ESL Programs at Community Colleges: A Multistate Study of Course Sequences and Content

• In Event: Community College Student Success

Abstract

English Learners (ELs) are a significant presence in US higher education (Kanno & Harklau, 2012), especially in community colleges (Kanno & Cromley, 2015). Nevertheless, community college ELs and ESL program remain under researched. This study examined nine states’ community college course sequences and course offerings by analyzing college catalogs from the 2017-2018 school year. Two hundred ninety-four catalogs were analyzed. Findings include that ESL programs were present in 80% of the sample, ESL course sequence length varied between two to five semesters on average, and the likelihood of courses being skill or content-based depended on the state studied. Furthermore, the study highlights the gap between research recommendations and ESL program implementation, arguing for greater collaboration between researchers, administrators, and faculty.

Author

• Nicholas David, Boston University