Following are the most common contexts in which adult ESL instruction is offered:

Lifeskills or general ESL classes focus on development of general English language skills. (See Lifeskills or general ESL classes.)

Family ESL literacy programs address the family as a whole, providing English language and literacy instruction for adults and children. (See Family ESL literacy programs.)

English literacy/civics (EL/civics) programs integrate English language instruction with opportunities to learn about civil rights, civic participation and responsibility, and citizenship.

Vocational ESL (VESL) programs prepare learners for jobs by integrating language skills with vocational skills. (See Vocational ESL (VESL) programs.)

Workplace ESL classes are offered in work settings and focus on development of language that is directly relevant to that setting.

Pre-academic ESL programs concentrate on preparing learners for further education and training in postsecondary institutions, vocational education classes, or ABE and GED classes.

One-on-one or small-group tutoring situations may be offered in a variety of settings, such as libraries and community or religious organizations. (See Instructional Configurations.)

Standards apply to both programs (quality of the program overall) and content (what is taught and expected outcomes). Standards have been developed by different entities.

• The membership organization, Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), has developed program standards and a program self- review instrument for adult ESOL programs titled Standards for Adult Education ESL Programs http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/index.asp
• Some states also have developed program and content standards. (See a list of standards developed by states in Program Standards, and in Other Resources. See also an annotated list of program standards at http://cal-org.wdi.net/caela/prgstanbib.htm and of content standards at http://cal-org.wdi.net/caela/constanbib.htm. In the near future, check also for a warehouse of adult ESL standards. This is a work in progress, soon to be made available at the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education Web site http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/index.html.