Culpeper Literacy Council ESOL Program

Program Overview

The overall goal of Culpeper Literacy Council (CLC) is to be a part of a collaborative system to help eradicate illiteracy in Culpeper. We firmly believe that our adult learners strive to become self-sustaining citizens who want to positively contribute to their communities in which they live and work. Culpeper Literacy Council not only equips adult learners with knowledge, but more importantly, we help them gain courage and hope for a better future – for themselves and their families

English classes are provided for non-native English speakers to assist them in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. CLC uses a standard curriculum titled English in Action published by National Geographic. Tutors are provided with this and supplementary resources to help them provide relevant and relatable classes. In addition to their assigned English class, learners can also attend a Conversation Circle once or twice a week to get practice speaking English in a group setting.

Beginning Level Classes
Beginning level classes focus on English that learners need to survive in their community. They learn basic conversation skills, vocabulary for daily usage and practical skills such as making appointments, filling out forms, etc.

Intermediate Level Classes
Everyday English teaches English in an informal way. Students learn about everyday speech and situations they may encounter in their daily lives. New words and phrases are learned daily and the goal is for students to become comfortable and gain confidence when speaking English.

Advanced Level Classes
Reading and writing classes uses a variety of methods to build a strong foundation in the English language. Listening exercises, grammar review, writing, pronunciation and vocabulary building are all covered in this dynamic class. Authentic texts are used (ie: newspaper, menu items, medicine labels, and maps) in addition to educational materials from the CLC library. By playing with idioms and problematic words, writing dictations and reading aloud, learners improve their comprehension at the same time as spelling and vocabulary.

Citizenship Prep Class
Citizenship Prep is a small group setting (1-2 students) that is geared towards adults who have met the pre-requirements to become a United States citizen. A tutor helps students understand the N-400 application for Naturalization, explain and study questions for the citizenship test and practice reading and writing simple English sentences for the test.

Cost Info