Enhancing communication skills in ESL students within a community college setting 1

The emerging diversity of the United States (US) population will require an equally diverse workforce to effectively meet its healthcare needs. As a result, the ability of nursing programs across the nation to recruit, admit, retain, and to graduate students who have English as a second language (ESL) will be critical (Abriam-Yago, Yoder, & Kataoka-Yahiro, 1999). This article describes salient strategies to improve oral and written communication skills through the collaborative efforts of Nursing, Language Immersion, and the Basic Skills departments.