English four nights a week. With classes offered in the evenings, students are able to work during the day and study English at night.
WCP offers English language classes year-round, with our next round of classes starting in May.
Learn more about each class below:
ESL: We offer a progression of ESL courses. Whether you are someone who speaks little to no English or are looking to improve your English reading and writing skills, we have a class for you. ESL classes meet two hours twice a week, for a total of 21 classes. On the first day of ESL classes, students take a placement test, and are placed in the appropriate class based on test results.
English Conversation: While our ESL classes often have 20 students, our English Conversation class tends to have 6-10 students, which gives students a chance to practice speaking English in an intimate setting through conversations, role playing, and fun and engaging games. No book is required for this class.
Becoming a U.S. Citizen: This is a class that prepares students for their citizenship interview and gives them step-by-step instructions on completing their citizenship application. Students learn the fundamentals of U.S. civics and history.
