• Course Introduction

        • Time: 12 hours
        • Free Certificate
        Effective reading and writing skills are important for college and career success. This course is designed for those seeking to improve their Standard American English reading and writing skills in order to move forward with other academic courses. ESL001 coursework addresses grammar concepts, expanding your vocabulary, reading actively, and basic writing strategies.

        In Unit 1, you will learn about the eight parts of speech and when each is used. You will learn how to recognize each part of speech and why using them appropriately improves your communication skills. In Units 2 and 3, you will learn how to read actively by using context clues and prediction, and see how reading more can help you expand your vocabulary. Unit 4 focuses on taking those reading skills and using them to help you write. By the end of ESL001, you’ll be able to write a few sentences about your daily routine using the lessons on parts of speech, reading actively, and vocabulary to help you communicate clearly. Successful completion of ESL001 will prepare you for ESL002, where you will continue to strengthen your English reading and writing skills.

        Ready to start this course? First, read the course syllabus. It contains valuable information that will help you succeed. Then, enroll in the course by clicking "Enroll me in this course".

      • How Good Is Your English?

        When you are learning a new language, you should be able to measure your growth and improvement. In this section, you will complete activities that demonstrate your knowledge of English so you can measure your success as you complete our series of ESL courses.

      • Unit 1: Understanding What I Read – Parts of Speech

        Unit 1 introduces you to the parts of speech used in Standard American English. In this unit, you will learn how to recognize the different parts of speech, and see when and where they are used. Finally, you will practice identifying the parts of speech and placing them in sentences.

        Completing this unit should take you approximately 4 hours.

      • Unit 2: What is Reading Actively?

        Unit 2 introduces reading actively. You will learn how to use context clues to understand a reading and predict what will come next. Finally, you will use these reading skills to demonstrate your understanding of a short reading.

        One way to build your English skills is to read more. When we read to learn something new we read actively. This means that we think about what we already know, what we still need to know, and what questions we hope the reading will answer. In this unit, you will learn about two different active reading strategies: using context clues and making predictions.

        Completing this unit should take you approximately 2.5 hours.

      • Unit 3: Reading More – Learning More Words

        In unit 3 you will use your active reading skills to learn new words. You will see how reading helps you learn new ways to say things in English. This unit concludes with a WebQuest, where you'll create a vocabulary list of your own by searching for words online.

        Completing this unit should take you approximately 2.5 hours.

      • Unit 4: Reading to Write

        Unit 4 brings together what you learned in units 1 through 3. In this unit you will read short descriptions of people’s daily activities. Then, you will write a few sentences about yourself. Finally, you will review your writing and post it for your classmates’ feedback.

        Completing this unit should take you approximately 3 hours.

      • Course Feedback Survey

        Please take a few minutes to give us feedback about this course. We appreciate your feedback, whether you completed the whole course or even just a few resources. Your feedback will help us make our courses better, and we use your feedback each time we make updates to our courses.

        If you come across any urgent problems, email contact@saylor.org or post in our discussion forum.

      • Certificate Final Exam

        Take this exam if you want to earn a free Course Completion Certificate.

        To receive a free Course Completion Certificate, you will need to earn a grade of 70% or higher on this final exam. Your grade for the exam will be calculated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam on your first try, you can take it again as many times as you want, with a 7-day waiting period between each attempt.

        Once you pass this final exam, you will be awarded a free Course Completion Certificate.