September 26, 2005

UCSD Extension English Language
Institute Celebrates 25th Anniversary

By Jackie Carr

From 10 students in first year to 30,000 to date, Institute contributes to San Diego’s reputation as a rapidly growing education center for international students and scholars

What began as a small experiment in 1980 with ten students from Japan arriving to learn English is this year celebrating its 25th

anniversary. UCSD Extension’s English Language Institute (ELI) now attracts an annual enrollment of more than 2,000 students and is a growing contributor to the academic and career advancement of learners from more than ten countries.

The growth of UCSD Extension’s ELI has been based on its ability to help learners from around the world refine their English while studying a range of fields from business to medicine to ocean science. As of the 25th anniversary this year, more than 30,000 students have enrolled in the ELI, with the majority from Korea , Japan , Switzerland , and Italy . Students range in age from 18-55 with the median age being 24. While a substantial number of students represent career starters, an increasing number represent engineering, biotech, and pharmaceutical researchers, post-doctoral fellows, and graduate students. Courses are carried out during the day and evening on campus, on-line and at company sites across the region.

“Solar Turbines, Diversa, Biogen Idec, and others offer evening classes in pronunciation and technical writing to their most talented designers and researchers,” says Wendy Salazar, program representative for the Institute, which is a program of UCSD Extension. “The result is employees who are better able to collaborate with their American counterparts.”

While local partners represent San Diego’s biotech cluster, international partners represent entities like the China Scholarship Council, a non-profit institution responsible for sponsoring Chinese citizens to study abroad and foreign citizens to study in China , and the University of Applied Science in Zurich.

“The internationalization of education benefits universities around the world. Students traveling to the United States gain exposure to a new culture with insights into how American business operates,” comments Urs Duersteler, Prorektor and Professor at the University of Applied Science in Zurich.

The instructors from the Institute specialize in teaching English as a second language and often speak multiple languages. One of the instructors, David Fein, helps scientists refine their ability to make oral presentations such as speeches. “One of the things I enjoy most about teaching is the valuable insight I gain from the students about their home countries. Their perspectives contribute greatly to my understanding of the world -- ultimately making me a more informed instructor.”

Economically speaking, participants in the program bolster the San Diego economy by spending more than $10 million on food, transportation, and housing annually. Many students establish long-term relationships with instructors and fellow students, furthering the cause of intercultural understanding and global communication.

“Enrollment trends often follow the economic and political stability of the student’s home countries,” says Roxanne Nuhaily, director of the UCSD Extension English Language Institute. “In times of prosperity, enrollments peak. This year we have seen one of our highest enrollments and an incredibly diverse mix of students,” says Nuhaily.

“This type of cross-cultural education has the long-term benefit of building relationships across the globe with future leaders in life sciences, engineering and medicine. Because of their experience at the Institute, San Diego will be first in their minds when they pick up the phone to establish new business and cultural partnerships in the United States,” Nuhaily adds.

More information about UCSD Extension’s English Language Institute may be learned online at http://extension.ucsd.edu/international.