Our Mission

What kind of program are we?

Our mission is to prepare students to develop communicative competence in English to function more effectively in conversational, academic and professional settings. To that end, we offer a diverse range of courses designed to meet the needs and interests of our international students.

Our summer English language courses allow students and professionals to:

• Improve their fluency in speaking by examining the culturally salient rules of American English conversation, by participating in class discussions and completing out-of-class activities designed to foster interaction with native speakers.
• Become better public speakers by making formal and informal presentations, fielding audience questions and leading class discussions.
• Increase clarity, accuracy, and understanding of spoken American English by getting detailed individualized feedback.
• Enhance their reading comprehension skills and expand their knowledge of academic or workplace writing conventions and practices.
• Learn about culture through meaningful activities, from going out in the community to talk to native speakers to analyzing classic American films or authentic materials from different media.

Is our program right for you?

Our summer ESL courses are designed for intermediate to advanced students. We expect students to have, at a minimum, intermediate English language proficiency. The program defines “intermediate” as having had two years of solid foundational English coursework, whereby students understand conversational and academic English beyond basic structures and vocabulary, read intermediate level texts, and are able to write cohesive paragraphs and essays. Our program does not, unfortunately, accommodate beginners. All students will be required to take a placement examination on the first day of classes.

For questions about our program and studying ESL in Los Angeles, please contact us at sesl@ucla.edu. Stay tuned for information about the Summer 2021 program.