Des Moines Area Community College.

Success Center

ESL (English as a Second Language)

ESL Classes
Sarah Thao
ESL Consultant
sethao@dmacc.edu
515-287-8702

Informacion en Español (Click here for Information in Spanish)

ESL Programs are also available on the Urban Campus

Click Here for Non-credit ESL Class Times and Locations

Overview
The DMACC Success Center offers ESL classes to help students increase their use of the English language. Classes are intensive and progressive. Registration is required to participate and a pre-test is given to determine the appropriate placement of the student. Students range in age anywhere from 17-70. Last year, more than 472 different students took ESL classes at the Success Center.

Approximately 65% of those students were Hispanic. Some of the other predominate ethnic groups represented were Bosnian, Sudanese, Laos, Russian and Vietnamese. The center celebrates this diversity by hosting cultural potlucks throughout the year and by displaying over 24 national flags throughout the center.

Schedule
ESL students will find a wide variety of times to take ESL classes to work around their schedules. Classes are offered during the morning, afternoon and evening in four classrooms at the Success Center. Year round instruction includes a fall, spring and an 10-week summer term. Intensive day classes meet everyday of the week for 2 ½ hours. Night classes meet twice a week for 2-hour blocks.

Levels
Levels range from Pre-literacy (Basic Beginning 1) through Advanced English (Level 5). These 7 levels are progressive with pre and post testing done during each term to assess growth and achievement.

Registration
Registration is held on the first two days of the semester. Open registration is available throughout the semester. Students may register at the Success Center every Thursday from 2:30-6:30 pm during each semester. An ESL consultant will sit down with each student and recommend the proper placement of the student in an ESL level based on an assessment given at that time.

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