Program Will Help Students Develop English Skills Necessary To Succeed In College, Workforce

    Southwestern College today announced a new, state-of-the-art English as a Second Language (ESL) program, designed to help students learn the specific and critical language skills necessary to succeed in an academic setting and the workplace. All levels of the program will be offered for the first time during the College’s fall 2010 semester, which began on Tuesday, August 17.

    “In our constant commitment to student success, we are proud to offer another cutting-edge program to help our community excel in the classroom and the workforce,” Dr. Raj K. Chopra, Superintendent/President of Southwestern College, said. “Our ESL faculty and staff deserve congratulations for their innovation and working so hard to meet our students’ daily needs.”

    The College’s program, called Learning English for Academic Purposes (LEAP) will:

    • Teach students how to communicate and use English for academic tasks;

    • Give students the academic language and study skills necessary to be successful in college-level courses, including scientific and technical disciplines such as biology, psychology and economics; and

    • Give students language skills they can use in their lives and future careers.

    Southwestern College’s long-term goal is to help students succeed in college-level classes rather than continue with basic skills coursework. The curriculum includes core classes, which focus on reading, writing, listening to and speaking academic English; labs, which instruct students in using computer technology; and practicum, which help students develop academic and personal success skills.