This guide was developed by the Chicago Urban Skills Institute to provide improved instruction in English as a second language (ESL) to adults in the adult learning skills program. The guide provides standardized guidelines for the content of ESL courses and ideas for lesson and course planning. Course content is described for 21 ESL courses which comprise three course levels: beginning (201-203); intermediate (501-503); and pre-advanced (801-803). Each course consists of 10 to 15 communication objectives, which are stated in functional terms. Each objective describes life situations and suggests grammar structures and vocabulary appropriate to a specific instructional level. This guide has three parts. The first introductory section describes the guide; discusses the foundation of the ESL curriculum; and provides an overview of each level of instruction, functional English proficiency objectives for each cluster of three courses, general objectives per course, and a list of communication objectives for each course. Section two, the communication objectives, describes the content of what is to be taught in the ESL courses at the beginning, intermediate, and pre-advanced levels. Each communication objective has the following components: level and number, title, sample life situations, sample language, target sentence patterns, vocabulary, grammar structures, suggested strategies, notes for the instructor, and classroom notes. Appendixes to the guide include suggested learning strategies, a reference glossary, program descriptions, and other resources including a six-page curriculum bibliography. (KC)