English as a Second Language

For new and current credit students (ESL 022-192):

contact (with name & student ID):

• Hannah Moeckel-Rieke, Chair: hmoeckel-rieke@norwalk.edu
• Mary Ellen Milvid, Program Assistant: mmilvid@norwalk.edu
• Luke McCarthy: lmccarthy@norwalk.edu

For new students (beginner & basic levels), au pairs, and current non-credit students (levels 10-60 and Circles, TOEFL, and Business ESL), contact (with name & student ID):

• Dan Colon: dcolon@norwalk.edu      (Spanish)
• Colleen Boyd: cboyd@norwalk.edu   (Spanish)
• Luke McCarthy: lmccarthy@norwalk.edu

Welcome to the ESL Division at Norwalk Community College!
Our mission is to enable non-native speakers to become full participants in their communities, and to achieve their educational, professional, and personal goals through our integrated reading/writing and elective English language courses. Our passionate and highly qualified professional faculty work to empower our students by providing them with a solid foundation in critical thinking as well as oral and written communication skills. Our multi-level credit and non-credit programs and personalized advising help students develop skills that improve their work and personal lives and open paths to career certificates, associate and advanced college degrees that allow them to achieve their long term goals and financial stability.

NCC offers a variety of ESL courses to meet the academic, professional, and personal goals of our students, who come from over eighty countries. Courses are scheduled to meet students’ diverse needs, including morning, evenings, and Saturdays. The credit program focuses on writing so that students can succeed in college-level courses. The non-credit program offers courses in reading/writing, listening/speaking and grammar. There are numerous elective courses such as conversation, ESL for business, and TOEFL preparation. Many non-credit students eventually pass into credit ESL and pursue academic coursework.

The Language Lab in East 208 promotes language learning in and out of the classroom. Credit ESL 022, 132, and 142 courses have integrated lab practice focusing on grammar and academic listening. See the lab schedule for the lab’s hours – all students are welcome to study and practice. The lab offers a variety of software, books, films, and English practice.

High-intermediate and advanced ESL courses (ESL 142, 152 and 192) can count as foreign language/humanities electives toward graduation with the following stipulations: Students may apply up to 10 ESL credits toward the degree in General Studies; all other degrees and programs will accept no more than 6 ESL credits. This is only true for courses taken as credit, not courses taken as non-credit.

Students must demonstrate mastery of writing and reading skills before progressing to the next level. After successful completion of the ESL sequence, students progress to Composition (ENG 101). Language and computer labs as well as portfolio assessment may be required in four and six-credit courses.

For more information on the ESL credit program, call 203.857.7093. For more information on the non-credit ESL program, call 203.857.6881.