Program information

Green River College's English as a Second Language program for immigrants and refugees is part of the college's Adult Education Program and is administered in cooperation with the Office of Adult Literacy of the State of Washington. Other opportunities for students in the Adult Education Program include Adult Basic Education (ABE) reading, writing, GEDŽ preparation, and citizenship classes.

The Immigrant/Refugee ESOL program is one of two ESL programs at GRCC. The other is the IESL program for international students who are studying in this country under temporary student (F-1) visas.

The purpose of the ESOL program is to build the basic English skills of students so they can function successfully in their current and future roles as family members, employees, community members, and students in a degreed program. ESOL classes are for a nominal fee ($30.00 per quarter) for immigrants, refugees, and citizens of the United States. The tuition portion of this fee ($25.00) can be waived if a student receives any public assistance.

Our curriculum is built around the standards identified by the State of Washington.  In addition to our six levels of ESOL, students can enhance their skills through classes in technology assisted language learning, grammar, writing, and conversation. Each class we offer is described fully in the official college catalog.

Our program uses a task-based, integrated, communicative approach to instruction. This leads to highly motivated language acquisition focusing around real life applications. It is a flexible yet defined approach which can be adapted to the needs of a given student population.

Our philosophy is one of respect and interest in all cultures, ethnic and racial groups. Our goal is to acculturate our students in the American educational system, and to foster self-directed life-long learners.