Our Roots and Our Commitments

Our History

As early as 1967, our college offered English for foreign-born Spanish-speaking students one night a week at Pauma School, in Escondido at Central School and Escondido High, at Vista High, and at Fallbrook High. At Palomar College itself, a class for the foreign-born was offered for speakers of all languages one night a week. The present-day ESL Dept. has its origin in the Bilingual Education Dept. In the summer of 1969, Palomar College Bilingual Center was initiated as a community outreach program designed to meet the needs of 13 Spanish-speaking mothers enrolled in ESL. The mothers had requested an intensive summer course, meeting four hours daily, four days a week. Classes were offered without credit. The ESL classes, open to all adults, were continued in this design in 1968-70 and thereafter. Spanish as a Second Language (SSL) was added in 1970-71 for English-speaking parents whose children were in the elementary bilingual program, business and professional persons, retired persons, and other adults. The Bilingual Education Dept. was reorganized in the spring of 1984 with the Spanish courses for English speakers absorbed by the Foreign Language Dept. The Dept. voted to change its name from the Bilingual Education Dept. to English as a Second Language Dept. in February 1984, with the Governing Board approval in the spring of 1985. Regardless of what it has been called, our dept. has been an integral part of our college for 40 years!

Our Mission Statement

Our mission is to equip students whose second language is English with the language and cultural proficiencies required for the eventual fulfillment of personal, vocational, academic, and citizenship goals so that they may participate fully in American society. We provide ESL students with the ability to use English that is accurate and appropriate in a variety of academic and nonacademic settings. We also provide learning environments that foster low anxiety levels, thus enhancing the development of language fluency and self-esteem of the learners. By integrating language acquisition with relevant life experiences, we stress the importance of critical thinking, problem solving, and self-sufficiency.

Our Vision Statement

Our vision is that all English language learners have the skills to be successful in achieving their academic, vocational and personal goals.

Our Tag Line

creating paths for a better tomorrow

Contract Instructors' Team-Building Commitment

We acknowledge that diversity and dedication can create one harmonious sound; therefore, we are committed to doing the following:

1. Trusting that we are all doing our best and working towards the same goal of student success, even though our approaches may be different.
2. Making others feel valued and important by treating them with respect and by letting them know that we care about them.
3. Dealing with issues that we have with others on an individual basis and in a constructive way.
4. Giving and accepting advice and criticism professionally and being willing to compromise when necessary.
5. Helping others to do their best by giving them the benefit of the doubt and making no assumptions.