Study Pittsburgh - Education City USA

English as a Second Language (ESL) Programs in the Pittsburgh Region

There are many opportunities to study and learn English in the Pittsburgh area, whether you simply want to improve your conversational skills, prepare to enroll in a university, or learn enough basic English for your daily living needs. Pittsburgh is one of the few places with an incredible amount of high quality ESL programs available to the public, many of them for free!

Academic ESL Programs:

Duquesne University - English as a Second Language Program (ESLP)
An academic support program that offers foreign students semi-intensive and intensive English for Academic Purposes (EAP). The ESL Program offers Duquesne's international foreign national students semi-intensive and intensive English for academic purposes.
303 Des Places Language Center
600 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15282
Phone: 412-396-5091
Web: http://www.duq.edu/education/esl/

LaRoche College - English as a Second Language (ESL) Program
The English As a Second Language (ESL) Program at La Roche College is designed to provide proficiency-based instruction in English for degree and non-degree seeking students, to promote students' participation in their chosen field, and to support adjustment to and participation in the life of the college and the community.
Contact: Thomas Schaefer
Phone: 412-536-1198
Fax: 412-536-1118
Email: thomas.schaefer@laroche.edu
Web: http://www.laroche.edu/international/esl/index.html

La Roche College Center for International Business & Culture
Offering customized language and cross-cultural training to non-traditional students, along with curricular development, instruction, study abroad opportunities and international student and faculty exchanges.
Contact: Thomas Schaefer
Phone: 412-536-1198
Fax: 412-536-1118
Email: thomas.schaefer@laroche.edu

West Virginia University - Intensive English Program (IEP)
The Intensive English Program in the Department of Foreign Languages at West Virginia University has become a well-established program for international students needing to improve their English proficiency prior to entering an academic course of study.
Contact: Stacy Fint
Phone: 304-293-3604
Email: iep@mail.wvu.edu
Web: http://iep.wvu.edu/

Point Park University - English as a Second Language Program (ESLP)
Offers conditional acceptance to the college, based on academic credit for ESL study. The program combines ESL and academic coursework at the intermediate and advanced levels. Offered throughout the year, the curriculum is designed for students to complete coursework in as little as one month or as long as two years.
Phone: 412-392-3901
Fax: 412-391-1980
804 Lawrence Hall
Pittsburgh, PA
Phone: 412-392-3925
Email: isd@ppc.edu
Web: http://www.pointpark.edu/Academics/Schools/SchoolofArtsandSciences/Departments/Education/PostBacPrograms/ESLCertificate

University of Pittsburgh - English Language Institute (ELI)
Offers intensive fee-based programs for serious adults who want to improve their English for academic, professional or personal reasons. Options include classes in General English, English Pronunciation, TOEFL preparation, and evening courses for part-time students. University of Pittsburgh scholarships are available for eligible full-time faculty and research associates.
Phone: 412-624-5901
Fax: 412-624-6130
Email: elipitt@pitt.edu
Web: http://www.eli.pitt.edu/

Free Programs:

Allegheny County Center for ESL (ACCESL)
A program of the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. It provides year-round classes for adults at many levels and at no charge. The classes are taught by professional ESL teachers, and the focus of the classes is oral communication. Daily living survival skills are emphasized. Rolling admission allows students to enter at any time. Tutoring and workplace classes may be arranged. Call 412-281-4494 to make an appointment for a placement test.
Contacts: Danis Kubiak, Coordinator
Phone: 412-281-4494
http://eslpittsburgh.net/index.php

Forbes Road Career and Technology Center
Forbes Road Career and Technology Center offers free English Language/Civics classes in Monroeville, a suburban community located east of the city of Pittsburgh. Beginning, intermediate, and advanced classes are available. In addition to reading, writing, speaking, and listening, students learn civics skills needed to pass the USCIS Naturalization Test. Forbes’ morning and evening classes are taught year-round. For more information contact Mary Chizeck at 412-373-8100, ext. 280 or maryc@forbesroad.com.

Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council
Offers English classes at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels at its new Downtown Center (411 Seventh Avenue) as well as other locations throughout Allegheny County. Provides the English classes that used to be offered at Connelley Technical Institute, a division of Pittsburgh Public Schools that closed.
Phone number: 412-393-7600 (Downtown Center); 412-661-7323 (main office)
Email: kmundie@gplc.org
http://www.gplc.org/ESL.HTML

Goodwill Literacy Initiative
Beginning to advanced classes, class size limited to 6-10 students. In addition to an individualized study plan, a dedicated staff of tutors will assist students with college or job applications, cover letters, interviewing, recommendation letters, and other types of printed materials. We also offer computer laboratories with free email and Internet access. Students are encouraged to visit our Student Support Specialist, who assists our students in finding other student services such as housing, visas, health insurance, academic advising, and many others.Contact: Anna at 412-390-2358.

International Women's Association of Pittsburgh (IWAP)
The primary purpose of the group is to develop understanding and appreciation among peoples from different nations and cultures, and to assist international women in enjoying their stay in Pittsburgh and in the United States. They offer informal free conversation classes in English as a Second Language on Monday mornings (10 to 11:30 a.m.) Church of the Ascension. They also display in their website a complete list of English programs in Pittsburgh, check: http://trfn.clpgh.org/iwap/esl.html
4729 Ellsworth Avenue
(at North Neville Street in Oakland)
Phone: 412-963-0659
http://trfn.clpgh.org/iwap/

Job Links
Their mission is to provide quality programming to help you as well as the employers for whom you will work. ESL classes will prepare you for future and current work settings.
Doug Penhallegon, Education Coordinator
Phone: 412-621-3821

Pittsburgh Regional International Student Ministries-PRISM
Designed especially for spouses of visiting students and scholars, introductory and intermediate instruction is offered on Bellefield Presbyterian Church, every Monday in the afternoons. No registration needed, $1 donation each week, child care available ($2 per child).
Contacts: Dr. Carl Templin, 683-0342, Jeanne Griffith, 422-7312

Tango Cafe
English conversation practice group that meets every Friday evening at 7:00 pm. Those for whom English is not the first language meet with a native English speaker for informal conversation practice. The group is free and open to all. See http://www.tangocafepgh.com/events.html

Children's Classes:

Intermediate Unit ESL Programs
Each IU offers ESL classes to students in districts in their counties. The program has teachers and staff members who coordinate with local school districts to provide academic services for students whose native language is not English.

IU 1 (Fayette, Green, and Washington County)
Contact: Frank Baylow
Phone: 724-938-3241

IU 3 (Allegheny County)
Contact: Jennifer Beagan, K-12 ESL Supervisor.
Phone: 412-394-5803
http://www.pitt.edu/~dpbrowne/pps/esl.html

IU 4 (Butler, Mercer, and Lawrence County)
Contact: Stan Magusiak
Phone: 724-458-6700

IU 7 (Westmoreland County)
Phone: 724-836-2460

IU 27 (Beaver County)
Contact: Christine Wagner
Phone: 724-774-7800

IU 28 (Indiana and Armstrong Counties)
Contact: Ann Solarz
Phone: 724-463-5300, ext.2317