Going to language courses in the United States is not only an opportunity to thoroughly master the English language and culture, but also a chance to stay in this huge and developed country for a long time or forever. At the choice of the future student, the course program can be more or less intensive, have a different duration and focus. Intensive or summer courses are more aimed at improving the level of English proficiency, annual ones will help to perfectly learn the language in order to subsequently get a decent education and find a job in any country in the world.
Language courses in America - great opportunities
Attending language courses in America is a unique chance to broaden your horizons, gain new knowledge and reach a different level of life. It's nice that there are separate English courses for adults and programs for children or students in the country.
The importance of passing the American language program can hardly be overestimated:
- courses provide full immersion in the language environment and excellent language practice;
- the student perfectly masters the English language, which opens up new horizons for study and work;
- you can enter the chosen American university or college based on the results of passing the language exam.
The US educational system allows you to simultaneously study the language and earn extra money in order to cover the costs of room and board. You can live with a family, a hostel or rent an apartment.
Types of language courses
In the USA, you can choose an English course to your liking. Various organizations offer a wide variety of educational programs to suit all ages. At the end of the course, the student is issued a diploma or certificate.
The programs are designed in such a way that learning English in America is possible for listeners of all categories:
- General English course.
- Intensive course - includes about 28 lessons per week for fast language acquisition.
- A specialized program for narrowly focused specialists.
- Preparation for passing international exams IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, FCE.
- Business English for US business.
Language courses for graduates of schools aimed at further education in the States are often conducted by American universities.
Studying a language program at a US university is a great opportunity to gain quality knowledge, practice speaking, find friends, and learn the principles of studying in the country.
University professors are adaptive in presenting material, which helps Russians to assimilate knowledge faster.
Admission and features of training
To enroll in a US language school, the applicant will need to collect a package of documents, which includes:
- application form;
- a copy of the completed passport pages;
- receipts for tuition fees and school registration fees.
At the very beginning, students pass a special test (written and oral), which helps the teacher determine the level of knowledge of English. Based on the results of the work, the flow is divided into groups.
There are online tests that you can take before you travel. A language school that offers these tests takes them several times and monitors the progress of each student.
During the lessons, the students of the school are constantly in contact with the teacher and with each other, developing conversational English. In addition, training involves:
- constant performance of tasks and exercises,
- studying grammar,
- maintenance of abstracts,
- writing essays and essays,
- listening to lectures,
- work in the library.
Preparation of travel documents
International students can apply for an F1, J1 or M1 visa. The first two give the right to work while studying, the latter does not provide for such an opportunity.
In most cases, a special student visa to the United States is issued for foreign citizens for language courses - F1. It is issued specifically for those who want to get an education in America: children can get it after enrolling in high school (14-15 years old), adults - up to 40 years old.
To obtain an F1 visa, a student must have an academic workload of 20 hours per week. One of the advantages of this type is the permission to work on campus 20 hours a week during the semester and a full day during vacations (for students in programs lasting 6 months or more)
Reasons for obtaining - the passage of academic training:
- English courses;
- preparation for admission to a higher educational institution;
- admission to college, undergraduate or graduate programs;
- short-term vocational training;
- summer language programs for schoolchildren.
To obtain an exit permit, you will need:
- receipt for payment of courses;
- invitation from a language school - Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility);
- receipt for payment of SEVIS I-901 Fee - in the online system of mandatory registration of all non-residents of America during their stay in the United States: the cost is $ 200, and you can register on the Student and Exchange Visitor Program website;
- Application for a Nonimmigrant Visa (Form DS-160);
- confirmation of payment of the consular fee, which is $ 160;
- proof of financial security;
- international passport;
- color photo 5x5 cm (more detailed requirements can be found on the website of the US visa information service for Russians).
Consider in advance how to document things such as:
- length of stay in the United States;
- place of residence;
- payment for the trip - independently or with the support of a sponsor.
Additional documents often require photocopies of papers confirming the connection with the homeland (property, marriage certificate, birth of a child), medical certificates, extracts from the place of study or work.
For programs lasting up to 12 weeks, it is enough to issue a B2 tourist visa (Visitor Visa), provided that the student will study less than 18 hours a week. In addition, it should be remembered that work on this type of visa is prohibited.
When applying for a tourist visa in order to attend language courses, it is better to take care of confirming the number of hours from the chosen school in advance.
Choosing a city to study a language in the USA
It is rather difficult to decide on the city where it is better to enroll in the courses. If the purpose of admission to language courses in the United States is to further study at a university in the country and / or internship in local companies, then three cities are ideal:
- Boston,
- San Francisco,
- New York.
It is in these cities that the best universities in America are located, where you can enroll in language courses. In addition, in megacities, you can always find a part-time job, and later - a good permanent job, which will serve as a reason to move to the country.
According to reviews, the most inexpensive options in New York are schools:
- Bell Language School (Brooklyn),
- Spanish American Institute (Manhattan),
- Kingsborough Community College, and others.
The choice of the city for those who are going to study in America further depends to a large extent on the university intended for admission. It would be logical to take language courses at this university or at least in the same city.
Those whose goal is to combine business with pleasure, that is, improve their language and relax, or a hobby plus English, should pay attention to the programs provided by summer schools in the USA in resort cities: San Diego, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, on Hawaii.
Other cities include: Chicago, Washington, Atlanta, Portland, Houston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles. The strongest language schools in America are open here.
The most popular language schools in the USA for admission
Foreigners are recommended to enroll in one of the proposed best language schools in America, which include:
| Town | School name | Average cost of training per week (more specifically determined by the chosen course of study), $ |
|---|---|---|
| New York, Boston, Los Angeles | Sprachcaffe | 180 |
| Boston | Lal | 335 |
| Miami | Open Hearts Language Academy | 220 |
| Miami | EC Miami School | 220 |
| San Francisco, New York | St. Giles | 406–421 |
| Miami, Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Portland, San Diego, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Seattle, Philadelphia, | Kaplan International English | 420–450 |
| New York, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Boston | European Center of English Language Studies (EC) | 370– 415 |
| Boston (Kaplan school) | Kaplan boston harvard square | 450 |
| Chicago, Boston, San Francisco | Stafford House International | 370 |
| San Diego, New York, San Francisco | Embassy English | 325–355 |
As you can see, the cost of English courses in the United States fluctuates depending on the location and school.
This is not the whole list of the best US language schools. Large developed cities, modern high-rise buildings, excellent equipped classrooms, experienced teachers - all this is offered by America's leading language schools.
The language school Kaplan New York SoHo (the official website of the school) stands out especially. The training center is located near world famous attractions - Washington Square, Downtown, Midtown. You can come here to study a language at any time of the year; the school has all types of programs, including annual language courses.
A newcomer to the United States has ample opportunity to study English without any payment. Language courses for learners of English as a Second Language are called ESL - short for English as a Second Language.
You can find completely free English courses in the USA, for example, in:
- libraries;
- special centers or schools, such as the Riverside Language Program in New York or the Cope ESL school with branches in Brooklyn and Manhattan;
- groups coming together to improve speaking skills.
A great option for the summer is children's camps in the States, where you can relax and learn the language. Age groups are very different. For example, Julian Krinsky Haverford in Philadelphia offers programs for children ages 4 to 13. Most language courses are designed for adolescents from about 15 years old.
Employment at the time of attending language courses
Many are concerned about the possibility of earning money while studying language courses in the United States. In most cases, the workload at school is such that there is practically no time and effort left for work.
Students who attend language courses in the United States can work on the territory of their school for a maximum of 20 hours per week.
In order to officially find a job while studying the language, you need to contact the special Department of Designated School Official (DSO), which is easy to find in any large university or educational institution.
Without the permission of the DSO, it is prohibited to work during the period of study in language courses. If a student is found to be working illegally, the school's I-20 will be canceled and the offender will be asked to leave the United States as soon as possible.
Is it expensive to live in the United States
A table will help you to roughly compare prices in different cities of America:
| New York | Los Angeles | Boston | San Diego | San Francisco | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visit to a mid-range restaurant, for 2 people, 3 courses | 85 | 70 | 64 | 50 | 80 |
| Transport fare, 1 ticket | 2.75 | 1.75 | 2.45 | 2.5 | 2.75 |
| Gasoline cost | 0.8 | 0.97 | 0.75 | 0.95 | 1.01 |
| Monthly utility costs | 148.81 | 146.52 | 156.22 | 133.38 | 118.23 |
| Payment for kindergarten, per month | 2328.32 | 1116.92 | 1739.83 | 1034.9 | 2117.54 |
| The cost of a pair of jeans | 54.68 | 50.02 | 48.57 | 46.43 | 62.24 |
| The cost of renting a 1-room apartment, per month | 3 135,7 / | 2 153,7 / | 2 380,3 / | 1 965,5 / | 3 390/ |
| (in the center / on the outskirts) | 2031.5 | 1644.7 | 1742.4 | 1550 | 2775.8 |
| Price for 1 sq. M. housing in the center / on the outskirts | 4 117 / 6 252,3 | 7 386/ 4 830 | 9 324/ 4 269,5 | 5 850 / 4081,3 | 12 492,8 / 9 829 |
| Salary (average, after taxes) | 4768 | 4189 | 4288 | 4229.8 | 6558.7 |
| The cost of some products on the market | |||||
| Milk, 1 l | 1.18 | 1.02 | 0.84 | 0.92 | 1.13 |
| Bread, 500 g | 3.82 | 3.05 | 2.75 | 3.23 | 3.74 |
| Eggs, 12 pcs. | 3.55 | 3.27 | 2.81 | 3.08 | 3.32 |
| Veal, 1 kg | 14.74 | 12.97 | 14.8 | 12.03 | 17.85 |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | 3.54 | 2.83 | 3.91 | 2.21 | 3.51 |
If you are planning a trip to a San Diego school, you should count on $ 900 per month without rent. Taking into account the cost of a rented apartment, the amount can increase up to $ 3,500. However, in comparison, for example, with San Francisco, where about $ 5,500 will be spent for the same purposes, it is still inexpensive.
Language courses in the USA: good or bad?
The price of language courses for Russians, Kazakhstanis and other citizens of the post-Soviet space is quite high. This is one of the main disadvantages of studying in America.
Also, our compatriots note the difficulties in obtaining and extending a visa, differences in mentality and the education system in general. However, the level of knowledge taught and the possibility of immigration with subsequent employment in the country more than cover these shortcomings.
Language programs do not have age restrictions, are varied in directions and prices, up to free. Russian-speaking visitors are treated here very friendly, which is also a big plus.
