Community ESL Needs Assessment Survey
Thank you for taking time to answer these questions. The English as a Second Language (ESL) program at
Chabot College would like to know about the types of ESL classes the community wants and needs.
Please answer the following questions as honestly as possible. All the information you share will be
anonymous and private. We do not ask for your name or any personal information.
1. How would you rate your current English?
Reading (check 1 below)
 Very good (can do by
myself)
 Good (can do with a little
help)
 OK (can do, but need a lot
of help)
 Not too good (I try, but
stop)
 Can not read English (I do
not try)
Writing (check 1 below)
Speaking (check 1 below)
Listening (check 1 below)
 Very good (can do by
myself)
 Good (can do with a little
help)
 OK (can do, but need a
lot of help)
 Not too good (I try, but
stop)
 Can not write English (I
do not try)
 Very good (can do by
myself)
 Good (can do with a little
help)
 OK (can do, I need a lot of
help but people understand)
 Not too good (even with help
people do not understand)
 Can not speak English (I do
not try)
 Very good (I always
understand everything)
 Good (I understand a lot but
need a little help)
 OK (I sometimes understand, I need a lot of help)
 Not too good (I try, but
barely understand)
 Can not understand English (I
do not try)
2. Please tell us why you would like to learn English? What are your 3 most important reasons? (Write “1” next to
the most important reason, “2” next to the second most important, “3” for the third most important reason.)
____Feel more comfortable in my community
____Participate more in my community
____Family literacy (read to your kids, help your kids with school work, communicate more with kids)
____Prepare for citizenship class
____Prepare to look for work
____Communicate better at work
____Advancement at work
____Prepare for academic classes (e.g., classes at community colleges, university, adult school)
____Prepare for other classes (please describe) __________________________________________
____Learn how to use computers
3. What kind of work do you do?
4.
 Construction, maintenance
 Sales, office
 Restaurant or Store
 Management, professional
 Landscape work, fishing, forestry
 Homemaker/Parent
 Production, transportation
 Other______________________________________
Do you need English for your job?  Yes
 No
a. Would you take a class focused only on the English used for job skills (day care teacher, auto repair &
maintenance, computer systems, etc)?  Yes
 No
b. Would you take any of the following classes:
Reading ESL class?
 Yes  No
Speaking ESL class?
 Yes  No
Writing ESL class?
 Yes  No
Pronunciation class?
 Yes  No
Listening ESL class?
 Yes  No
Grammar class?
 Yes  No
5. How important are each of the following types of ESL classes? (“1”=most important, “2”=second most
important, “3”=third most important, “4”=fourth most important)
___Reading
___Writing
___Listening
___Combined reading, writing, and grammar
___Speaking
___ Pronunciation
___Grammar
___ESL used for job skills
___Other_______________
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Please turn the page
Community ESL Needs Assessment Survey
6. Are you taking classes at any ESL program?
 Yes
 No (go to question 7)
a. If yes, please list the program. _______________________________________________
b. What is the most important thing for you about the ESL program where you take classes?
________________________________________________________________________
c. What do you like most about the ESL program?
________________________________________________________________________
d. What do you dislike most about the ESL program?
________________________________________________________________________
e. How did you hear about the ESL program?  Family
 Friends
 Work
 TV
f.
 Radio
 Internet
 Newspaper
 Community org.  Other _________
How many ESL classes have you taken? __________
7. What time of the day would be best for you to take an ESL class? (check one)
 Morning (8am-12pm)
 Afternoon (1pm-4pm)
 Evening (5pm-9:20pm)
8. What days of the week would be good for an ESL class? (check all that apply)
 Monday
 Tuesday
 Wednesday
 Thursday
 Friday
 Saturday
9. How many hours of class would be best for you each week? (number of hours in school) ______
10. How many hours of homework a week would be best? (number of hours working by yourself at home) ______
11. Which of the following class schedules would be best for you?
 One day/week
 Two days/week
 Three days/week
 Four days/week
12. If Chabot College offers an ESL class you want to take, how likely are you to take the class if it is…
Definitely, yes
Very likely
Maybe
Not really
No, would not take
a) Free.
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b) $78 for 18 weeks (3 hrs class/week).
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c) $104 for 18 weeks (4 hrs class /week).
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d) $156 for 18 weeks (6 hrs class /week).
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13. If you could get financial aid by taking 12 units of classes (approximately 12 hours of class work and 10-20
hours of homework per week), would you be interested?
 Yes
 No
14. If Chabot College offers an ESL class that you want to take, which of the following reasons would make it
most difficult for you to take the class. (check one)
 Transportation
 Childcare
 Tuition
 Work schedule
 Other ________
15. If Chabot College offers ESL classes in the evening at a company or at a community center instead of at
Chabot’s campus, would you attend?
 Yes
 No
16. If Chabot College offers ESL classes in the evening after you finished work, would you have the…
a. energy to take the class?
b. time to take the class?
 Yes
 Yes
 No
 No
17. What is your primary language? ____________________________________________________
18. How well can you…
Excellent
Well
Average
A little
I can not
a) read in your primary language?
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b) write in your primary language?
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19. Please complete the following sentence thinking about what is most important to you about learning English.
“I need English to_________________________________________________.”
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