Abstract

English learners (ELs) across the United States have aspirations to continue their education and pursue careers in the English language. Because community colleges are educational institutions that not only generally provide open enrollment but are also more accessible and affordable than universities, they are a feasible option for many ELs. Community colleges often have an English as a Second Language (ESL) program available to ELs to help them reach the proficiency needed to study in the English language. This study explores how these programs are structured, who is administering and teaching in these programs, and if these programs track their students' academic success. Thirty- five different community colleges from 8 states in the U.S. participated in this study by answering 10 survey questions. The present study reports on the descriptive data gathered from these questions and then compares the results to observations from the previous literature on community college ESL programs. This study reports on data pertaining to topics of program type, funding, credit vs. non-credit bearing programs, teacher and administrator credentials, part-time vs. full-time positions, difficulty of hiring qualified employees, student enrollment, and tracking student academic success. This data contributes and inspires further conversations about community college ESL programs and areas of improvement.

Degree

College and Department

Humanities; Linguistics

Rights

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