English Classes

Students play alphabet bingo on a blanket at a park to practice English

Our program is open to all adults interested in learning English!

To register for classes, come to NSC during the enrollment period.

  • We offer rolling enrollment in four sessions a year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall).
  • We offer in-person classes (at the NSC office).
    • Classes meet twice a week (2 hours each session, $180 per student - includes workbook)
    • Seven levels of classes are offered, from Beginner to Advanced
  • We offer online classes for Advanced English (Zoom)
    • Online classes meet once a week (1.5 hours each session, $125 per student)
    • Online classes are for advanced level students only.
  • Class is focused on speaking.

We are now preparing to open registration for our Summer 2025 ESL session.

  • Registration period: May 28-July 9, 2025
  • Classes begin: July 14, 2025 

To register for classes, please come to NSC during the enrollment period.

Program Overview:

  • We offer rolling enrollment in four sessions per year: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall.
  • In-person classes are held at the NSC office and meet twice a week (2 hours per session).
    • Cost: $180 per student (includes workbook)
    • Seven class levels offered, from Beginner to Advanced
  • Online classes are available for Advanced-level students only via Zoom.
    • Classes meet once a week (1.5 hours per session)
    • Cost: $125 per student
    • Focus: Speaking and communication skills

How to Register:

To register as a new student, you must complete an English assessment. 

Please visit NSC in person on Monday or Wednesday, between 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM. If you cannot visit during these hours, contact us by phone to make alternate arrangements.

During registration, you will:

  1. Complete an English assessment
  2. Choose your class time
  3. Pay for your course (cash or credit accepted)

For assistance, please contact Raia Santos at rsantos@nscphila.org.

Our Approach

We use an integrated skills approach that combines skills in the classroom for a richer learning experience.  By integrating all language skills — listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary — we help students learn the whole of the language, rather than specific pieces. For In-person classes, NSC offers Integrated Skills at seven different proficiency levels. For online classes, NSC offers the following four levels:

  • Beginner 
    Students learn fundamental language skills needed in the classroom and in daily life, with emphasis on speaking and listening.
  • Intermediate
    Students develop language skills beyond survival English, in order to respond appropriately and independently in familiar situations.
  • High Intermediate
    Students refine language skills and develop the ability to use English spontaneously and in some unfamiliar situations.
  • Advanced
    Students refine fluency and communication skills and begin to express complex ideas with fluency and accuracy, including developing control of advanced grammatical structures.

Facts about our program:

  • Top languages spoken by NSC English Language Learners: Spanish, Mandarin, French, Arabic, Portuguese.
  • In 2019-20, we served 465 students.
  • In 2020-21, we filled 67 ESOL Volunteer Teacher slots.