Adult education centers in Texas often offer English language programs to students in the community. School districts house English as a second language (ESL) programs. Classes are typically offered both during the day and in the evening to accommodate a variety of working schedules. Some may offer child care during classes, and others may not. For example, the Abilene, Texas, school district offers ESL classes Monday through Friday during the day and in the evening at its Alta Vista center. The classes are free, as they are supported through state and federal funds.
Larger cities in Texas have private ESL schools that offer instruction in everything from basic ESL to academic and business English. They also typically offer TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) test preparation to prepare students to pass the exam and succeed in postsecondary environments. Houston, Texas, for example is the home to many private ESL schools. Some of them include Language Direct (which provides tutors who travel to your place of work to teach, as well as classes for children), the Learning Institute of Texas and the ELS Language Center (see Resources).
Universities in Texas also offer ESL programs. For example, the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio offers 13 four-week intensive ESL sessions throughout the year at nine different levels. The fee for each four-week session is $1,645, in addition to $210 for admissions and book fees as of 2011. Students are prepared in these courses to succeed at the graduate and undergraduate levels of university study.
Community colleges (two-year colleges) also offer ESL programs for English-language students. Courses are usually geared toward academic English, but some community colleges also offer basic English courses. In Texas, one example of an ESL program at a community college is at Odessa College in Odessa, Texas. This program offers students an interactive computer lab in which to practice their English outside of class. The curriculum includes reading, writing and conversation skills.