# English as a Second Language (ESL) courses Antelope Valley College · 2026-2027 Catalog · 16 courses Source: https://avc.elumenapp.com/catalog/2026-27/department/english-as-a-second-language "Offered" lists sections in this catalog year's class schedules: Fall 2026, Winter 2027, Spring 2027. ### ESL 015CE — Civics - **Units:** 0 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours, 54 contact hours total - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/fall-2026/esl.md); Spring 2027, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/spring-2027/esl.md) - Repeatable an unlimited number of times Intended for beginning high to intermediate low English Language Learners. Designed to introduce students to the United States naturalization process, and instruction in United States history, and government. Students will be able to identify the basic naturalization interview skills necessary to become a citizen and communicate in standard American English in academic, professional and life skills situations. ### ESL 918 — ESL Reading and Writing 1 - **Units:** 0 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours, 54 contact hours total - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/fall-2026/esl.md); Spring 2027, 2 sections (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/spring-2027/esl.md) - Repeatable an unlimited number of times This introductory level reading and writing course is designed for students whose first language is not English. Emphasis is on the development of literal reading skills. Focus is also on building students' written vocabulary and grammar. Students are expected to be literate and have proficiency in simple everyday English skills and vocabulary before entering this course. NOTE: No grade will be given for this class; student will receive "pass" or "no pass" only. ### ESL 919 — ESL Skills Building 1 - **Units:** 0 - **Hours:** 90 lecture hours, 90 contact hours total - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 2 sections (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/fall-2026/esl.md); Spring 2027, 2 sections (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/spring-2027/esl.md) - Repeatable an unlimited number of times This is an introductory level integrated skills course for non-native speakers of English. Concentration is on both oral and written abilities as students develop and improve their reading, writing, listening, speaking, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation skills in the English language. This class provides students with an opportunity to learn, practice, and improve their English language skills through drills, communicative group, and pair work, practice activities, theme-based learning, lecture, and project work. Students are expected to be literate and have proficiency in simple everyday English skills and vocabulary before entering this course. NOTE: No grade will be given for this class; student will receive "pass" or "no pass" only. ### ESL 920 — ESL Vocabulary and Pronunciation 2 - **Units:** 0 - **Hours:** 72 lecture hours, 72 contact hours total - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/fall-2026/esl.md); Spring 2027, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/spring-2027/esl.md) - Repeatable an unlimited number of times This basic pronunciation and vocabulary course is designed to help the non-native speaker of English recognize and produce the unique segmental (consonant and vowel) and suprasegmental (stress, linking, reductions, and intonation) features of American-English and build basic vocabulary skills. Strategies for self-monitoring pronunciation and becoming self-sufficient in acquiring high-frequency vocabulary items are also taught. NOTE: No grade will be given for this class; student will receive "pass" or "no pass" only. ### ESL 923 — ESL Grammar 2 - **Units:** 0 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours, 54 contact hours total - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 2 sections (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/fall-2026/esl.md); Spring 2027, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/spring-2027/esl.md) - Repeatable an unlimited number of times This is a basic grammar skills course designed for non-native speakers of English. Students are introduced to and practice basic verb tenses and aspects, as well as other basic level grammatical structures (e.g., question forms, count/non-count nouns, prepositions, adjectives, adverbs, imperatives, modals). This class concentrates on teaching basic grammar through lecture, drills, communicative activities, and practice exercises. Students apply the new structures in oral and written expression through oral drills and a series of guided writing and editing activities. NOTE: No grade will be given for course; student will receive “pass” or “no pass” only. ### ESL 928 — ESL Reading and Writing 2 - **Units:** 0 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours, 54 contact hours total - **Advisory:** Completion of ESL 918 or Eligibility for ESL 928. - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/fall-2026/esl.md); Spring 2027, 2 sections (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/spring-2027/esl.md) - Repeatable an unlimited number of times This basic level reading and writing course is designed for students whose first language is not English. Emphasis is on the development of literal and inferential reading skills. Focus is also on building students' writing including extensive practice at the sentence level and up to the paragraph level with attention given to simple, compound, and complex sentences in the past, present, and future tenses. NOTE: No grade will be given for this class; student will receive "pass" or "no pass" only. ### ESL 930 — ESL Vocabulary and Pronunciation 3 - **Units:** 0 - **Hours:** 72 lecture hours, 72 contact hours total - **Advisory:** Completion of ESL 920 or readiness for ESL 930 This low-intermediate pronunciation and vocabulary course is designed to help the non-native speaker of English recognize and produce the unique segmental (consonant and vowel) and suprasegmental (stress, linking, reductions, and intonation) features of American-English and build basic vocabulary skills. - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/fall-2026/esl.md); Spring 2027, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/spring-2027/esl.md) - Repeatable an unlimited number of times Strategies for self-monitoring pronunciation and becoming self-sufficient in acquiring high-frequency vocabulary items are also taught. NOTE: No grade will be given for this class; student will receive "pass" or "no pass" only. ### ESL 933 — ESL Grammar 3 - **Units:** 0 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours, 54 contact hours total - **Advisory:** Completion of ESL 923 or readiness for ESL 933 This is a low-intermediate grammar skills course designed for non-native speakers of English. - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/fall-2026/esl.md); Spring 2027, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/spring-2027/esl.md) - Repeatable an unlimited number of times Students learn low-intermediate grammar (e.g., verb tense & aspect, pronouns, modals, adjectives & adverbs, gerunds & infinitives, articles) through lecture, drills, communicative activities, and practice exercises. Students apply the new structures in oral and written expression through oral drills and a series of guided writing and editing activities. Students entering this course should have already mastered the basic verb tense and aspect forms. Note: No grade will be given for this class; student will receive "pass" or "no pass" only. ### ESL 938 — ESL Reading and Writing 3 - **Units:** 0 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours, 54 contact hours total - **Advisory:** completion of ESL 928 or readiness for ESL 938 This low-intermediate reading and writing course is designed for students whose first language is not English. - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/fall-2026/esl.md); Spring 2027, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/spring-2027/esl.md) - Repeatable an unlimited number of times Emphasis is on the development of inferential reading skills and identifying the writer's point of view and style or writing. Focus is also on building students' writing including extensive practice at the paragraph level and up to the essay level with attention given to writing in a variety of styles. NOTE: No grade will be given for this class; student will receive "pass" or "no pass" only. ### ESL 940 — ESL Vocabulary and Pronunciation 4 - **Units:** 0 - **Hours:** 72 lecture hours, 72 contact hours total - **Advisory:** completion of ESL 930 or readiness for ESL 940 This high-intermediate pronunciation and vocabulary course is designed to help the non-native speaker of English to better recognize and produce segmentals (consonants and vowels) with special attention given to the suprasegmental features (stress, linking, reductions, and intonation) of American-English. - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/fall-2026/esl.md) - Repeatable an unlimited number of times Focus is also on academic and idiomatic vocabulary building skills. Strategies for self-monitoring pronunciation and becoming self-sufficient in acquiring high-frequency vocabulary items are also taught. NOTE: No grade will be given for this course; student will receive "pass" or "no pass" only. ### ESL 943 — ESL Grammar 4 - **Units:** 0 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours, 54 contact hours total - **Advisory:** completion of ESL 933 or readiness for ESL 943 This is a high-intermediate grammar skills course designed for non-native speakers of English. - **Offered:** Spring 2027, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/spring-2027/esl.md) - Repeatable an unlimited number of times Students review and practice structures learned in intermediate level grammar and are introduced to more complex structures (e.g., Verb Tense & Aspect, Negative & Tag Questions, Phrasal Verbs, Adjective Clauses, Past Modals, the Passive Voice, Conditionals, Indirect Speech, & Embedded Questions). This class concentrates on teaching students a higher level of grammar through lecture, drills, communicative activities, and practice exercises. Students apply the new structures in oral and written expression through oral drills and a series of guided writing and editing activities. Students entering this course should have already mastered most of the verb tense and aspect forms. This course prepares students for advanced level ESL composition. NOTE: No grade will be given for this course; student will receive "pass" or "no pass" only. ### ESL 948 — ESL Reading and Writing 4 - **Units:** 0 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours, 54 contact hours total - **Advisory:** completion of ESL 938 or readiness for ESL 948 This high-intermediate reading and writing course is designed for students whose first language is not English. - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/fall-2026/esl.md); Spring 2027, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/spring-2027/esl.md) - Repeatable an unlimited number of times Emphasis is on the development of reading skills for improving reading rate and comprehension in academic texts of varying styles. Focus is also on building students' writing including extensive practice at the paragraph level and up to the essay level with attention given to the structure, vocabulary, and sentence grammar in essays. NOTE: No grade will be given for this course; student will receive "pass" or "no pass" only. ### ESL 950 — ESL Vocabulary and Pronunciation 5 - **Units:** 0 - **Hours:** 72 lecture hours, 72 contact hours total - **Advisory:** Completion of ESL 940 or readiness for ESL 950. - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026, Winter 2027, Spring 2027 schedules - This noncredit course is not applicable to the associate degree, but it is applicable to the Advanced ESL Certificate - Repeatable an unlimited number of times This advanced pronunciation and vocabulary course is designed to help the non-native speaker of English review and address individual areas of weaknesses in the recognition and production of segmentals (consonants and vowels), including suprasegmental features (stress, linking, reductions, and intonation) in American-English. Focus is also on college academic and contemporary idiomatic vocabulary building skills. Strategies for self-monitoring pronunciation with the goal of individualized accent reduction, as well as becoming self-sufficient in acquiring high-frequency college-level vocabulary items are also included. Skills for meaningful engagement in critical thinking within academic conversations and the effective creation and delivery of academic speeches are also highlighted in this course. NOTE: No grade will be given for this course; student will receive “pass” or “no pass” only. ### ESL 953 — ESL Grammar 5 - **Units:** 0 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours, 54 contact hours total - **Advisory:** Completion of ESL 943. - **Offered:** Spring 2027, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/spring-2027/esl.md) - This noncredit course is not applicable to the associate degree, but it is applicable to the Advanced ESL Certificate - Repeatable an unlimited number of times This is an advanced grammar skills course designed for non-native speakers of English. Students review and practice structures learned in high-intermediate level grammar and are introduced to more advanced structures (e.g., Verb Tense, Aspect, and Voice; Active and Passive Modals; Articles; Prepositions; Connectors; Independent Clauses; Adverb Clauses and Phrases; Noun Clauses and Phrases; Adjective Clauses and Phrases; Gerunds; Infinitives; and Participles). This class concentrates on teaching students an advanced level of grammar through lecture, drills, communicative activities, and practice exercises. Students apply the new structures in oral and written expression through oral drills and a series of guided writing and editing activities. Students entering this course should have already mastered most of the verb tense, aspect, and voice forms, as well as most phrase and clause structures. This course prepares students for college composition. NOTE: No grade will be given for this course; student will receive “pass” or “no pass” only. ### ESL 958 — ESL Reading and Writing 5 - **Units:** 0 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours, 54 contact hours total - **Advisory:** Completion of ESL 948. - **Offered:** Fall 2026, 1 section (/c/antelope-valley-college/schedule/fall-2026/esl.md) - This noncredit course is not applicable to the associate degree, but it is applicable to the Advanced ESL Certificate - Repeatable an unlimited number of times This advanced reading and writing course is designed for students whose first language is not English. Emphasis is on the development of reading skills of fluency, analytical comprehension, and synthesis of ideas in both academic and literary texts. Focus is on building students writing including extensive practice at the essay level with attention given to the structure, styles, sentence grammar, and mechanics used in essays. NOTE: No grade will be given for this course; student will receive "pass" or "no pass" only. ### ESL 960 — VESL Welding - **Units:** 0 - **Hours:** 54 lecture hours, 54 contact hours total - **Offered:** not on the Fall 2026, Winter 2027, Spring 2027 schedules - Repeatable an unlimited number of times The Vocational Welding ESL class helps prepare intermediate to advanced level ESL students for success in welding courses with special emphasis on English skills needed to understand and follow safety procedures, describe tools used in the field, and communicate using industry specific vocabulary in the welding field. Topics include safety instructions and warnings, vocabulary for welding types and tools, understanding and communicating welding symbols, and conversation practice for on-the-job communication.