General ESL

Choose your English language level: A, B, C, or D.

If are not sure, choose the highest level that seems like your level.

Student A: I know no English.

Student A Recommended Class

NESL 901: Noncredit class

A beginning ESL class for people who know no English. Students practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students write: letters, words, and very short sentences. Students read: words and short sentences. At the end of the course, students will be able to:

name items commonly found in the classroom, home, or community.
answer yes/no questions about items in the classroom.

Student B:

I can write like this:

I go to school.
I work every day.
I cook.

I can read and understand almost all of these sentences:

This is my family.
I’m a single mother.
My son is six years old.
We live in San Diego.
I am the manager of a store.

Student B Recommended Class

NESL 902: Noncredit class

A beginning ESL class for people who know a little English. Students practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students write: words and short sentences. Students read: words and sentences. At the end of the course, students will be able to

describe everyday activities.
fill out a basic job application.

Student C:

I can write like this:

Every morning I get up 6:00 am.
I take a shower and brush my teeth.
I prepared my breakfast.
Every day walk to work.
I go to bed 10:30pm.

I can read and understand almost all of these sentences:

Education is important for people’s lives.
People who want a different job often go to college.
They can take classes and learn new things.
In class, they can also meet new friends and have fun.
Going to college can help students in the future.

Student C Recommended Class

NESL 903: Noncredit class

A high-beginning ESL class for people who know some English. Students practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students write: words and sentences. Students read: words, sentences, and short paragraphs. At the end of the course, students will be able to:

describe a thing or a place in 5-7 sentences.
find and copy required information from a chart.

Student D:

I can write like this:

I had a nice weekend. I went to Del Mar. There was a concert named “Kaaboo Del Mar.” Many famous singer came to there to sing from all over the world. I liked the show very much. I like it, I want to go and listen again.

I can read and understand almost all of this paragraph:

Maria decided she wanted to learn English at Palomar College. She didn’t know where to go or what to do to take a class, so she called and made an appointment with someone in the ESL department. When she called, the person who answered the phone was happy to speak with her in English or Spanish. She made an appointment for later that day, and she quickly got ready and went straight to the college. At the college, she needed to fill out information online in order to become a student and register for classes. She felt both nervous and excited at the same time. Was the teacher nice? What things did the students learn in the class? The first day of class was one week away and it was hard to wait.

Student D Recommended Class

NESL 904: Noncredit class

A low-intermediate ESL class for people who can speak, read and write basic English.
Students practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students write: sentences and paragraphs. Students read: words, sentences, and paragraphs. At the end of the course, students will be able to:

write an organized paragraph.
speak clearly on a topic for 2-3 minutes. *Students who pass this class can earn an official Palomar certificate in noncredit ESL.

When you find the right ESL level for you, please call one of our offices for assistance. Contact information