The Importance of Enhancing Opportunities for English Learners in Oxnard 

School may be out for the summer, but educational opportunities tailored to the needs of Oxnard locals are still available.

Oxnard College’s latest initiative, launched about two years ago in partnership with Rio School District and Hueneme Elementary School District, expanded its English as a Second Language program to include evening classes for Spanish-speaking and Mixteco families. 

This effort aims to empower ESL students with language proficiency, equipping them with skills to navigate their community and achieve personal and economic goals. 

The barriers that English learners face 

Oxnard, a city with 202,000 residents, has a population where 75% identify as Hispanic. Of the residents, 59% speak Spanish as their first or second language, while only 20% have earned at least a bachelor’s degree. These demographics highlight the need for educational programs that address language barriers and promote inclusivity, making higher education more accessible.

Assemblymember Steve Bennett, a Democrat who represents the 38th District, which includes western Ventura County, said Spanish speakers who isolate themselves in Spanish-speaking neighborhoods are at a disadvantage because they’re not practicing English.

Accessibility to higher education is a matter close to his heart. 

“I saw how difficult it is for non-English speakers to navigate American society, even Southern California American society,” he said. 

Bennett welcomed an immigrant family from Mexico   — a father, mother, and three children — about 18 years ago. The family was facing financial instability, and Bennett provided them with a home to help them settle into their new community.

“I saw how many jobs (the dad) couldn’t qualify for because he didn’t have enough English skills, and how many more jobs (the mom) couldn’t qualify for because she didn’t have any English skills,” he said.

The parents couldn’t communicate directly with people they needed to get important information from because they would have to wait until a translator was present. So learning English benefited them not only in getting jobs but in society as well.

Bennett said ESL classes should be more accessible for students by making classes on the weekends and online. 

As part of Oxnard College’s partnership with the local school districts, an ESL evening class at 

Charles Blackstock Junior High School in Oxnard saw an enrollment of about 30 to 35 students this past spring semester, reaching the class capacity. 

The demand for accessible classes has been evident. 

“We have a waitlist of over 100 students that they’re interested in enrolling, so there’s definitely a need to offer more classes,” said Betty Ortiz, who is the ESL adviser at the college. “We also have noticed that folks connect with each other, right? So they share information about opportunities.” 

Oxnard College, she said, hopes to add more classes so more students can enroll in the class in the upcoming fall semester to meet that demand. 

The lasting impact of ESL classes

Beyond improving students’ academic skills, ESL  classes  provide people with many opportunities like increasing their confidence with the language and giving them more opportunities in the workforce. 

Ortiz said the program has allowed students to become comfortable taking the naturalization test in English — an English and civics test that allows them to become legal immigrants of the U.S. 

“Since the students are learning how to speak, listen, write, and read in English, it boosts their confidence in taking their citizenship test,” she said.

Ortiz also said a current student is looking to move up in her school job because it requires her to be proficient in English. “But she wants to feel confident first before she takes that,” she said. 

As a former high school educator, Bennett understands the importance of ESL classes and the opportunities they provide for English learners. 

“It opens people up, it gives them opportunities, (but) it doesn’t just give them job opportunities, it gives them social opportunities,” he said. “It gives them identities that they couldn’t have taken on before.” 

After the first two years, immigrants who have been naturalized see their earnings increase from 8 to 11%, according to a 2012 study by researchers at the University of Southern California’s Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration. 

“Mark my words, in 25 years, people will be begging for immigrants because we’ll need more workers, with the population not growing anymore,” Bennett said.

How Oxnard residents can enroll in ESL classes 

Locals who are interested in enrolling for free at Oxnard College’s ESL program can earn a certificate that would demonstrate they have mastered the basics of English, like speaking and reading, as well as writing and listening. 

“We start off with classes that are considered non-credit, meaning that the classes do not award college credit, but there are great opportunities as well because they’re completely free,” Ortiz said. 

Similarly, Oxnard Adult School also offers free ESL classes at several sites across Oxnard, where students can enroll at various times throughout the day. 

For more information: Visit oxnardcollege.edu/english-second-language-esl or oxnardadulted.us/academicsprograms/esl