Mission Statement
The overall mission of the University of Alabama English Language Institute (ELI), which was established in 1982, is to provide high quality instruction in English as a second language (ESL) and orientation in U.S. culture to international students who are nonnative speakers of English. Through its array of internal and external programs, including the Intensive English Program, the International Teaching Assistant Program, the Academic Support Program, and various external group programs, the ELI seeks to accomplish the following specific goals:
- To teach English as a second language (ESL) to students enrolled in ELI programs;
- To provide students with the cultural knowledge and awareness which they will need to function satisfactorily, both academically and socially, in the United States;
- To prepare students who are studying ESL for academic purposes with the academic skills and strategies which will help them to be successful in their undergraduate or graduate studies;
- To provide appropriate ESL instruction for matriculated international students at UA who participate in the ELI’s Academic Support Program;
- To ensure that international students who serve as graduate teaching assistants and provide undergraduate instruction at UA have adequate proficiency in English and sufficient knowledge of U.S. culture to work effectively with undergraduate students;
- To inform students enrolled in ELI programs about options and opportunities for academic study at The University of Alabama and encourage them to consider applying for admission;
- To recruit international students to the UA campus for the benefit of providing cross-cultural encounters and international education opportunities for both American and international students;
- To serve as a resource for international education to the faculty, staff, and students of The University of Alabama; and,
- To encourage students, as citizens of the world, to learn to respect and appreciate countries and cultures different from their own and therefore play a role in promoting peace and understanding in the world.