English as a Second Language (ESL)
Computer-assisted instruction for students of all language backgrounds.
ESL Department Overview
Coastline's ESL Department provides a specialized English program for foreign-born or bilingual students who need to improve their skills in speaking, comprehending, reading, or writing the English language.
The ESL Program is recommended for adults preparing for other college courses, college degrees, and vocational training programs, and it is suitable for those who want to improve their English skills for employment. Units for some ESL courses transfer to the Cal State University (CSU) system.
The ESL program headquarters are at the Westminster Campus - Le-Jao Center.
Assessment
English, ESL, and Math Placement
All Coastline students are eligible to register for transfer-level English composition and Math courses, regardless of educational background.
Students' initial placement for English, ESL, or Math is based on multiple measures, beginning with the high school information a student reports on the Coastline application.
Learn more at Counseling | Assessment.
Dedicated Faculty
Marc Kepler is the Department Chair for Coastline's English as a Second Language (ESL) Department.
- B.A. in Political Science, North Park College, Chicago, IL
- English Graduate Studies, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
- M.A. in TESOL, Biola University, La Mirada, CA
- M.A. in Intercultural Studies, Biola University, La Mirada, CA
"Born in Minnesota, I was raised in Ohio, Washington, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. After graduating from college, I taught English as a Foreign Language in Odawara, Japan for two and a half years. After returning to the United States from Japan, I returned to school to get further education and training to teach ESL. I have been teaching ESL in southern California community colleges since 2001 and have been at Coastline since 2007. It has been a joy and privilege to teach ESL students from over 75 different countries."
Department Faculty
German Arellano
- M.A. in TESOL, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
- B.A. in Environmental Science, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Ryan Boyd
Peggy Burke, Ph.D
- Ph.D. in Educational Studies, Biola University, La Mirada, CA
- M.A. in TESOL, Biola University, La Mirada, CA
“Born in Northern California, I then spent ten years in Alaska. I received my MA in TESOL and then Ph.D. in Educational Studies. In the past, I Taught ESL in Morocco and in Vietnam. I have been teaching ESL for 25+ years and have been at the Coast Community College District since 2016.”
https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggy-burke-28b38147/
Raymond Carson
- M.A. in Education – TESOL, Grand Canyon University, Phoenix, AZ
- TESL Certificate, Trinity College London, Oxford House Campus, Barcelona, Spain
- M.A. in Historical Musicology, University of London, New Cross, UK
- B.A. in Music Performance, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, San Francisco, CA
Cheryl Ceralde
Michael Chamberlain, Ph.D.
- Ph.D. in Intercultural Education, Biola University, La Mirada, CA
- M.A. in TESOL, School of International Training, Battleboro, VT
- B.A. in English Teaching, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH
Tonya Cobb
- M.A. in Linguistics - TESL, California State University Dominguez Hills, Dominguez Hills, CA
- Designated Subjects Adult Education Teaching Credential, California State University Dominguez Hills, Dominguez Hills, CA
- B.A. in English, California State University Dominguez Hills, Dominguez Hills, CA
“Born in Virginia, I was an Army brat. So, I lived in Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Texas—all before I was 9 years old! My family first settled in San Francisco, California before moving to Long Beach, California in the early 1980s. After graduating from college in 1997, I immediately began teaching ESL to students of all ages. I have taught in adult schools for over 25 years and have taught in southern California community colleges since 2012. I have been at Coastline since 2022. It has been a pleasure to be a partner to students as they reach their educational goals.”
Janet Cruz-Teposte, Ed.D.
- Ed.D., South University, Savannah, GA
- M.A. in Education - TESOL, Alliant International University, Irvine, CA
- B.A. in Environmental Analysis and Design, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA
“Born and raised in Hidalgo, Mexico, I have a deep understanding of the challenges and rewards of learning a new language, as I was also an ESL student. After completing my education, I dedicated myself to teaching English to non-native speakers, bringing my own experiences as a language learner into the classroom. I have been teaching ESL students in Southern California since 2006. My passion lies in helping students overcome obstacles and reach their full potential, making the journey of learning English an achievable and rewarding experience. I am excited to support and guide each of my students through their learning process, just as I once was.”
https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetcruzteposte/
Anhvy Do
Rachel Don
- M.A. in Linguistics, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA
- B.A. in Linguistics, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA
Esmeralda Godoy
- M.A. in Education, National University, Costa Mesa, CA
- TESL Certificate, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
- B.A. in Psychology, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA
Kristen Gonzalez
- M.A. in TESOL, University of Findlay, Findlay, OH
- B.A. in Communications, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Timothy Grove, Ph.D.
- Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies, Biola University, La Mirada, CA
- M.A. in TESOL, Biola University, La Mirada, CA
- M.A. in Old Testament Studies, Biola University, La Mirada, CA
- Graduate Study in Classics, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
- Graduate Study in Linguistics, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND
- B.A. in English Literature, Wheaton College, Chicago, IL
"I grew up in the Chicago area but have lived in Southern California since 1992. I have taught ESL since 1996 (including one summer in Myanmar), and have been at Coastline since 2016. I have greatly enjoyed interacting with students from all parts of the world. In addition, I have conducted academic research in Southeast Asia, the Caucasus region, Argentina, and Sweden. My monograph on Georgian Astrological manuscripts was published by Brill in 2020."
Michelle Grozinger
- M.A. in English – TESOL, California State University Dominguez Hills, Dominguez Hills, CA
- Reading Specialist Certificate, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA
- B.A. in Psychology, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
“I'm a native Californian, but have lived in many places both stateside and abroad. After attending Orange Coast College, I received a BA in Psychology and an MA in English. I also have a literacy specialist credential and an MA in Marriage and Family Therapy. I like to approach teaching within a holistic framework. ESL is definitely one of my passions!”
Fouton Hasan
- M.A. in English – TESL, California State Polytechnical University, Pamona, CA
- B.A. in English, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria
Richard Hofferd, Ph.D.
- Ph.D. in Education, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
- M.A. in English -TESOL, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA
- M.A. in Philosophy, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
- B.A. in Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA
Esther Lee
- M.A. in TESOL, Biola University, La Mirada, CA
- B.A. in Intercultural and Diversity Studies, Biola University, La Mirada, CA
Brent Levingston
Michelle Livote
- M.A. in TESOL, Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA
- B.A. in Biblical Literature, Multnomah University, Portland, OR
“I am a native to Orange County and love to travel. I taught ESL in China and Korea. I love learning about other countries. I got my M.A. at Azusa Pacific University. I have been teaching ESL for over 15 years. In my free time I enjoy, swimming and dancing.”
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-livote-871a6413/
Gina Man
Gregory Matthis
- M.A. in Linguistics – TESL, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
- B.A. in Spanish, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
“I was born and raised in Orange, California. After graduating with my Master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Cal State Long Beach, I began teaching Spanish and English as a Second Language at various Southern California community colleges and adult schools. I have been teaching at Coastline since 2020. There has been no greater pleasure in my career than supporting learners of English in reaching their educational, personal and career goals.”
Chris Mefford
- M.A. in Linguistics, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
- B.A. in Liberal Studies – Philosophy, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
“I have been on the Coastline ESL faculty since 2007. My passion for research in language acquisition and instruction has spanned almost 30 years. I have co-authored a number of books dealing with communication strategies for workplace training programs. I continue to enjoy serving the local community of second language learners.”
Tremonisha Putros, Ph.D.
- Ph.D. in Education, Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA
- TESOL Certificate, Anaheim University, Anaheim, CA
- M.A. in English, California State University Fullerton, Fullerton, CA
- B.A. in English, Eastern University, St. Davids, PA
Shaheed Sabrin
- M.A. in TESOL, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
- B.A. in Theater & Entrepreneurship, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
- Study Abroad Arabic Immersion, The American University, Cairo, Egypt
“I have been teaching at Coastline since 2022. From 2012-2020, I taught in South Korea, Malaysia, and China. I was the Senior Teacher at Aidi Middle School in Beijing in 2019. I also logged more than 2,600 hours of virtual teaching for VIPKid. I was an English Language Specialist for the U.S. Embassy in Cairo in 2020 and an English Language Fellow for the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur (2014-2016 & 2021-2023). Currently, I teach for Coastline, Chaffey, and Santa Ana College.”
Marisol Saens
- M.A. in Human Development – Adult Education, Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena, CA
- TESOL Certificate - Escuela Oficial de Idiomas, Barcelona, Spain
- TESOL Certificate – LinguaEdge, Beverly Hills, CA
- B.A. in Ethnomusicology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
“I started teaching at age 15 in Venezuela after my family moved there. I also was in high school at the time, so I know what it's like to have to live and study in a country whose people speak a language other than your native language. I went to UCLA and have been teaching at Coastline since 2015. I love the students here because they work so hard and are so appreciative!”
Mara Tavantzis
- M.A. in Linguistics, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
- B.A. in English and Spanish, California State University Long Beach, Long Beach, CA
"I moved to US with my family when I was 15. We settled in Huntington Beach and I have lived in CA ever since. I graduated from CSULB with a BA in English/Spanish, TESL certificate and MA in Linguistics, Language and Culture. Teaching ESL was not my first goal, but having had to learn English as my second language in US, I felt I had an insight that not all other teachers had. I started teaching ESL in 1987 at Long Beach City College. Since then, I have taught various ESL, AESL, Adult Ed, IEP, and writing courses at CSULB, CEC (since 1994), and UCI (2000-2018). Currently, I teach at Santa Ana College and I have taught at Coastline Community College since 2018. I lived in Italy and France before moving to CA and in addition to English, I speak Farsi, Spanish, and can hold my own in Italian and French. I have relatives and cousins in every continent (and most countries) on Earth and my goal is to someday visit all of them! I love nature, especially big trees and all animals. I have two cats, Miss Kitty and Loki. On Saturdays, we like to read books and relax in our front lawn."
Douglas Ward
- M.A. in TESOL, City University of New York – Hunter College, New York, NY
- B.A. in English Language Arts, City University of New York – Hunter College, New York, NY
“I have an MA degree in TESOL and a BA degree in English Language Arts. I have been teaching ESL for over 15 years at various institutions in California (UCI, CSULA, LACC, and GCC). I even taught EFL at Gachon University in South Korea for 5 years. I have been teaching at Coastline since 2018 and look forward to continuing helping Coastliners for a long time.”
May Youn
- M.A. in Applied Linguistics, Biola University, La Mirada, CA
- B.A. in Linguistics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
“I was born in Seoul, South Korea but came to Southern California at the young age of four. I received a BA in Linguistics from the University of California, Los Angeles and an MA in Applied Linguistics with a TESOL Certificate from Biola University. I have taught credit and non-credit ESL teaching since 2004. I joined the Coastline ESL Department in 2021, and I am super excited to be a part of this team.”
