English Language Learner (ELL) Program

Hawaii Literacy offers free classes for adults in English as a Second Language. These classes help learners acquire language skills related to real life situations. Our program is designed to be an open environment supporting anyone needing assistance from a variety of skill levels, backgrounds, and commitment levels. Students may come one time only, as needed, or on a consistent basis. Services are available for speakers of all abilities - from beginners to advanced.

A mix of virtual and in-person classes are available. As the guidelines change, these offerings may change. Hope to see you in class soon!

Virtual Classes

All Levels Class
Tuesday & Thursday from 10am-11:30am
Teacher Annabelle
This class is open to any level of learner from Beginner to Advanced.

Beginner Class
Tuesday & Thursday from 12pm-1:30pm
Teacher Annabelle

Intermediate Class
Monday & Thursday from 5:30pm-7:00pm
Teacher Carol

*All virtual classes meet via Zoom.

In-Person Classes

West O’ahu Christian Church*
94-420 Farrington Hwy
Waipahu, HI 96797
Wednesday & Friday 9am-12:30pm, break 10:30am-11am
Teacher Annabelle
Our Wednesday class if for Marshallese speakers.
Our Friday class is for Chuukese speakers.
*These classes will resume the first week of July

Mayor Wright Homes - Starting 5/23
521 Kukui Street
Bldg 25A   
Tuesday & Thursday, 10am-11:30am
Teacher Law

Towers at Kuhio Park - Starting 5/23
1475 Linapuni Street
Tower A, Suite 118
Tuesday & Thursday, 12:30pm-2pm
Teacher Law

Kaumakapili Church - Starting 6/5
766 N. King St. 
Honolulu, HI 96817
Monday & Wednesday 9am-10:30am  
Teacher Law    

Registration form

If you are interested in joining our free English classes, please click the blue button below to fill out the form. You must live in Hawai’i in order to participate in our classes.

If you have any questions, please email ell@hawaiiliteracy.org or call (808) 778-8490.

Learning Resources

Resources for practicing English

Click through the links below to practice reading, speaking, listening, grammar, and writing at home.

Real English - Video lessons for Beginner and Intermediate learners
Voices of America - Video lessons and reading practice for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced learners
TEDEd - Short videos to help you practice listening.
ELLLO - Practice listening for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced learners
Reading Skills for Today’s Adults - Practice reading with adult-friendly passages, for all learner levels
Read Theory - Sign up for an account to practice reading.
Breaking News English - Practice reading English news articles at all learner levels
We Speak NYC - Watch videos of immigrants who come from all over the world to make New York City their home.
Duolingo - Sign up for the game in your native language to start learning English.
Quizlet - Use flashcards, images, and diagrams to practice vocabulary.
Punctuation - Test out your punctuation skills with this worksheet.
Preparing for the Oath - An easy-to-use study guide for the civics portion of the 2008 U.S. Naturalization Test.

Volunteer

We are accepting inquires for volunteers. Our volunteers can assist in many ways, some volunteers elect to design or teach components of the class. Some act as a teacher’s assistant. While others lead weekly small group or 1-on-1 sessions with learners. Volunteers can help the students with their classwork or conversation practice — it's a casual way to volunteer while giving English Language Learners some individualized assistance. We currently need volunteers for both virtual and in-person opportunities.

Do you need to fulfill practicum hours for a TEFL/TESOL program? We would love to have you volunteer with our program. Please click the blue button below to fill out our Volunteer Registration Form or contact Annabelle Walters via the contact information below.

Contact

Lawrence (Law) Chavez - O’ahu ELL Instructor
lawrence.chavez@hawaiiliteracy.org

Carol Linde - Kona ELL Instructor
carol.linde@hawaiiliteracy.org