Noncredit English as a Second Language
21 courses · Las Positas College · 2026-2027 Catalog
Classes: Summer 2026 · Fall 2026
NESL 201 Vocational ESL for Retail 1
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 10 hours lecture
VESL for Retail 1 is a noncredit, short-term certificate of completion designed for high-beginning and intermediate ESL students seeking immediate employment. Students gain knowledge in occupation-specific application and intake processes, terminology and communication skills. Upon completion of VESL for Retail 1, students will be provided the opportunity to interview with our retail partners.
NESL 202 Vocational ESL for Retail 2
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 10 hours lecture
VESL for Retail 2 is a noncredit, short-term certificate of completion designed for high-beginning and intermediate ESL students seeking employment promotions. Students gain knowledge in occupation-specific terminology and communication skills, as well as an understanding of company culture, such as cross training and promotion opportunities.
NESL 203 School Matters 1: Language Skills for Supporting Your Child's Learning
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 8 hours lecture
School Matters 1 will teach English Learners the listening and speaking, reading and writing, and vocabulary skills necessary to help support their child's learning in the K-12 school system. This class focuses specifically on supporting your child in their classroom (for example, language skills for contacting your child's teacher), and supporting your child's learning at home (for example, reading and writing skills for helping your child with homework).
NESL 204 School Matters 2: Language Skills for Your Child's School Community
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 8 hours lecture
School Matters 2 will teach English Learners the listening and speaking, reading and writing, and vocabulary skills necessary to engage with their child’s K-12 school community. This class focuses specifically on language skills for interacting with school administration (for example, speaking skills for engaging office staff about a child’s absence), and interacting with the greater school community (for example, speaking skills for volunteering at your child’s school).
NESL 213 Speaking and Listening Fluency for Academic and Professional Purposes
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 36 hours lecture, 18 hours laboratory
This is an oral communication course that will enable students to develop advanced speaking and listening fluency for academic and professional purposes. ESL 113 will enable students to fluently use linguistic forms accurately, meaningfully and appropriately, emphasizing academic and professional discourse. Students will practice listening and responding to academic lectures and presentations like TED Talks, including note-taking, summarizing, and other forms of critical analysis. Speaking practice will emphasize advanced rhetorical strategies through group discussions, debates, impromptu speeches and oral presentations and cultural norms in academic and professional contexts. It is the fifth and highest level of the ESL Speaking and Listening Fluency Pathway.
NESL 220A Intermediate Grammar for Reading and Writing
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- ESL 130B or NESL 230B, or placement through the ESL assessment process
This is the first semester of a one-year course in intermediate grammar for academic writing and reading designed to enable students to identify, comprehend, and use linguistic forms accurately, meaningfully and appropriately in reading and writing. The course focuses on types of sentences, clauses, and phrases, word order, verb forms, verb tenses, and on the connection between vocabulary and grammar. Students are advised to enroll concurrently in NESL 220A and NESL 221A, and ESL 123 or ESL 126. Students are limited to two enrollments in this course.
NESL 220B High-Intermediate Grammar for Reading and Writing
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- ESL 120A or NESL 220A, or placement through the ESL assessment process
This is the second semester of a one-year course in intermediate grammar for academic writing and reading designed to enable students to use linguistic forms accurately, meaningfully and appropriately in written expression. The course focuses on types of sentences, clauses, phrases, word order, verb forms, verb tenses, and on the connection between vocabulary and grammar. This course also emphasizes analyzing grammar and meaning and detecting and correcting grammatical errors. Students are advised to enroll concurrently in NESL 220B and NESL 221B, and ESL 123 or ESL 126. Students are limited to two enrollments in this course.
NESL 221A Intermediate Reading and Writing
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 108 hours lecture, 18 hours laboratory
- Prerequisite
- NESL 231B or ESL 131B, or placement through ESL assessment process
This is the first semester of a one-year course in intermediate academic writing and reading. Classes will focus on writing sentences, paragraphs and compositions, developing strategies for reading comprehension and flexibility, on interactive reading, and on academic vocabulary development. Students will develop cultural understanding, vocabulary, and fluency through a variety of academic writing and reading tasks. Students are advised to enroll concurrently in NESL 220A and NESL 221A, and ESL 123 or ESL 126. Students are limited to two enrollments in this course.
NESL 221B High-Intermediate Reading and Writing
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 108 hours lecture, 18 hours laboratory
- Prerequisite
- ESL 121A or NESL 221A, or placement through the ESL assessment process
This is the second semester of a one-year course in intermediate academic writing and reading. Classes will focus on writing sentences, paragraphs and compositions, developing strategies for reading comprehension and flexibility, on interactive reading, and academic vocabulary development. Students will develop cultural understanding and fluency through a variety of academic writing and reading tasks. Students are advised to enroll concurrently in NESL 221B and NESL 220B, and ESL 123 or ESL 126. Students are limited to two enrollments in this course.
NESL 223 Intermediate Oral Communication
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 36 hours lecture, 18 hours laboratory
- Prerequisite
- ESL 130B or ESL 131B or ESL 133, or placement through the ESL assessment process
This is an intermediate level oral communication course. This course will enable students to use linguistic forms accurately, meaningfully and appropriately, emphasizing academic listening and speaking skills: listening and speaking in small groups, listening to short lectures on academic topics, learning academic vocabulary and expressions, making presentations on new topics.
NESL 226 Intermediate Pronunciation and Fluency
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 36 hours lecture, 18 hours laboratory
- Prerequisite
- ESL 130B or ESL 131B or ESL 136, or placement through the ESL assessment process
Focused practice on recognizing and producing individual speech sounds, stress patterns, rhythm and intonation patterns, and grammatical signals through activities such as oral presentations, role play, authentic dialogue, and reading presentations.
NESL 230A Beginning Grammar for Reading and Writing
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
This is the first semester of a one-year course in beginning grammar for academic purposes designed to enable students to understand and use English accurately, meaningfully and appropriately. The course focuses on the connection between vocabulary and grammar, simple and compound sentences, phrases, verb forms, and verb tenses, especially simple present, simple past, and present progressive. Students are advised to enroll concurrently in NESL 230A and NESL 231A, and ESL 133 or ESL 136. Students are limited to two enrollments in this course.
NESL 230B High-Beginning Grammar for Reading and Writing
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 54 hours lecture
- Prerequisite
- NESL 230A or ESL 130A, or placement through the ESL assessment process
This is the second semester of a one-year course in beginning grammar for academic purposes designed to enable students to identify and use linguistic forms accurately, meaningfully and appropriately in written expression. The course focuses on simple and compound sentences, word order, verb tenses: simple present, past, and future as well as present and past progressive, verb forms, modals, phrases, and vocabulary development. Students are advised to enroll concurrently in NESL 230B, NESL 231B, and ESL 133 or ESL 136. Students are limited to two enrollments in this course.
NESL 231A Beginning Reading and Writing
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 108 hours lecture, 18 hours laboratory
This is the first semester of a one-year course in beginning academic writing and reading. Classes will focus on writing simple and compound sentences in short paragraphs, on developing strategies for increasing reading comprehension and flexibility, on interactive reading, and on developing academic vocabulary. Students will develop cultural understanding and fluency through a variety of writing and reading tasks. Students are advised to enroll concurrently in NESL 231A and NESL 230A, and ESL 133 or ESL 136. Students are limited to two enrollments in this course.
NESL 231B High-Beginning Reading and Writing
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 108 hours lecture, 18 hours laboratory
- Prerequisite
- ESL 131A or NESL 231A, or placement through the ESL assessment process
This is the second semester of a one-year course in beginning academic writing and reading. Classes will focus on writing simple, compound, and complex sentences in structured paragraphs, on developing strategies for increasing reading comprehension and flexibility, on interactive reading, and on developing academic vocabulary. Students will develop cultural understanding and fluency through a variety of writing and reading tasks. Students are advised to enroll concurrently in NESL 231B and NESL 230B, and ESL 133 or ESL 136. Students are limited to two enrollments in this course.
NESL 233 Beginning Oral Communication
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 36 hours lecture, 18 hours laboratory
This is a beginning oral communication course. This course will enable students to use English accurately, meaningfully and appropriately, emphasizing conversational skills: listening and speaking in small groups, using new grammar structures orally, learning new words and expressions, comprehending and using idiomatic expressions.
NESL 236 Beginning Pronunciation and Fluency
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 36 hours lecture, 18 hours laboratory
Focused practice on recognizing and producing individual speech sounds, stress patterns, rhythm and intonation patterns, and grammatical signals through activities such as oral presentations, role play, authentic dialogue, and presentations. Students will focus on developing listener friendly pronunciation. Course content includes individual as well as group work.
NESL 260 Introduction to Achievement in Community College for ESL Students
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 3 hours laboratory
Introduction to Achievement in Community College is designed to help ESL students identify which resources will help them succeed in ESL classes at LPC. This lab is especially helpful for new students before they begin ESL classes at LPC, and can also benefit continuing students.
NESL 261 Achievement in Community College for ESL Students 1
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 2 hours laboratory
Achievement in Community College 1 for ESL Students is designed to help ESL students persist in LPC ESL classes.
NESL 262 Achievement in Community College for ESL Students 2
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 2 hours laboratory
Achievement in Community College for ESL Students 2 will teach English Language Learners the reading, vocabulary, speaking and listening skills necessary to understand major and degree options in order to create an education plan. Additionally, students will learn about campus clubs to support their personal interests and LPC and/or transfer goals.
NESL 263 Achievement in Community College for ESL Students 3
- Units
- 0
- Hours
- 2 hours laboratory
Achievement in Community College for ESL Students 3 will help students articulate short-term and long-term professional goals. Students will visit the Career Center to learn about student resources. Additionally, students will learn about current and future job opportunities that are relevant to their interests, experience, and future goals.