How To: language holidays / language schools in the US

The US are still the most popular destination for international language students who wish to learn English or improve their English and at the same time often want to get to know world-famous cities such as San Diego, Los Angeles or New York. There are the numbers to prove it - the US are holding a solid second place with approximately 230,000 language students, right after the UK with approximately 430,000 language students, this represents a market share of 20.5%. The average length of stay for language students in the US is approximately 12 weeks.

Therefore, it is not surprising that a great number of language schools are located in the US - some private and some at universities, which also allow you to experience campus life for a few weeks. In Germany, more than 100 providers are advertising their language holidays in the US. Those programs offer a great variety of courses, with everything from university English for students to language and cultural programs for tourists. In order to find out which one is best for you, you have to plan your stay very carefully.

In general, anyone who is interested may choose between two different options:

You may contact a provider right here in Germany who will usually have detailed information about several language schools an different regions of the US and who will organize your stay there. The advantage is that, while you can usually also book a course over the internet directly at a language school, but the German providers will allow you to choose from their selection of schools about which they have detailed information. And in case you have any problems during your stay, you will have someone to contact who even may be able to intervene. On the website of the Fachverband Deutscher Sprachreise-Veranstalter FDSV (association of language holiday providers) you will find a list of language holiday providers that includes links directly to the individual providers.

If you want to book your course directly and not via an organization, you should have a look at sprachkurse-weltweit.com or "Language Schools in the US." They will provide you with a great overview of language schools worldwide, including the US. In case you are interested in one of the (usually cheaper) courses at a university, check the UCIEP website.

Admission regulations Germans, Austrians and Swiss citizens who are taking part in a language course of less than 18 hours a week do not need a visa, provided they are holding a machine-readable passport. They may travel under the Visa Waiver Program without any problems. Please note, however, that you may need a visa due to other reasons.

In case you are participating in a language course of more than 18 hours a week, you will need the F-1 (student) visa. You will have to apply in person (not via mail) at your local US embassy. Difficulties may arise in case you book your course on short notice, there may not be enough time for you to obtain a visa. Please note that it may take up to four weeks before you are issued your visa. We recommend to schedule your interview right after you have booked your language course. According to US regulations, however, the F-1 cannot be issued more than 90 days before the beginning of your stay.

In order to apply for the F-1, you will need the so-called form I-20 "Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status for Academic and Language Students." So, before you enroll at a language school, please make sure that it meets the standardized minimum requirements. This process that sets certain standards and makes them obligatory for language schools in the US is called accreditation.

There are two specific authorities in the US that take care of accreditation for intense English language courses (more than 18 hours a week) - The Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET) and the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA). Please make sure that the school you wish to attend is registered with one of the two, because USCIS only authorizes these schools to issue the necessary I-20 that you will need to apply for your F-1 visa. Find further information about the F-1 application on the US consulate's homepage on www.us-botschaft.de/germany-ger/visa/studenten.html.

SEVIS program Since September of 2004 all language students traveling on an F-visa have to pay the so-called SEVIS fee of $100 (in addition to the visa fee) to the USCIS before their visa interview. SEVIS is an internet-based system established by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

This fee is to be paid online under fmjfee.com. Please remember to print out your payment confirmation and bring it along for your visa interview at the US embassy. Upon paying your SEVIS fee you will be given a SEVIS number that you have to state when scheduling your interview appointment.

Other things you should know A few more things you should consider in case you are interested in a language holiday in the US.

- In order to make sure you have the best possible learning success you should make sure there are not too many students in one class. It does make a very big difference whether you are trying to improve your English in a class of 5 or a class of 30.

- The nix of nationalities should be well balanced, i.e. there shouldn't be too many students from the same country in one class, especially not from your own country.

- Always carefully look at what is included in the price, e.g. whether there are 20, 25 or 30 teaching units a week, whether the lessons are 40, 45, 50 or 60 minutes and how many days you will have off due to public holidays and/or vacation time.

- An advantage would certainly be if the school would have a library or computer room with (free) internet access where you could go after your lessons. Of course, this should not be the decisive factor.

- Especially for long-term programs, accommodation is a significant cost factor. Host families usually receive between €100 and €150 a week per student. So, considering costs and personal freedom, after a few weeks or months with a host family you should think about maybe sharing an apartment with other language students, provided that is possible with your program and in your region. In case you do not want to live with a host family, check out accommodation possibilities in good time. You may either ask your organization or look into it yourself. Also consider the distance between the school and your accommodation.

- Furthermore, you should check, especially for long-term programs, whether the providers / language schools prepare you for the relevant, worldwide acknowledged language certificates such as TOEFL or the Cambridge Certificate. In addition, you could ask how other students have done on these tests after being prepared by the schools and whether the fees for the tests are already included in the price.