Welcome to ESL (English as a Second Language) at Grace Community Church!

About the program

Grace Community Church provides ESL (English as a Second Language) classes to immigrants from a variety of countries to help improve their language skills and to assist them in adjusting to American culture. We also offer citizenship preparation classes for those who have learned English and wish to apply for U.S. citizenship. All classes are held in-person at Grace Community Church: 801 W Bardin Rd, Arlington TX 76017.

Hear from our Director, Rhoda!

Class Information

  • We would love to be the place you find dedicated help, practice, and encouragement in your English-learning journey.

    • Registration: Monday, Sept 9th, 2pm to 8pm in the Life Center.

    • Level 1 to 3 classes are now full and cannot accept more students until January. To get on the wait list for January, send name, email, and phone to esl@gracearlington.com

    • Level 4, Conversation and Citizenship classes are still open. Please come on Thursday, Sept 12, 4pm to 8pm for registration. Classes begin Sept 16 and 19.

    For those we are unable to enroll in our classes, we will provide information for other ESL programs in the area.

    En Español

    • Próxima inscripción: lunes 9 de septiembre de 14 a 20 horas en Life Center.

    Para aquellos que no podemos inscribirnos en nuestras clases, tendremos información sobre otros programas de ESL en el área.

    Bằng Tiếng Việt

    • Đăng ký tiếp theo: Thứ Hai, ngày 9 tháng 9, 2 giờ chiều đến 8 giờ tối tại Life Center.

    Đối với những người chúng tôi không thể đăng ký vào các lớp học của mình, chúng tôi sẽ có thông tin về các chương trình ESL khác trong khu vực.

    Registration is held in the Grace Community Church Life Center building, 801 W Bardin Rd, Arlington, TX 76017.

    All who register will go through a short interview process to find the best level to fit their needs.

    Registration forms include contact information (phone, address) for communication purposes. We do not require identification or other documents.

    Anyone is welcome to become a student. ESL and Citizenship students are not required to participate in other activities of Grace Community Church. We welcome everyone!

    For more information please contact the Director at esl@gracearlington.com.

  • Regular classes are held Monday and Thursday nights, starting at 7:00 pm and ending at 8:30 pm.

    • English-learning students - both Mondays and Thursdays

    • Citizenship students - only Thursdays

    Please Note: As of Sept 2024, our classes will meet on Mondays and Thursdays (instead of Wednesdays as in the past).

    Classes are located at: Grace Community Church, 801 W Bardin Rd, Arlington TX 76017

    The only cost to attend class is $20-25 per level for a workbook—one book covers both Fall and Spring sessions.

    Classes emphasize interacting in small groups of students with a volunteer staff member and emphasize the following four skill areas: conversation (listening/speaking), reading, writing, and grammar. 

    *Please note that we are not able to provide childcare. Children are not allowed inside or outside the classroom.*

  • Fall Classes: Early September through the beginning of December

    • 3-4 week break for Christmas and New Year

    Spring Classes: End of January through the end of April or early May

    • No classes during June, July, and August

    Detailed calendar at arlingtonesl.com.

  • Students come from many countries, including Afghanistan, Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, D.R. Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Eritrea, Estonia, France, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kurdistan (Iraq), Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico (USA), Russia, Somalia, South Korea, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, United States of America, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

    These represent at least twenty different languages.

Topics covered:

  • Idioms

  • Giving Information

  • School Rules and Regulations

  • Rights and Responsibilites

  • How to Agree and Disagree Politely

  • How to Interrupt Politely

  • How to Express Opinions Politely

  • And more!

  • Introducing Yourself

  • Getting Around Town

  • Housing

  • Food

  • Using English at Work

  • Health

  • How to Deal With Emergencies

  • Recreation

  • Shopping

  • Friends and Neighbors

  • Telephone Conversations

  • Finances/Money

  • Community Rules and Regulations

  • School

  • Family

  • Strategies for Smooth (Polite) Conmmunication

Classes offered:

Level 1 (Orange)

For beginning students who have no experience with the English Language.

Level 2 (Red)

For beginning students who already have knowledge of the English alphabet and numbers and have basic communication skills.

Level 3 (Blue)

For advanced beginners.

Level 4 (Green)

A low intermediate level class for students who hope to improve their grammar and their listening and speaking skills.

Conversation

Gives students the opportunity to use and improve their English skills as they discuss a variety of topics and enjoy the informal, social atmosphere it provides. Students who would like to participate in this class will need to test at Level 4 or higher.

Citizenship

Find more information about our citizenship class here.

Contact us

Contact us

Resources

ArlingtonESL.com

The Grace ESL program is also represented by ArlingtonESL.com, a website offering support resources for students and volunteer staff:

  • Detailed Class Calendar - start dates, holidays, end dates

  • Volunteer Teacher/Assistant Resources - training videos, helpful websites

  • Staff Records System - tracking attendance

  • Weather / Emergency notices or class cancellations

Other Ways to Learn English

We hope you find a program that can help you in the meantime. Here are some online suggestions in the interim:

  • cambly.com - This costs something, but you meet personally with an online tutor.

  • youglish.com - Free, good for pronunciation help

  • memrise.com - Free, good for vocabulary

  • engoo.com

  • Check with your local library - they often offer classes

  • Lots of free language apps (Duolingo, Quizlet, FluentU)

Mango Languages - Learn English Online

  1. Get an Arlington Public Library card: arlingtonlibrary.org - Get a Library Card > eCards - complete the process

  2. On the Arlington Public Library site go to: Books and More, then Database Resources, then Language Learning, then Mango Languages

  3. Sign in using your new Arlington Public Library Card information

  4. Sign Up for a Mango Languages account

  5. Choose the language you wish to learn!

View these step-by-step instructions including screenshots: Mango Languages - Arlington Library Instructions (PDF)

Mango Languages is an online language-learning service that is made available through the Arlington Public Library to those who hold an Arlington Public Library card. Any local resident should be able to get a Library Card.