 | VIU's English as a Second Language (ESL) program serves adult learners from as many as 50 countries. Most of our students enter the United States on F-1 student visas. Some hold green cards. Others are citizens, immigrants, or dependents who wish to improve their English language skills. The majority of our students study in VIU's ESL program as their first U.S. educational experience. Many begin studying in our program within days of entering the country. They particularly enjoy VIU's intimate, | non-threatening learning environment where they are supported to take risks, practice new skills, and try their hand at new and often unfamiliar experiences.
Our students fall into two learner populations. The first population consists of the academic English learners. These students come to VIU to learn English as a step toward academic work or career development. Many graduates of VIU's ESL program move into one of VIU's academic programs, including certificate, undergraduate, and graduate programs in business and computer science. Others move on to other college and university programs. Many of our students also return to their home countries where they will use English as a global language for international business. The second population studying English at VIU consists of general ESL learners who have no immediate plans for academic study in the United States. Typically, these learners live in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area and need or wish to improve their communication skills. | |
