Houston Community College System serves a wide variety of non-native English speakers in different English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) programs. Appropriate placement into one of these programs is based on the educational background, scheduling needs, and goals and objectives of our non-native speakers. This web page explains the Academic ESL (AESL) program, which is part of Developmental Studies at HCCS. In AESL, there are seven courses that are listed in the HCCS catalog under the ENGL prefix: 0320, 0340, 0341, 0343, 0346, 0347, 0349. ENGL 0320 and 0343 are optional courses. Depending on HCCS placement test scores, students take courses in the following required sequence: 0340, 0341, 0346, 0347, and 0349. Upon passing ENGL 0349 with a grade of C or better, non-native speakers have completed the developmental sequence for writing and may be able to take ENGL 1301 if they have also completed the developmental sequence in Guided Studies (GUST) for reading.

AESL Mission Statement

AESL, formerly English for Foreign Speakers, provides non-native speakers of English with instruction designed to improve their English skills in the areas of speaking, listening comprehension, and writing so that they can successfully do college-level work. Because of the academic thrust of this program, most courses emphasize writing and grammar. AESL integrates into its curriculum assignments that parallel core academic writing to prepare students for freshman English (ENGL 1301) and other academic courses. Students in AESL are typically enrolled in other college classes while developing the necessary language skills to earn college degrees or certificates.

The primary purpose of AESL is to prepare students for college degree and certificate programs. The majority of students have finished high school and have studied some English in the native country. Some students have completed high school in the United States. Students must commit to a 16-week (10-week summer) semester in a program with mandatory attendance. AESL students, who range from the intermediate to the pre-university levels, must demonstrate the ability to comprehend and speak some English. The cost per credit hour is determined by the residency status of the student.

The AESL Program:

• serves international students on a visa after fulfilling IEP requirements
• serves permanent U.S. residents, undocumented residents, and citizens
• places students with the HCCS language assessment test, CELSA
• offers 16-week (Fall and Spring) and 10-week (Summer) semesters
• prepares students for academic course work and other college classes
• allows students to take certain other college classes with AESL courses
• has a part-time schedule , 4 or 5 hours per course each week
• gives students non-transferable college credits
• prepares students for ENGL 1301, state-mandated THEA writing, and workplace writing
• registers students with CELSA placement test scores at all HCCS campuses