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UAB Community English Program log

The Community English Program offers English Classes for any individual 18 or older. No documentation is required and all classes are free of charge. These fun and interactive classes take place during UAB’s fall, spring, and summer semesters.


Fall 2024 English Classes


Registration Information

Registration Period: August 5 - September 2, 2024
All new students are required to take an online English Placement Test.

Interested in joining our classes? Register now

Class Information

In-Person Classes:
First day of classes: September 12, 2024
Last day of classes: December 12, 2024
Class times: 7:30 - 9:00pm

Location Information

UAB Education and Engineering Complex
1150 10th Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35233

Contact Us

Questions? For more information, contact the UAB Community English Program at uabcep@gmail.com


Parth Purohit and Charlotte Steiner teaching students in UAB's Community English Program

English conversation classes are a well-established tradition within UAB’s international community, having taken place on campus for over 20 years. In 2011, these classes moved from the Smolian International House to the School of Education and Human Sciences. Now hosted by Education's Department of Curriculum and Instruction, the English classes serve as a lab school for the master’s program in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). Classes are taught by graduate students being trained to become ESL teachers and by community volunteers.

During the past few years, classes have been attended and taught by participants from over 40 countries, including Argentina, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Guinea, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Oman, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, St. Vincent, Spain, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, USA, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, and Yemen.

Reiner Huang Tsang1

Interactive learning techniques are fun and help students improve their communication skills.


Community English Program Instructors

  • Summer 2024 CEP Instructors
    • Level 1: Ana de Souza
    • Level 2: Dana Elkaissi
    • Level 3: Robyn Nichols
    • Level 4: Courtney Jeffries
  • Spring 2024 CEP Instructors
    • Level 1: Ana de Souza
    • Level 2: Courtney Jeffries
    • Level 3: Leo Liao
    • Level 4: Ellen Lathrop
  • Fall 2023 CEP Instructors
    • Level 1: Carrie Stewart and Nelly Elorza
    • Level 2: Maria Kilmer and Tran Ngoc Anh Nguyen
    • Level 3: Kate Vega
    • Level 4: Leo Liao
    • ESP Health and Medicine: Nicolas Kummer
    • Online General English: Evan Hudson
  • Previous CEP Instructors

    Summer 2023 CEP Instructors

    • Level 1: Leo Liao
    • Level 2: Josephine Prado and Ana De Souza
    • Level 3: Nelly Elorza
    • Level 4 Beginner Writing: Evan Hudson
    • Level 4 Advanced Writing: Courtney Jeffries
    • Online General English: Cleo Wang

    Spring 2023 CEP Instructors

    • Level 1: John Chen
    • Level 2: Ana Souza
    • Level 3: Leo Liao
    • Level 4: Josie Prado
    • ESP Health and Medicine: Nicolas Kummer
    • General English Online: Evan Hudson and Clio Wang
    • Conversation Table: Darli Nuza

    Fall 2022 CEP Instructors

    • John Chen
    • Evan Hudson
    • Brooke Knighton
    • Leo Liao
    • Gloria Lopez
    • Clio Wang
    • Nana Weng
    • Ellie Zhou

    Summer 2022 CEP Instructors

    • Katie Carothers
    • John Chen
    • Evan Hudson
    • Ellen Lathrop
    • Leo Liao
    • Ellie Zhou

    Fall 2021 CEP Instructors

    • Erin Ayres
    • Karen Bishop
    • Katie Carothers
    • Shirely Castillo
    • Jiaxu Chen
    • Laura Dabbs
    • Evan Hudson
    • Gary Key
    • Elizabeth Krebs
    • Ellen Lathrop
    • Gengyn Liao
    • Lara Wheeler
    • Hangyu Zhou

    Summer 2021 CEP Instructors (online classes only)

    • Sarah Allison
    • Katherine Carothers
    • Abby Codding
    • Evan Hudson
    • Gemma Kim
    • Betsy Lake
    • Courtney Martinez
    • Christen Nelms
    • Robyn Nichols
    • Sally Anne Perz

    Spring 2021 CEP Instructors (online classes only)

    • Balqees Al Bimani
    • Katherine Carothers
    • Laura Dabbs
    • Gemma Kim
    • Betsy Lake
    • Christen Nelms
    • Robyn Nichols
    • Vivian Peng
    • Sally Anne Perz
    • Athina Stavrou

    Fall 2020 CEP Instructors (online classes only)

    • Sarah Allison
    • Taylor Ausbon
    • Christen Nelms
    • Robyn Nichols
    • Vivian Peng
    • Maria Sisco-Calderon
    • Athina Stavrou
    • Kristin Williams

    Summer 2020
    No classes were offered.

    Spring 2020 CEP Instructors

    • Balqees Al Bimani
    • Lisandra Carballoza Quesada
    • Laura Dabbs
    • Cecilia Garnier
    • Madasyn Goolsby
    • Lantong Huang
    • Gemma Kim
    • Patrick Mackin
    • Courtney Martinez
    • Christen Nelms
    • Katie Nguyen
    • Vivian Peng
    • Athina Stavrou
    • Jason Zhang

    Fall 2019 CEP Instructors

    • Balqees Al Bimani
    • Mohammed Al-Qahtani
    • Erin Baxter
    • Eva Chang
    • Anna Clinkman
    • Laura Dabbs
    • Alder Feroce
    • Cameron Herrington
    • Lantong Huang
    • Oscar Lin
    • Courtney Martinez
    • Christen Nelms
    • Katie Nguyen
    • Vivian Peng
    • Athina Stavrou
    • Jason Zhang

    Spring 2019 CEP Instructors

    • Sezgi Acar
    • Mohammed Al-Qahtani
    • Chih Hsin Chang
    • Ana de Souza
    • Lantong Huang
    • Yuehui Huang
    • Pui Ki Tsang
    • William Navarro
    • Christen Nelms
    • Thu Nguyen
    • Sridevi Ram
    • Matthew Spearman
    • Meghan Walker
    • Jiaxuan Zhang

    Fall 2018 CEP Instructors

    • Sezgi Acar
    • Chih Hsin Chang
    • Ana de Souza
    • Yuehui Huang
    • Pui Ki Tsang
    • Thu Nguyen
    • Sridevi Ram
    • Ashley Reiner
    • Holly Smith
    • Matthew Spearman
    • Guli Tuerxan
    • Meghan Walker
    • Jiaxuan Zhang

    Summer 2018 CEP Instructors

    • Caroline Chadwick
    • Katelyn Howard
    • Yuehui Huang
    • Pui Ki Tsang
    • Peg Lawrence
    • Huvanya Pillay
    • Parth Purohit
    • Sridevi Ram
    • Ashley Reiner
    • Matthew Spearman
    • Charlotte Steiner
    • Puiki Tsang
    • Guli Tuerxan

    Spring 2018 CEP Instructors

    • Alex Bautista
    • Ashley Brantley
    • Caroline Chadwick
    • Katelyn Howard
    • Yuehui Huang
    • Courtney Jeffries
    • Laurel Keel
    • Peg Lawrence
    • Thu Nguyen
    • Huvanya Pillay
    • Parth Purohit
    • Sridevi Ram
    • Matthew Spearman
    • Guli Tuerxan
    • Christiana Williams

    Fall 2017 CEP Instructors

    • Ashley Brantley
    • Caroline Chadwick
    • Katelyn Howard
    • Courtney Jeffries
    • Laurel Keel
    • Peg Lawrence
    • Sarah Langcuster
    • Patrick Mackin
    • Patricia Merritt
    • Thu Nguyen
    • Huvanya Pillay
    • Parth Purohit
    • Matthew Spearman
    • Guzainuer Tuerxan

    Spring 2017 CEP Instructors

    • Kimberly Gibson
    • Cody Head
    • Peg Lawrence
    • Patrick Mackin
    • Ashley Reiners
    • Haley Stevenson
    • Samantha Strong

    Fall 2016 CEP Instructors

    • Maggie Bell
    • Robert Bullard
    • Shay Chambless
    • Madi Dominescy
    • Jennifer Keith
    • Patrick Mackin
    • Amy McConnell
    • Rebecca Ramaiah
    • Ashley Reiners
    • James Rivas
    • Haley Stevenson
    • Samantha Strong
    • Gonul Uguralp Cannon
    • Kathy Zomorrodian

    Summer 2016 CEP Instructors

    • Robert Bullard
    • Christine Cox
    • Josephine Cox
    • Angelica Jaimes
    • Brian Rice
    • Xinyu Zhai

    Spring 2016 CEP Instructors

    • Claudia Benuelos
    • Robert Bullard
    • Shay Chambless
    • Candace Cooper
    • Josephine Cox
    • Christina Dennis
    • Rebecca Denson
    • Hannah Gentry
    • Crystal Jeffries
    • Laura Johnson
    • Jennifer Keith
    • Lizzy Lanham
    • Yasmin Oliveira
    • Brian Rice
    • James Rivas
    • Steven Rowlett
    • Ki Shin
    • Holly Smith
    • Nicole Thorp
    • Gonul Uguralp
    • Ashley Wallace
    • Xinyu Zhai
    • Kathy Zomorrodian

    Fall 2015 CEP Instructors

    • Donna Ali
    • Nadia Barajas
    • Robert Bullard
    • Emily Burleson
    • Monica Cantwell
    • Shay Chambless
    • Josephine Cox
    • Alex Goldner
    • Laura Johnson
    • Jennifer Keith
    • Kellie Kema
    • Linda Lehe
    • Yasmin Oliveira
    • Michael Rosato
    • Steven Rowlett
    • Ki Shin
    • Gail Smith
    • Holly Smith
    • Lauren Smith
    • Blaine Thompson
    • Xinyu Zhai
    • Kathy Zomorrodian


English instructors Guzainuer Tuerxan and Huvanya Pillay teach English to a group of students at UAB's Community English Program in Birmingham, Alabama

Classes are taught by graduate students learning to become ESL teachers.