Neighborhood Center ESOL

About the Program

Category: Human Services (Best in Category)

Year: 2018

Orange County’s Neighborhood Center for Families provides English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes at 3 of its 13 sites. These classes provide language training to facilitate integration into the English-speaking community. The classes aid in the improvement of their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills while also helping them gain overall confidence when using the English language. The NCF sites cater to a very diverse population. At the Union Park and Tangelo Park sites, the largest number of students are Spanish speakers and at the Pine Hills site, students who are of Haitian/Creole decent are in the majority. Still, there are students from various African and European countries sprinkled among classroom participants. ESOL teachers also serve as a cultural bridge for clients, linking a client’s native culture with their new cultural experience in the United States. Entry into an ESOL class is precipitated by a placement test which is designed to provide students and teachers with an initial assessment of the approximate level of a student's knowledge of English grammar and usage. Based on the results, students are placed in the class best suited for their learning needs. Classes operate for a year and students are tested periodically to monitor progress. Students can also enter classes at any time as they are self-paced. Once a level is mastered the student graduates from the level and moves on to the next. Students perfect pronunciation and increase listening comprehension while classes prepare them to function in a multicultural and multilingual society. Moreover, students who have shown significant progress are assisted with securing employment or higher education, if they desire. The outcome is as follows: c) Youth and/or adults participating in the literacy program will improve their individual literacy skills as demonstrated by a CCC approved standardized instrument.