Students come from places as far away as Togo and Nepal. Within a single classroom, a teacher may encounter speakers of as many as fifteen languages, including Dari from Afghanistan, Telugu and Malaylam from Southern India and Amharic from Ethiopia. There are two terms per year, one in the Spring, and the other in the fall. Each class runs four months, with two sessions a week, amounting to twenty-eight sessions per term. In the classrooms, vocabulary and grammar are conveyed through lessons, about everyday situations such as going to the doctor, or the supermarket, or renting an apartment.
Emphasis is placed on learning how to speak and understand.
All students receive a full introduction to the library and its services and are taken on a tour of the library. As well, they receive library cards and are encouraged to return and take advantage of all other library services. Class sizes are limited to 30. This list is updated three times a year via a telephone survey. Professional ESOL Teachers are employed to conduct the classes.