In 1987, a study was conducted by the Los Angeles Community College District's (LACCD) English as a Second Language (ESL) Institute to establish baseline data on the English language needs for the LACCD's service area. The study drew upon census data provided by the Southern California Association of Governments, information on elementary and secondary students provided by the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), and results of annual surveys of LACCD students. Study findings included the following: (1) in 1980, Latinos made up 31.9% of the total LACCD population, while Blacks accounted for 14.5% and Asians 7.5%; (2) by the year 2000, Latinos and Asians will comprise 56.7% of the 18-19 year old population, 53.6% of the 20-24 year olds, and 46.6% of the 25-34 year olds; (3) 13% of the 18-54 year old adults in the LACCD spoke a foreign language in their homes, and an additional 20% spoke both English and another language; (4) in 1980, close to 1,000,000 people, ages 5-54, spoke both English and another language in the home; (5) the percentage of Latino children in grades K-12 in the LAUSD increased from 18.6% in 1966 to 55.2% in 1985; (6) of the respondents to LACCD's spring 1987 student survey, 41.2% identified themselves as foreign language natives, and 57.9% of these students indicated that they needed help in English; (7) in fall 1986, 17,347 of the 102,533 students enrolled in the LACCD identified themselves as foreign nationals, with 82.5% residing in the United States with permanent visa status; and (8) total enrollment in the LACCD's ESL classes during fall 1986 was 7,694 students. Recommendations based on study findings are included. Population projections, racial/ethnic statistics, and ESL data are appended. (AAZC)