Harper launches English Series for Professionals

As the Northwest suburbs continue to see dramatic demographic shifts, the need to serve English language learners grows. With that trend in mind, Harper College this fall will launch the English Series for Professionals, designed for professionals who want to improve their language skills to achieve success in their career and everyday life.

The 12-credit hour program is geared toward people who have completed their degree already and work professionally or are seeking employment. High-level ESL students and those wanting to advance their professional and personal goals by strengthening their English skills will also benefit.

While key areas of study include pronunciation, vocabulary and conversation, students also select electives, including Job Search Communication Skills.

"Looking for jobs in other countries can be quite different from in the U.S.," ESL supervisor Eric Bohman said. "In some countries, including your height, weight and even blood type is the norm. And nonnative speakers may not pick up the nuances of an interview. We're helping professionals to navigate through that."

The English Series for Professionals course offers a flexible schedule with day, evening and weekend classes; it can be completed in two to six semesters. Students also have access to Harper's ESL Language Lab, which offers an and interactive learning experience through state-of-the-art audio and video resources.

For information, call (847) 925-6227 or visit harpercollege.edu/esl.