Greetings from the faculty and students in the English as Second Language (ESL) Program at La Sierra University (LSU)!  At LSU, the faculty challenge ESL students to acquire the English used in schools and colleges as a tool to succeed in regular undergraduate or graduate classes offered at LSU or at any other university in the United States.  Here are a few reasons we believe LSU is a great place to study English and experience the best of America:

• ESL classes geared for English competency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing
• People-oriented, supportive, and competent teachers
• A park-like campus accented by palm trees, impressive buildings, and green lawns
• An outstanding library with friendly workers to assist students
• Sports facilities—a gymnasium, a swimming pool, tennis courts, baseball courts, soccer fields, a walking track and more.
• SALSU membership for all ESL students (SALSU—Student Association of La Sierra University)
• A wide range of activities for ESL students to participate in alongside with regular university students—varied opportunities for ESL students to practice their English and make friends with students fluent in English, activities sponsored by the Office of Student Life, the Office of International Students Services (OISS) and the Office of Spiritual Life
• The opportunity to mix and mingle with fluent speakers of English on campus by joining student clubs on campus such as the International Club, by attending university worships and through receiving help at the Writing Center.
• A very competent and friendly Office of International Students Services (OISS) to provide visa advising and any other information and help connected with foreign students’ status
• The opportunity to get to know students from more than 60 countries and be touched by their different cultures

ESL Program Mission Statement

The ESL Program at La Sierra University nurtures an environment of acceptance and openness and empowers its students to pursue excellence in English development and to lay a foundation for success in their academic pursuit.

ESL Program Goal

The goal of the ESL Program is to enhance the ESL students' proficiency in English, most importantly, to acquaint them with the academic English in current use among university students, scholars, instructors, professors, and other professionals.  It is to facilitate students' improvement in English to prepare them for the rigors of studies in regular university programs anywhere in the U.S. and at all levels of university studies, from undergraduate studies to professional schools.

General ESL Objectives

In Conversation:  To connect ESL students with the general student body and encourage them to make friends with first speakers of English or fluent second speakers of English, for ESL students to become acquainted with informal everyday expressions among peers and become fluent in out-of-class conversation, including small talk.

In Grammar: To raise students' sentence skills to the point 1) they can combine simple sentences into compound or complex sentences with enough command to rank ideas appropriately; 2) they are able to reduce clauses into phrases for concise expressions; and 3) they can appreciate not only error free writings but also writing styles.

In Listening: To hone students' listening skills to comprehend the sounds of English coming from CD's, DVD's, TV, and Radio, to help students tune in to the sounds in their American English environment.

In Reading:  To raise students' reading comprehension to the level of their being able to read articles of current interest from news magazine, such as the Time magazine, and books on current issues.

In Writing: To provide enough writing practice for students to become comfortable in producing academic writings: paragraph writings, formal essays, critiques, book reports, and critical responses, not excluding timed-free writing.

Life on Campus and Its Surroundings

As members of SALSU (Student Association of La Sierra University), ESL students share campus life with the entire study body and have the opportunity of mingling with students from over 60 countries.  ESL students may also join any student club on campus, and they are especially encouraged to join the International Students Club with its special agenda to introduce international students to the United States and its culture.  

La Sierra University (LSU) being only an hour from mountains, lakes, beaches, deserts and cultural attractions of Los Angeles and other nearby cities, such as Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studio, and Magic Mountain, students may choose for their weekend recreation from a wide-range of weekend activities.  Moreover, LSU campus, cradled among more than 130 species of green trees and waving palms, provides students the restfulness of a quiet sanctuary.  Other forms of recreation available on campus and off campus include gym workouts, ball games, intramural sports, bowling, miniature golf, ice-skating, skiing and surfing.

Spiritual Development

The Office of Spiritual Life (OSL) organizes weekly breakout worships covering a range of topics for students to take part in forums, discussion groups, or Question and Answer periods.  ESL students may choose any worship setting most suitable to their individual needs.  OSL also schedules Spiritual Emphasis Weeks and special weekend services.  The University Chaplain and his office staff are there for students seeking guidance in their spiritual journeying.

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