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ESL and EAP

Alexander College provides an energized, interactive academic environment for the study of English as an Additional Language (EAL). Students will be able to first build their foundational English language skills, and then progress to developing their academic English language skills.

The EAL program consists of five levels that take the learner from Foundational to Advanced English language competency:

Course Code Description Prerequisite(s)
English 068 English Fundamentals (this course is discontinued from Winter 2025) N/A
English 078 English Beginner (this course is discontinued from Winter 2025) N/A
English 088 English Intermediate Internal Placement Test or other acceptable English test equivalent
English 098 English Academic Preparation: Upper Intermediate ENGL 088 (C or higher)
English 099 English Academic Preparation: Advanced ENGL 098 (C or higher)

ENGL 088: The central goal of this course is to improve one’s ability to communicate. Therefore, the course focuses on all aspects of learning English: improving listening, speaking, grammar, reading, and writing. There is typically a strong focus on vocabulary, idioms, and phrasal verbs.

ENGL 098-099: The last two levels of the AC EAL program are ENGL 098 Upper Intermediate and ENGL 099 Advanced. These courses are designed to improve a student’s English language skills to prepare them for the university and college classroom. Therefore, these courses focus on improving listening, speaking, writing, and reading for the university classroom, specifically research, essay practice, citations and improving note-taking skills. Vocabulary lessons focus more on academic English rather than idioms, slang, and phrasal verbs.

While enrolled in ENGL 099, students may begin taking select undergraduate level courses, as follows:

  • ENGL 099 + up to 2 undergraduate-level courses/term

Alexander College acknowledges that the land on which we usually gather is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work in this territory.

Alexander College acknowledges that the land on which we usually gather is the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. We are grateful to have the opportunity to work in this territory.