Florida National University: ESL…

ESL…

In South Florida we receive many immigrants who are highly skilled in their trades or highly educated professionals in their countries of origin, but arrive here without the necessary language skills. And this is what the ESL program at Florida National University does: to provide these immigrants with the English skills they need to succeed in the job market. And I have to emphasize that what we do with our English program is not just teaching English; it is at the core of what we do as a university. Part of our mission is to “contribute to the education of a population of diverse, presently predominantly Hispanic, cultures,” and also “to prepare students for employment in their chosen career.”

Our ESL program covers Basic, Intermediate and High Intermediate levels, each with a minimum of eight months. We have on-ground classes running in the morning and in the evening, and we also have an online program for those students who need flexible hours and the convenience to work at their own pace.Our ESL instructors have a lot of experience in teaching English to a diverse, immigrant population, and in providing knowledge and skills knowledge that would be relevant and readily applicable for the students. That’s why our classes go from “Basic English Skills,” to “Conversation for Everyday Living,” to “Idioms in Context” and “Listening Strategies.”

Right now at FNU we are in the process of creating customized ESL programs to meet the needs of specific sectors of the labor force. One of them is English for Business, which is not the traditional Business English program. This one will be a combination of English instruction by ESL teachers and business insights and case studies by business instructors. We are also preparing an English program for the health field, and another one for retail workers.

One of the benefits associated to our ESL program is that we can admit international students to our program. We have students from Venezuela, Colombia, Vietnam, Brazil, Ecuador, Korea, among others, who are enrolled in out ESL program.

As far as our career programs are concerned, we offer some 30 programs, including Nursing, Radiology, Sonography, Physical Therapy, Dental Technician, Respiratory Therapy, Business Administration, Medical Coding and Billing, Psychology, careers that are in high demand in the job market. So we want to invite readers young and old to visit Florida national University and check our facilities, take a tour, and see for yourself all the education options we have for you.