Before she became an academic advisor helping students navigate college, Marisol Corona remembers struggling to order a pizza in English at 11 years old.
She translated incorrectly for her mother, misunderstanding a single word, and watched as a simple meal turned into a moment of embarrassment.
“I felt like I let my family down,” Corona said.
Years later, Corona now works as an academic advisor for English as a Second Language students at Delta College, where she helps others navigate the same barriers she once faced. That experience shapes how she approaches students entering Delta’s ESL program, many of whom arrive unsure of their place in college.
For students like Lorena Duran, that uncertainty can shape whether they stay in school at all.
Duran, a psychology major, said she returned to Delta nearly two decades after initially dropping out, this time choosing to begin in ESL instead of going directly into college-level English.
“The easiest path was just to drop out,” she said of her earlier experience.
Now, she said the program has helped her rebuild both her skills and confidence.
“I’m at the right place. I have the right to be here,” Duran said.
At Delta College, the ESL program is expanding as more students navigate language barriers and seek pathways into higher education. Across San Joaquin County, about 43 percent of residents speak a language other than English at home, according to U.S. Census data, and local schools serve more than 29,000 English learner students.
“ESL offerings at Delta have essentially doubled in the past year,” said Amber Wolak, an ESL faculty member at the college.
Wolak said the program is designed not only to build language skills, but to shift how students see their future.
“They start the semester saying, ‘This is the only Delta class I want to take,’” she said. “By the end, they’re asking if they can study multiple programs.”
That shift is built into how the program is structured.
Delta offers four ESL levels — ESL 2 through ESL 5 — focused on reading, writing, grammar and communication skills. Students who need foundational instruction are referred to adult education programs before transitioning into Delta’s courses.
Wolak said the program works closely with local adult schools, including Stockton School for Adults and Tracy Adult School, to create a clearer pathway for students entering college.
“These courses introduce learners to college-level expectations through structured, university-style instruction,” said Idi Gaines, a counselor and transition specialist at Tracy Adult School.“This supportive preparation builds confidence and eases the shift into higher education,” he said.
At Delta, students can enroll in either credit or noncredit ESL courses, which are taught in the same classrooms, by the same instructors and with the same curriculum.
Noncredit courses are tuition-free and graded on a pass/no pass basis, reducing financial and academic pressure for students who may be new to the college system.
“That structure allows students to focus on learning without worrying about grades or cost,” Corona said.
The goal is to move students into transfer-level English and eventually into degree or career pathways. Wolak said students often begin with hesitation but quickly expand their goals.
“That shift happens really fast,” she said. “Once they realize they can do the work, they start thinking bigger.”
Program data shows students commonly transition into fields such as nursing, health science, psychology and child development, with additional pathways available in areas like business and electrical technology.
Those outcomes are shaped not only by local programs, but by broader statewide changes.
Under Assembly Bill 1705, approved in 2022, community colleges are required to use multiple measures — including high school coursework and grades — when placing students into English courses, with the goal of helping more students complete transfer-level English within three years.
Across California, colleges have taken different approaches to those reforms. Research from the Public Policy Institute of California shows institutions have shortened ESL pathways and moved away from standardized placement tests, though program design still varies by campus.
State data shows more students are completing transfer-level English over time.
At Delta, the share of students completing transfer-level English within one year increased from about 46 percent in 2014–15 to approximately 75 percent in 2023–24, according to California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office data. ((name the organization. Chancellor of what? – Matt))
Enrollment data reflects sustained demand, even as participation varies by semester. The program recorded 1,346 enrollments in fall 2025 and 944 in spring 2026. Corona said the drop is typical, as enrollment tends to decrease in the spring term.
“The upward trend in completion has been observed across colleges,” said Mallory Newell, interim executive director of institutional research and planning at the Foothill-De Anza Community College District.
Newell said reforms such as AB 705 and 1705 removed long-standing barriers that had placed many students into remedial coursework.
“Prior to AB 705, fewer than half of students who began in English ever completed a transfer-level course,” she said.
Still, disparities remain.
Completion rates for Black and Hispanic/Latine students continue to trail those of Asian and white students by about 10 percentage points, according to state data.
In a county where Latino residents make up about 43 percent of the population, those gaps raise questions about whether expanded access is translating into equitable outcomes.
Newell said teaching practices and support systems play a critical role, pointing to culturally responsive curriculum, embedded tutoring and active learning as approaches that can improve equity. For many students, however, the biggest barriers come before they ever enter the classroom.
Corona said the college application process can be difficult to navigate, particularly for students with limited English proficiency. Some begin the process but do not complete it, often misunderstanding steps or missing follow-up communication.
Cost also remains a challenge. While noncredit courses are free, students may still need to purchase textbooks, and some face higher tuition rates based on residency status.
Access can also depend on where students live. Those in areas like Tracy and Mountain House may have fewer nearby course options, making it harder to attend classes regularly.
For Joshua Sanchez, the program has provided a starting point.
Born in the United States but raised abroad, Sanchez said he returned as an adult without formal English education. He began taking ESL courses in 2023 and said the program has helped him communicate more confidently in daily life.
“Now I can speak with more people,” he said.
Without ESL, he said, attending college would not have felt possible.
“I need to know how to read and how to write English,” he said.
For Corona, those stories reflect what the program is designed to do — not just teach language, but open doors.
“I tell my students, you just have to show up and do the work,” she said. “You’re going to see the results.”
