Since the inception of the ELC program, participating schools have submitted transcripts for the top 12.5 percent (15 percent beginning in 2011) of their students, with parental permission. Using this information, we have established a historic, or benchmark, GPA representing the expected GPA for the top 9 percent of the students from each school.
- The Early Learning Coalition of Pinellas County is committed to high-quality early care and education for the children in our community. We work with child care providers to ensure all families have access to exceptional early learning opportunities throughout Pinellas County.
- Crisis COVID-19 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) and ELC CARES. Specify the distinct new or enhanced activities made possible by ‘ELC Enhanced Detection’. Plans for how the ELC recipient will work with local jurisdictions to meet local needs that support the entire.
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The English Language Center (ELC) at Brigham Young University is under the direction of the Department of Linguistics and the Division of Continuing Education. The program is designed to provide a laboratory school for teachers learning to teach English to speakers of other languages and to provide high quality English language instruction for students desiring to improve their English language skills. Students can expect most of the teachers at the ELC to be graduate students studying in the TESOL master’s degree program or to have graduated from that program with a graduate certificate or master’s degree.
APPLY TODAY***Textbooks and Health Insurance costs are estimated and might differ.
Students must be 18 years of age by the first day of the semester to apply and have graduated from high school (or the equivalent of 12th grade in the US) by the application deadline. Applicants who will turn 18 during their first semester may request an exception to the age requirement by emailing the ELC Office (elcsec@byu.edu) to request the forms for an exception.
| Semester | Semester Dates | Application Accepted |
| Fall 2021 (1 semester) | August 30 to December 9, 2021 | January 20, 2021 to May 1, 2021 |
| Application Fee: | $50 |
| Fall 2021 tuition: | $2,650 |
| Express Mail Fee: | $50 |
| Books (estimate): | Up to $300 per semester |
| Health Insurance (estimate): | $350 per semester |
| Living Expenses (estimate): | $3350 per semester |
***Do not send money for the additional costs
The English Language Center (ELC) at Brigham Young University is under the direction of the Department of Linguistics and the Division of Continuing Education. The program is designed to provide a laboratory school for teachers learning to teach English to speakers of other languages and to provide high quality English language instruction for students desiring to improve their English language skills. Students can expect most of the teachers at the ELC to be graduate students studying in the TESOL master’s degree program or to have graduated from that program with a graduate certificate or master’s degree.
Although ELC students are not BYU students, they nevertheless have access to many BYU facilities including the university library as well as to the ELC computer lab and resource center.
The English Language Center strongly promotes an English-only environment. At the ELC, language instruction and testing take place Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Students are expected to complete 2 to 3 hours of homework assignments daily. They also participate in social activities sponsored by the ELC. Above all, the intensive nature of the program supports language development; students attend 20 hours a week of in-class instruction plus lab work.
Entering students are tested in order to determine their level of English proficiency and are placed in the appropriate program level according to their performance on the placement test.
The ELC has two general types of courses. Foundations Courses focus on basic language skills. Students admitted to this track usually have some foundation in English prior to coming to the ELC. While at the ELC, they will work to improve their skills. Academic Courses focus specifically on preparing students to develop English language skills in order to attend a university where English is the medium of instruction. Students in Academic Courses should have at least a high intermediate level of English proficiency.
The table below shows each level offered in both the Foundations and Academic Courses.
*As circumstances permit, University Prep can be repeated one time, for a maximum of two semesters in University Prep.
Students who have the required proficiency to be placed in the University Prep level will be permitted to repeat the level once with the alternate curriculum.
A modern computer lab is available in the English Language Center. Also, an innovative Self-Access Study Center (SASC) provides students with the opportunity of working individually on their specific language needs. Tutoring is available to help students with their coursework. Software programs for helping students with listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, and TOEFL are available.
Visa Information
BYU will not process applications for admission to the ELC from international students entering the United States on a visitor's visa (B-2). This is university policy. A Form I-20 will be issued to the student after all admission requirements and procedures for entrance into the program have been completed. The applicant must present the I-20 at the nearest American Embassy or Consulate in order to request an F1 visa to enter the United States.
Driver's License and Social Security Number
Social security numbers are only issued for employment purposes. They are not issued to allow students to apply for a US drivers license. We recommend that students who plan on driving and need a driver's license obtain an international driving permit in their country before entering the US.
Health Insurance
Health insurance coverage is mandatory. Students can purchase BYU health and accident insurance for the period they are in residency at the ELC. Students who do not purchase BYU health and accident insurance will be required to sign a waiver agreement that proves they have other coverage.
Attendance and Academic Policy
Attendance is recorded daily in each class. In order to remain in the program, a student must maintain a minimum of 80% attendance in each class and not receive a citizenship grade below 84% in any class.
English Use
English use at the ELC can be captured in one sentence: We expect excellence; you should too.
The ELC is an English language school. As such, you are expected to speak English as much as possible in and out of class. Your teachers will insist that you speak English all the time you are in their classroom. We expect you will do the same outside of class. You are here to improve your English, the greatest language development will occur when students are using English.
A: Yes, but you will be required to achieve the same proficiency required for other students entering Academic courses.
Q: What if I come to study and I place in the Foundations Courses, but I want to study Academic English?
A: You will be placed in the appropriate courses according to your proficiency, but you will work with a teacher to set up an individual language plan to meet your language needs until you demonstrate the proficiency necessary to study in Academic courses.
Q: What if I come to study and I place in the Academic courses, but I don’t want to study academic English?
A: You will be placed in the appropriate courses according to your proficiency, but you will work with a teacher to set up an individual language plan to meet your language needs.
Q: Can I take both types of courses at the same time?
A: No. These courses are designed to meet the learning needs of students at different proficiency levels.
Q: How do I skip a level?
A: The placement test will be used to identify the courses that would be best for you as well as the most appropriate level within a group of courses. Since language learning takes a great deal of time and effort, it is unlikely that most students would be able to skip a level. However, if a student does well enough on the exams at the end of the semester, it may be possible to skip a level (less than 1% of our students have been able to skip a level).
Q: Are Academic courses actually university courses? Do I get university credit for them?
A: No. Academic courses at the ELC are designed to prepare students to use English at a university where English is the medium of instruction. However, the classes are not regular university classes, nor do students earn university credit for them.
Q: What's the difference between University Prep Curriculum A and University Prep Curriculum B?
A: Both curriculums target the same proficiency level but use different content and textbooks to help you develop the language and skills necessary to succeed in university course work.
Q: Do I have to take the University Prep Curriculums in order?
A: No. The two curriculums are different but equivalent.
Q: If I am placed in the University Prep level, can I choose which curriculum I am enrolled in?
A: No. The curriculum rotates each semester.
Q: How many times can I take the University Prep Level?
A: Every student can take the University Prep level twice—once with curriculum A and once with curriculum B.
“Never assume that you can make it alone. You need the help of the Lord. Never hesitate to get on your knees in some private place and speak with Him.”
In the youth services department at the Des Plaines Public Library, we proud of our relationship with the Westerhold Early Learning Center (ELC), which is a preschool centric building in district 62.
We have the ELC program, Baby Book Times, at the library where caregivers and babies have storytime and learn about important benchmarks in child development.
At the ELC, the library sends interns to provide library time, complete with storytime and book checkout.
How It Works Electricity
Plus, at the end of the program, each child gets a book to keep for his or her own personal library.
It is through this partnership that we both are spreading the word about the importance of early literacy, and working toward the goal of school readiness for all children of Des Plaines.
When I started at the Des Plaines Public Library, the first internship saw 437 people for storytime and checked out 339 books per week.
Within 4 years, the program has grown in ways we could not imagine!
The Spring 2019 internship had . . .
664 people per week for storytime
587 prize books handed out to all children enrolled
3006 check outs over 7 weeks
As the ELC has grown, we have grown with it!
We now see children 5 days a week instead of 4.
We have replaced the old logo and red bag (maybe you have seen them around town), with a new green one.
And we have worked with great partners in Des Plaines, Kiwanis and Rivers Gives, to keep resources coming to the program.
Since I have started, 7 interns have gone through the program, and we are currently accepting applications for the fall.