The ESL Fast Track Training Series is a grass roots initiative conceived by Gilda Rubio-Festa and Rebeca Fernandez, ESL specialists who have a combined 30 years of experience in ESL education and a proven track record for recognizing, developing and implementing successful programs and products. Gilda, director of International Community and Outreach, oversees the program planning and curriculum development of the Adult ESL program at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina. Rebecca, instructor and curriculum developer, manages the civics education grants and develops and trains instructors on the use of civics education curriculum.

The ESL Fast Track teacher training course was developed in response to a need for more adequately trained ESL instructors. Through the generous support of a private donor, funding was provided to develop and pilot test the training series at numerous adult education sites around the country. The donor's vision was to then make the training series available nationally at a very affordable price so that every individual who desired to teach ESL would have the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge necessary to do so effectively.

ESL Fast Track uses the online learning management system (LMS) known as Moodle. Participants are most apt to take this course as a group endeavor, but individuals on their own self-improvement journey are likely to take the course as well.

Each module contains short videos, audiovisual presentations, and self-correcting activities and assessments. Participants watch introductory videos, listen to mini-lectures, complete tasks and demonstrate an understanding of the content by taking short quizzes incorporated into each learning module.  A forum is available for participants to respond to a prompt and interact with other participants. There is a final exam which concludes the training. Each module takes between three-five hours to complete, depending on the content.

Participants should be comfortable with the learning-at-a-distance concept and be prepared to meet technology and software requirements for this online course.