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ESOL Frequently Asked Questions

The Adult ESOL Program provides basic English language and life skills instruction to Montgomery County residents whose native language is not English. 

Registration Instructions:

  1. You must live in Montgomery County to register for classes.
  2. The Adult ESOL & Literacy Grant Program (AELG) is unable to provide services to F-1 and J-1 Visa holders. Please visit ESOL FAQs listed below for more details.
  3. Students must be 18 years of age or older at the time of registration.
  4. Students 18 years of age must provide official documentation of school withdrawal.
  5. All new students must register in person.
  6. You may register at one of the centers listed below.
  7. For safety and security reasons, do not bring children to testing, registration, or class.
  8. If there is no room in the class for you, we will put your name on a waiting list for another class.
  9. At registration new students will be tested for their skill level, and assigned to the appropriate class level. Beginning ESOL, ESOL Literacy, and Intermediate ESOL class levels are free.
  10. Students in Advanced ESOL level classes must pay tuition.

Adult ESOL Registration and Testing FAQs

Students must be 18 years of age or older at the time of registration. Students 18 years of age must provide official documentation of school withdrawal.
F-1 Visa students are prohibited from attending public elementary or publicly-funded education programs. Publicly funded adult education is defined as: "Education, training or English as a second language programs operated by, through, or for a local public school district, system, agency or authority, regardless of whether such a program charges fees or tuition." Programs under this definition cannot accept students in F-1 status, even if tuition is charged.
J-1 Visa students are required to speak and understand English and have a secondary school education. We do not serve foreign J-1 Visa students who meet these two requirements. We also do not issue academic credit as required for a J-1 Visa.
Go to the location where you want to attend classes on the registration date. Registration will start at the listed time.
If you are a new student, you need to attend the registration day, participate in the orientation, and take a placement test. If you are a returning student, you will receive a pre-registration form and instructions on how to register.
We will put your name on a waiting list. You can also come to the next registration or go to a registration at a different location with a later date. 
If you miss the first two days of class, you will be dropped. If you miss more than three days during the session you will also be dropped.
Take the placement test, but tell the teacher that you cannot come this session. That way you will not have to take the test again, you will be waitlisted and you can take a class the following session.
Unfortunately not, but you can talk to your teacher. Your teacher can give you a form to register for a different location/time for the next session.
Yes, you will take a short speaking test and a listening test. You can learn more about this at registration.
No, we do not enroll students after the registration date. You can come to the next scheduled pre-registration or registration date to enroll for the following semester. View Schedule.
Registration is on first-come first-served basis. The first students in line will have priority.
If you are a returning student with a pink form, you do not need to come to pre-registration early.
If class is still in session, see your teacher or the site mentor where you take classes to get a replacement. If the semester is over, please contact the AELG office to schedule and advising appointment with the Intake & Assessment Specialist. Call the AELG office at 240-567-8950 to find out when you can come in to get a replacement.
Adult ESOL Class Information FAQs
Schedules are different from site to site.  Choose the site you want to attend and review the class times as posted.  This information is also provided during orientation day. View Schedule.
ESOL classes are 60 hours long. Most classes meet for 2½ hours two times a week. Saturday classes meet for 4 hours for 15 weeks.
Start and ending dates are different from site to site. During orientation and registration, you will be informed when the first day of class is going to be.
  • At registration new students will be tested for their skill level, and assigned to the appropriate class level. Beginning ESOL, ESOL Literacy, and Intermediate ESOL class levels are free.
  • Advanced ESOL level classes have a low tuition rate. Students also buy their books.
It is different for every student. Most students may need at least 120 hours of class time to move up a level, or repeat the class.
Make sure you write your phone number correctly on the registration form and test form. We call all new students who place in the advanced class. If you placed in the advanced level class, you will be contacted by phone and asked to report to the site just before class start time. Advanced classes are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please arrive early with your money order in hand to pay for class.
Advanced students should bring their white placement form to pre-registration. You do not need to come early for pre-registration. However, you should come early to assignment (bring your blue card). Usually, the first 25 students in line will have a class. If you are placed in a class, you should bring your money order to the first class meeting and give it to your teacher.
During the session, we will only move students who should be at the Literacy or Beginning I levels. For all other students, you will need to wait until the next session begins to change to a different level.
Email Natalie Martinez, Disability Support Services Counselor, or call 240-567-4188.
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