inlingua Engilsh Center
The mission of inlingua® English Center is to provide instruction in English as a Second Language to international students for their academic, professional and personal needs, and to promote cross-cultural understanding and academic excellence. Its mission is to also provide students with an opportunity to evaluate their performances through various test mechanisms, so that they may better respond to academic and immigration needs.
Classes are offered at 12 levels, from beginning to the most advanced. inlingua® Washington, DC is also an official TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) test center. It is administered monthly, and is also open to those not enrolled at inlingua®. Classes are held all year round, except for national holidays.
California Destinations for Language Learning
California is not only one of the world’s most popular tourist hotspots; it is also a popular destination for international students. According Open Doors 2005, over 75,000 international students enrolled in the state last year — over 13 percent of the nation’s total. Of course, the majority of these students took graduate and undergraduate programs, but enrollments on intensive English programs (IEP’s) grew by 7.5 percent from the previous year in which over 10,000 students enrolled on IEP’s in California.
Language Magazine asked program providers why the state is so popular with English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students.
Starting about an hour north of San Francisco, Helen Kallenbach of the Sonoma State American Language Institute believes that California’s diversity is the key to its success, “There is a large variety of students in California, so one group doesn’t really dominate. There are also many types of climate, geography, and activities in this state. Students can live near the ocean, the mountains, the desert; they can surf, ski, camp, play golf. California has several national and state parks such as the Sonoma Coast State Beach, Yosemite, and Death Valley. There are several major cities in California including the capital Sacramento, Berkeley, Los Angeles, San Jose, Santa Barbara, San Diego, and San Francisco. Each one offers opportunities to experience the California culture including museums, shopping, restaurants, and sightseeing.”
Kallenbach adds that the institute typifies the diversity and friendliness of California, “Our school is located on the park-like campus of California State University Sonoma. It is close to the Pacific Ocean, the redwood forest, the wine country (Sonoma and Napa counties), Sacramento, Berkeley, and Lake Tahoe and all the activities that those locations offer. CSU Sonoma is one of the finest small liberal arts universities in the Western part of the U.S. Our town and campus are safe and welcoming. Our school is small (around 50 students) and each student receives individual attention including academic counseling. Most students agree that ‘SSALI is like a family.’”
Helen Davaran of LSI in Berkeley stresses the state’s diversity of attractions, “The mild weather, varied geography including mountains, deserts, and beaches, the laid back California atmosphere, its proximity to Asia, many good colleges and universities to go on to, all of the attractions and activities available from the Golden Gate Bridge, the Wine and Gold country in Northern California to Disneyland and Hollywood in Southern California; activities run the gamut from skiing to surfing and can often be done from one week to the next!”
Climate Culture
In southern California, the weather adds to the attraction of diversity, according to Dr William Price of OSULA Education Center in Los Angeles, “Many people choose California as a study destination for the good weather and sunshine. Another reason is the lifestyle and the great variety of opportunities to learn and see things outside the classroom that are found in California. Yet another reason is that there are many language and ethnic communities in California cities where international students can find a touch of home on weekends.” Dr Price adds that his school’s location is particularly appropriate for international students, “OSULA Education Center is located in a safe neighborhood within walking distance of shopping, restaurants, entertainment, and parks, and yet only a 20-minute commute from downtown Los Angeles. From our front door, students can easily navigate to other parts of the city…and Southern California…using public transportation. We provide on-campus student housing, a gymnasium, tennis court, and swimming pool. Here, in upscale Studio City, students can easily meet people in coffee bars or elsewhere for conversations and friendship.”
John F. Akapito, the manager of English Language Programs at National University in San Diego, is unequivocal about the attraction of California and San Diego in particular, “Because of its diverse population, California is proven to be one of the best, if not the best, locations for international students to study. Southern California has more to offer, including its most envied ever-pleasant weather. San Diego unquestionably is America’s finest city.”
Vince Burns of ELS San Diego shares this enthusiasm for his city and state, “California is a magnet for young people from around the world. Besides learning English, there are so many things the students can do during their leisure time. The climate in the southern part of the state is the best in the United States which makes it a very attractive place to live year-round. The diversity of the population is amazing which makes it much easier for students to fit in. San Diego has the best climate in the U.S. It is a very moderate and mild climate which our students love. They can spend a lot of time outdoors year round. Our school has been in San Diego for almost 30 years. We take learning English very seriously. A majority of our students study in our 30-hours per week Intensive program and then move on to seek their degrees at colleges and universities. Many of them do not need to take the TOEFL exam as many institutions accept completion of our program as a way to meet their English requirement. In addition to our serious academics, we offer an extensive student activities program.”
For once, the old cliché of having something for everyone rings true.
Contacts
Since 1990, OSULA Education Center in Los Angeles has provided students from around the world with practical English courses. Small classes, American teachers, and an interactive curriculum build fluency fast! OSULA is located in an upscale neighborhood with easy access to Southern California’s many attractions.
Sonoma State American Language Institute [SSALI] in Northern California — The best word to describe the SSALI experience is family. SSALI is on the park-like campus of CSU Sonoma near the California Wine Country and one hour from San Francisco in the safe community of Rohnert Park. www.sonoma.edu/exed/ssali or contact by email: ssali@sonoma.edu.
