About English as a Second Language

Learn to read, write, and speak in English and be ready to find a job, participate in your community, and/or start a college degree or certificate program.

Do you want to learn English to help you get a job, earn a CCSF degree or certificate, or transfer to a four-year college? Or do you want to improve your English to better communicate at work, home or in the community? Our ESL Programs offer opportunities for every goal!

Find more information, including step-by-step registration help at our CCSF ESL Homepage.

Credit Program Options 

The Credit ESL Program is designed for students with academic goals who wish to complete a two-year degree or vocational certificate at City College or transfer to a four-year college or university. 

The program includes four levels of instruction:

  • ESL 182 Intermediate Academic ESL (6 units)
  • ESL 184 High Intermediate Academic ESL (6 units)
  • ESL 186 ESL Introduction to College Reading and Writing (6 units)
  • ESL 188 ESL College Reading and Writing (6 units)

We also offer degree applicable and CSU transferrable elective courses pertaining to ESL Academic Certificates of Accomplishment.

Grades are given and students earn credit toward an AA/AS degree or transfer to a university.

View Requirements in College Catalog

Required Courses:

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
ESL 79 Advanced Speaking and Pronunciation 3  
ESL 188 ESL College Reading and Writing 6  

Total Units: 9 

Choose a minimum of 3 units from the following elective courses:

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
ESL 66 Advanced Listening and Reading 3  
ESL 67 Practical Writing for ESL Students 3  
ESL 69 Accent Improvement 3  

ESL 85

 Advanced Editing and Grammar Review 3 (or ESL 85A + 85B + 85C)
ESL 95 High Advanced Editing and Grammar Review    

Total Units: 3

Overall Total Units: 12

View Requirements in College Catalog

Required Courses: 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
ESL 142 High Intermediate Listening/Speaking 3  
ESL 79 Advanced Speaking and Pronunciation 3  

Total Units: 6 

Elective Courses (Choose One):

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
ESL 66 Advanced Listening and Reading 3  
ESL 69 Accent Improvement 3  

Total Units: 3

Overall Total Units: 9

View Requirements in College Catalog

Required Courses (Choose one of the following): 

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
ESL 69 Accent Improvement 3  
ESL 79 Advanced Speaking and Pronunciation 3  

Total Units: 3 

Elective Courses (Choose a minimum of 9 units from the following):

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
ESL 66 Advanced Listening and Reading 3  
ESL 67 Accent Improvement 3  
ESL 184 High Intermediate Academic ESL 6  
ESL 186  ESL Introduction to College Reading and Writing 6  
ESL 188 ESL College Reading and Writing 6  

Total Units: 9

Elective Courses (Choose a minimum of 6 units from the following):

Course Number Course Title Units Notes
CDEV 53 Child Growth and Development 3  
CDEV 65 Orientation to ECE Principles and Practice 3  
CDEV 66 Introduction to Early Childhood Curriculum 3  
CDEV 67 Child, Family, and Community 3  

Total Units: 6

Overall Total Units: 18

Noncredit Program Options 

The Noncredit ESL program offers free English classes starting from literacy to advanced ESL. You can also focus on certain skills such as listening, speaking, reading, or writing as you progress through the noncredit program. Noncredit programs are offered at many CCSF locations throughout San Francisco.

Click on the name of the certificate you're interested in earning to see a list of courses to take to complete your goal from start to finish. 

You may contact a campus ESL Program Coordinator for more information. 

View Requirements in College Catalog

Choose one of the following Literacy courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3010 ESL Literacy A (175 hrs) 175  
ESLN 3015 ESL Literacy A 85  
ESLN 3020 ESL Literacy B (175 hrs) 175  
ESLN 4015 ESL Literacy A Abridged 45  

Total Hours: 45 - 175 

Choose one of the  following Beginning Low 1 courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3100 Beginning Low 1 (175 hrs) 175  
ESLN 3105 Beginning Low 1 Abridged 85  

Total Hours: 85 - 175 

Overall Total Hours: 130 - 350

View Requirements in College Catalog

Choose one of the following Beginning Low 1 courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3100 Beginning Low 1 175  
ESLN 3105 Beginning Low 1 Abridged 85  

Total Hours: 85 - 175 

Choose one of the Beginning Low 2 courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3120 ESL Beginning Low 1-2 Multilevel 175  
ESLN 3200 Beginning Low 2 175  
ESLN 3205 Beginning Low 2 Abridged 85  

Total Hours: 85 - 175 

Overall Total Hours: 170 - 350

View Requirements in College Catalog

Choose one of the following core courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3120 ESL Beginning Low 1-2 Multilevel 175  
ESLN 3150  Beginning Low 1-2 Intensive 175  
ESLN 3200 Beginning Low 2 175  
ESLN 3205 Beginning Low 2 Abridged 85  

Total Hours: 85 - 175

Choose one of the following focus skill courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLF 3128  Reading - Beginning Low 85  
ESLF 3129 Writing - Beginning Low 85  
ESLF 5125  Speaking and Listening: Beginning Low 85  

Total Hours: 85

Overall Total Hours: 170 - 260 

View Requirements in College Catalog

Choose one of the following communication skills courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLF 3144 Pronunciation - Beginning 85  
ESLF 4127 Beginning Low Conversation 45  
ESLF 5125 Speaking and Listening: Beginning Low 85  

Total Hours: 45 - 85

Choose one of the following core courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3100 Beginning Low 1 175  
ESLN 3105 Beginning Low 1 Abridged 85  
ESLN 3120 ESL Beginning Low 1-2 Multilevel 175  
ESLN 3200 Beginning Low 2 175  
ESLN 3205 Beginning Low 2 Abridged 85  

Total Hours: 85 - 175

Overall Total Hours: 130 - 260

View Requirements in College Catalog

Choose one of the following Beginning High Level 3 courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3300 Beginning High 3 175  
ESLN 3305 Beginning High 3 Abridged 85  

Total Hours: 85 - 175

Choose one of the following Beginning High 4 or multi-level courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3140 Beginning 1-4 Multilevel 175  
ESLN 3340 Beginning High 3-4 Multilevel 175  
ESLN 3400 Beginning High 4 175  
ESLN 3405 Beginning High 4 Abridged 85  

Total Hours: 85 - 175 

Overall Total Hours: 170 - 350

View Requirements in College Catalog

Choose one of the following core courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3140 Beginning 1-4 Multilevel 175  
ESLN 3400 Beginning High 4 175  
ESLN 3405   Beginning High 4 Abridged 85   
ESLN 3340 Beginning High 3-4 Multilevel 175  
ESLN 3350 Beginning High 3-4 Intensive 175  

Total Hours: 85 - 175 

Choose one of the following high beginning focus skill courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLF 3348 Reading - Beginning High 85   
ESLF 3349 Writing - High Beginning 85   
ESLF 5345 Speaking and Listening - Beginning High 85   

Total Hours: 85  

Overall Total Hours: 170 - 260

View Requirements in College Catalog

Choose one of the following communication skills courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLF 3144 Pronunciation - Beginning 85  
ESLF 4347 Beginning High Conversation 45  
ESLF 5345  Speaking and Listening - Beginning High 85   

Total Hours: 45 - 85 

Choose one of the following core courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3140 Beginning 1-4 Multilevel 175  
ESLN 3300 Beginning High 3 175  
ESLN 3305  Beginning High 3 Abridged 85  
ESLN 3340  Beginning High 3-4 Multilevel 175  
ESLN 3400 Beginning High 4 175  
ESLN 3405  Beginning High 4 Abridged 85  

Total Hours: 85 - 175 

Overall Total Hours: 130 - 260

View Requirements in College Catalog

Required courses

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3150 Beginning Low 1-2 Intensive 175  
ESLN 3350 Beginning High 3-4 Intensive 175  

Total Hours: 350 

View Requirements in College Catalog

Choose one of the following courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLB 3821 Introduction to Computers for ESL-Intermediate 85  
ESLB 4821 Intermediate Introduction to Computers for ESL 45  
ESLV 3829 Computer VESL - High Intermediate 85   

Total Hours: 45 - 85 

Choose one of the following courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLF 3006 Computer Assisted ESL - Intermediate 175  
ESLF 3020 Computer Assisted ESL - Multilevel 85  
ESLF 4002  Computer Assisted ESL - Beginning Low 85  
ESLF 4004  Computer Assisted ESL - Beginning High 85  
ESLF 4006 Intermediate CALL 85  
ESLF 5006 Computer-Assisted ESL Projects 45  

Total Hours: 45 - 175

Overall Total Hours: 90 - 260

View Requirements in College Catalog

Required course:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3500 Intermediate Low 5 175  

Total Hours: 175 

Choose one of the following courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3550 Intermediate Low 5-6 Intensive 175  
ESLN 3560 Intermediate Low 5-6 175  
ESLN 3600 Intermediate Low 6 175  

Total Hours: 175 

Overall Total Hours: 175 - 350

View Requirements in College Catalog

Choose one of the following core courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3550 Intermediate Low 5-6 Intensive 175  
ESLN 3560 Intermediate Low 5-6 175  
ESLN 3600   Intermediate Low 6  175  

Total Hours: 175 

Choose one of the following focus skill courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLF 3568 Reading - Intermediate Low 85  
ESLF 3569  Writing - Low Intermediate 85  
ESLF 5565 Speaking and Listening - Intermediate Low 85  

Total Hours: 85 

Overall Total Hours: 260

View Requirements in College Catalog

Required course:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3700 Intermediate High 7 175  

Total Units: 175

Choose one of the following courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3580 Intermediate 5-8 Multilevel 175  
ESLN 3780  Intermediate High 7/8 Multi-Level 175  
ESLN 3800 Intermediate High 8 175  
ESLA 3180 Introduction to Academic ESL 175  

Total Hours: 175

Overall Total Hours: 350

View Requirements in College Catalog

Choose one of the following core courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3580 Intermediate 5-8 Multilevel 175  
ESLN 3780 Intermediate High 7/8 Multi-Level 175  
ESLN 3800 Intermediate High 8 175   

Total Hours: 175 

Choose one of the following focus skill courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLF 3002 ESL Current Events 85  
ESLF 3584 Pronunciation - Intermediate 85  
ESLF 5785 Speaking and Listening - Intermediate High 85  
ESLF 3788  Reading - Intermediate High 85  
ESLF 3789 Writing - Intermediate High 85  

Total Hours: 85 

Overall Total Hours: 260

View Requirements in College Catalog

Choose one of the following communication skills courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLF 3584 Pronunciation - Intermediate 85  
ESLF 4567 Intermediate Low Conversation 45  
ESLF 4787 Intermediate High Conversation 45  
ESLF 5565 Speaking and Listening - Intermediate Low 85  
ESLF 5785 Speaking and Listening - Intermediate High 85  
ESLV 3819 Social Communication 85  

Total Hours: 45 - 85

Choose one of the following core courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3500 Intermediate Low 5 175  
ESLN 3560 Intermediate Low 5-6 175  
ESLN 3580  Intermediate 5-8 Multilevel 175  
ESLN 3600  Intermediate Low 6 175  

Total Hours: 175 

Overall Total Hours: 220 - 260

View Requirements in College Catalog

Required course:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3900 Advanced Low 9 175  

Total Hours: 175

Choose one of the following courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3580 Intermediate 5-8 Multilevel 175  
ESLN 3780 Intermediate High 7/8 Multi-Level 175  
ESLN 3800 Intermediate High 8 175  
ESLA 3180 Introduction to Academic ESL 175  

Total Hours: 175 

Overall Total Hours: 350

 

View Requirements in College Catalog

Required course:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLA 3180  Introduction to Academic ESL 175

 

      or

ESLA 3165 Introduction to Academic ESL: Listening/Speaking/Reading 85

 

      and

ESLA 3175 Introduction to Academic ESL: Reading/Writing/Grammar 85  

Total Hours: 170 - 175 

Choose one of the following courses:

Course Number Course Title Hours Notes
ESLN 3500 Intermediate Low 5 175  
ESLN 3550 Intermediate Low 5-6 Intensive 175  
ESLN 3560 Intermediate Low 5-6 175  
ESLN 3580 Intermediate 5-8 Multilevel 175  
ESLN 3600 Intermediate Low 6 175  

Total Hours: 175

Overall Total Hours: 345 - 350