Concurrent ESL in High School Helping Students Prepare for College

Maria Ammar, SLCC associate dean of ESL, works with students.

A pilot program for using concurrent enrollment ESL classes to bridge the gap between high school and college for English language learners is being called a success in its early stages.

Salt Lake Community College ESL Associate Dean Maria Ammar collaborated with administrators, staff and faculty from Granite School District, Itineris High School and Kearns High School, and last year those high schools began offering ESL (English as a Second Language) 1010 and 1020. “We have students in our SLCC ESL program who could have benefitted from concurrent ESL classes,” says Ammar. “I believe the concurrent ESL classes help students to be better prepared to study at SLCC, both academically and emotionally.”

The Utah Department of Workforce Services got the ball rolling with the idea that taking those courses would better prepare English language learner students for taking classes at SLCC. In 2018, the Utah System of Higher Education approved the courses to be offered through SLCC, making it the first higher education institution in the state to have ESL as a concurrent enrollment class. Ammar believes giving high school ESL students opportunities like concurrent ESL classes will let them experience SLCC classes and give them a preview of what studying at SLCC can be for them. “These high school ESL students are exposed to the SLCC experience,” she adds, “which opens their eyes to possibilities of continuing their education, builds their confidence in their academic abilities and educates them on expectations in the college setting.”

Ammar worked with the high schools to develop courses that would mirror those taken at the college. The teachers ensured students were engaged in the classes and that they had the support they needed to succeed. The first round of students passed 1010 last fall. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic moving courses to remote learning, those students also passed 1020 this past spring. A new group of students are signed up for ESL classes this fall, and Ammar says the teachers are more prepared to work with those students, especially having worked with the first group and understanding what challenges they may face.

“What makes concurrent ESL classes work at SLCC is the ESL department having a good relationship with the high schools involved, having open communication with the teachers for the classes and providing support and resources to the teachers and students with the classes,” Ammar says. “The teamwork between the ESL department and high schools helps to make concurrent ESL classes an academic success for the students.”

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