Your "Home Away from Home!"

Since 1979, the English Language Institute (ELI) at The University of Akron (UA) has welcomed students from all over the world and helped them develop their English skills in order to improve their academic studies, expand their career options, and enrich their personal lives. The ELI's English for Academic Purposes Program serves two groups of people: students who are preparing to enroll in a university degree program in the United States and people who desire an intensive approach to language learning. ELI students become proficient and confident users of English while they gain practical insight into living in the United States.

Aspects of the ELI Program

• Academic English and university preparation
• Three sessions per year:
• Fall (August to December) 15 weeks
• Spring (January to May) 15 weeks
• Summer (June to August) 8 weeks
• Four levels of instruction based on student’s English proficiency:
• Pre-Intermediate
• Intermediate
• High Intermediate
• Advanced
• 20 hours of classes per week focus on reading, writing, listening, speaking, grammar, vocabulary, study skills, and proficiency test preparation
• Small classes (average 12 - 15 students per class)
• ELI computer lab for language practice and free access to e-mail and Internet
• Students can meet the University’s English requirement by successfully completing the ELI
• Institutional TOEFL given at the end of each semester free of charge; score accepted by The University of Akron
• Certificate of Attendance awarded at the end of each term
• Affordable tuition and living costs

ELI Course Goals

Reading:

• build your vocabulary
• increase your reading speed and fluency
• read successfully for different purposes
• develop efficient reading strategies

Writing:

• write comfortably and confidently in English
• write for a variety of purposes and readers
• express your ideas clearly and correctly
• develop effective composing strategies

Listening:

• develop strategies to comprehend spoken English
• understand different types of spoken English
• take notes on important information

Grammar/Speaking:

• understand and use the meaning, form, and usage rules of English grammar
• speak fluently and correctly
• self-correct when you are speaking

ELI Faculty

• ELI teachers are highly qualified, caring, and friendly native-English speakers.
• Faculty have Master’s degrees in teaching English as a second language and/or years of experience teaching English to students from many different countries.
• Our teachers have lived, worked, or traveled overseas themselves and know the challenges of adjusting to life in a new country and learning a new language.

Outside of Class

• Cultural, social, educational, and recreational activities
• Conversation partner program with American students
• Close contact with ELI teachers and staff
• Faculty advisers who assist students with adjustment to life in the U.S., study skills, immigration concerns, and academic counseling for students applying to universities
• Full use of all University facilities (new recreation center; new student union with restaurants, bookstore, bank, movie theater, and game room; libraries; health center; performing arts hall; laptop lending program; free wireless network on campus)

The University of Akron

• Comprehensive accredited research and teaching university (founded in 1870) with more than 300 undergraduate and graduate degree programs
• Approximately 1,200 international students from more than 90 countries; total enrollment more than 28,000
• Assistance and information available from Office of International Programs and international student organizations
• Conditional admission available for academically qualified applicants who do not yet meet the English requirement
• Successful completion of ELI meets UA English requirement for full admission
• Excellent programs in business, engineering, and arts & sciences; world-famous polymer science/engineering program
• College of Business Administration recently ranked among top 100 undergraduate business schools in the U.S. by BusinessWeek magazine
• College of Business’ graduate program recognized in The Princeton Review's Best Business Schools for past six years
• College of Engineering is fastest-growing engineering program in Ohio and fourth in U.S., according to review of top 150 U.S. schools by the American Society for Engineering Education

Living in Akron, Ohio

• ELI helps students find housing and settle in.
• Akron has a regional population of 200,000 and is only 50 kilometers from Cleveland, one of the largest and most culturally diverse cities in the U.S.
• Akron provides all the benefits of big city living in a small town atmosphere; the friendly, welcoming people and surprisingly low cost of living make Akron a wonderful place to live and study.
• Northeast Ohio offers opportunities to participate in a range of outdoor activities, as well as professional sporting and cultural events.