Lizzie Olster finds something for every student in New York City
No matter what you’re looking for in a study abroad destination, New York has got you covered. Whether you’re after exhilarating new experiences or a piece of home abroad, New York will both thrill and comfort you. From iconic city sights like the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, and Times Square to its plethora of authentic ethnic restaurants and communities, it is both an exotic and familiar destination. A booming nightlife and hundreds of museums help make New York the most popular study abroad destination in the U.S.
“The City,” as it’s known from upstate to tri-state, isn’t geographically large, yet it is densely packed. Utilizing New York City’s public transit system, schools in Manhattan and its surrounding boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island) are easily accessible. The subway is fast and reliable, and its ‘round the clock schedule is convenient while alleviating the need for expensive taxis. For weekend trips to Boston, Philadelphia or Washington, DC, trains and buses are an easy and relaxing way to travel.
Manhattan’s neighborhoods vary greatly and are teeming with interesting people, food, and shops. The Lower East Side features widely acclaimed Katz’s Deli and borders Chinatown, where sidewalk shopping and dim sum abound. Union Square’s weekend farmer’s market is a must-see, and St. Mark’s Place in the East Village is a punk rock haven.
A few things to know about New York: people are friendly; the city really doesn’t sleep; and though winters can be chilly, the charms New York has to offer far outweigh the cold.
Columbia University
Columbia University’s American Language Program (ALP), founded in 1911, is one of the oldest English language programs in the U.S. Its mission is to offer high-quality academic language courses for both full-time language students and international students in degree programs at Columbia University.
Whether the objective is to attend an American university or achieve professional success in the U.S., ALP’s programs are designed to greatly improve proficiency in written and spoken English. The ALP offers a unique educational and cultural experience: students study at an Ivy League university, on a historic Manhattan campus, in a serious academic program taught by a world-class faculty.
Year-round there are nine levels of instruction from low beginner to very high advanced level. Course work at all levels is designed to develop grammatical accuracy, fluency and pronunciation, listening and reading comprehension, and writing skills. Instruction at the ALP involves a lot of class participation and active use of the spoken and written language. Students can also opt for part-time programs or special summer study programs, including business and legal English.
LSI
For over ten years, LSI New York has been providing high-quality English instruction to students from more than 50 countries annually. With a great location, experienced teachers, and dynamic classes, LSI New York is a great place to live and learn the language.
Located on Canal Street in lower Manhattan, LSI is just steps from some of the best neighborhoods in Manhattan such as the trendy shops of SoHo, the chic restaurants of TriBeCa, and the diversity of Little Italy and Chinatown. The campus has a large student lounge, free WiFi, and lots of computers for student use.
LSI offers a wide variety of options including general English, TOEFL preparation, Business English, and Cambridge exam preparation. All classes focus on communication skills so that students can speak and understand English with greater confidence, while small class sizes ensure that everyone can participate.
Embassy NY
Embassy’s flagship school in midtown Manhattan has been providing English lessons to international students for over 25 years. The study center offers a contemporary and modern learning environment with up-to-date teaching facilities, including interactive white boards and WiFi throughout.
Students choose Embassy for many reasons: from a simple vacation where they can brush up on their English, to gaining the academic English skills required to get into one of their university partners. The school has a residence on the Upper West Side which boasts large rooms, amazing views of Manhattan, and is only a 25-minute direct subway journey from the school.
Zoni
As the world’s center for culture, entertainment, art, fashion, business and education, New York is the ideal place to improve English skills while enjoying the city’s many rewards. Zoni’s campus is conveniently located near public transportation and many attractions, such as the Empire State Building and Times Square.
Zoni offers intensive and semi-intensive English programs with its own facilities and instructional staff, TOEFL preparation, ESL for Business, a Pronunciation and Accent Reduction course, English plus Dance, elective courses and conversation and culture classes, all taught by highly qualified, experienced instructors. Zoni New York City is a certified testing center for the TOEFL iBT and Cambridge ESOL Examinations. In addition, Zoni offers a variety of on-campus activities ranging from annual poetry and speech competitions to cultural festivals, holiday parties, and much more.
There are also campuses in Miami Beach and Vancouver, Canada.
Kaplan
Kaplan has three centers in New York City. Each one is located at a prime location in the heart of Manhattan. The KIC Midtown location is only a few moments away from the tranquility of Central Park, the world famous Guggenheim Museum, Lincoln Center, and Times Square. The East Village school is next to the main NYU campus and the trendy East Village area on the fringe of SoHo. The largest New York school occupies the 63rd floor of the world famous Empire State Building and provides an opportunity to study in one of the most iconic buildings in the world while enjoying breathtaking panoramic views across the whole city. The popularity of Kaplan schools ensures a diverse mixture of student nationalities, helping to create a fascinating and vibrant atmosphere in the classroom.
All schools offer a wide range of courses, including Intensive English programs, TOEFL or Cambridge Exam preparation courses or less Intensive Vacation English courses. Kaplan also offers GMAT and GRE preparation courses for international students, a University Placement Service and a Practical Business English Program, which allows students to practice their English skills in a professional work environment.
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private coeducational university located in central New York State. It has some 15,000 undergraduate and 4,000 graduate students from all over the U.S., 85 countries, and a variety of economic and social backgrounds. There are 2,300 international students enrolled at Syracuse.
Founded in 1870, the university offers a superb faculty, numerous resources for study and research and an enormous range of opportunities for personal growth through intellectual, cultural, and social community activity. Offerings include more than 200 majors. The University offers not only masters and Ph.D. programs but also professional development and certificate programs that hone the skills graduates need to advance their careers.
Established in 1979, Syracuse University’s English Language Institute (ELI) serves adults with diverse goals who wish to study English as a second language. In addition to semester-long pre-college and professional school programs, the ELI schedules short-term study formats to accommodate accelerated instruction in English. High quality teaching and learning facilities include eight electronically equipped general use classrooms, an executive seminar room with teleconferencing capability, a computer training classroom, and a computer cluster for personal use.
The ELI provides intensive English classes from 20-30 hours per week, conversation groups, tutorial sessions with full-time faculty, social activities, academic advising, recommendation letters, student visa assistance, five proficiency levels, courses tailored to specific needs, friendly staff, and a beautiful campus.
Lizzie Olster is a regular contributor to Language Magazine.
