ESL Student Information

Learning English Opens Doors! Volunteers staff a twice-weekly English instruction program for adult students. Our program serves the Vienna, Fairfax and surrounding areas with low-cost English classes given in the evenings. There are different proficiency levels, and students range from young adults to senior citizens and come from about 30 different countries and 5 continents. The students represent many different religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.

• Classes take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm.
• The cost is $20/class for each term. Credit/Debit Cards accepted.
• Optional citizenship tutoring, conversation class, and writing class are available for eligible students.
• There will be a placement test at the time of registration.
• New students must purchase books.

• ST. MARK’s Citizenship Preparation program prepares eligible students for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) civics knowledge and English proficiency exams.
• ESL students with intermediate or advanced proficiency (based on the ST. MARK ESL placement exam) may participate in the Citizenship Preparation program.
• Students may also be enrolled in a ST. MARK intermediate or advanced class.
• The cost of registration is $10 .
• Students must also purchase the textbook ($5).
• Citizenship class meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7:00 PM – 7:45 PM.
• Initially, all students will participate in a group class. Once students have filed their N-400 (Application for Naturalization) and received an acknowledgment from USCIS, they will also receive individualized tutoring and interview practice.
• Spaces are limited.

Note: students should contact a lawyer for legal issues; ST. MARK teachers will not provide legal advice.

Let’s Talk!! An optional conversation class is offered to our intermediate and advanced students prior to the core ESL classes. Facilitated by several volunteers each session, the conversation class provides a 45-minute period for students to practice conversation skills. Different topics will be the focus each session. The conversation class meets from 7:00 PM to 7:45 PM. Facilitators plan activities and conversation topics and report to their Tuesday/Thursday counterparts. The estimated time commitment is 90 minutes/week.
Classes take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.

• The cost is $10/class for each term. Credit/Debit Cards accepted.
• There are 2 academic terms per year: Fall and Winter/Spring
• There will be a placement test at the time of registration.

Write Right! An optional writing class is offered to our Intermediate 3 and advanced students prior to the core ESL classes. Taught by an experienced teacher for each session, the writing class provides a 45-minute period for students to develop their writing skills. The writing class meets from 7:00 PM to 7:45 PM. Teachers lead in-class activities and assign and edit homework. The estimated time commitment is 2 hours/week.

• The cost is $10/class for each term. Credit/Debit Cards accepted.
• There are 2 academic terms per year: Fall and Winter/Spring
• There will be a placement test at the time of registration.
• New students must purchase books.