PROGRAMS

The ECI English Language Program embraces three particular core values: academic excellence, cultural acclimation and appreciation, and professionalism of the faculty/staff members. Students who successfully complete the program will be academically ready to study in higher education.

To accomplish this, all of the classes will concentrate in building towards college/university-level work, especially the advanced levels. Upon completion of the program, students will have participated in effective debate, prepared and given group and individual presentations, conducted research and written research papers, written and documented composition papers, taken notes effectively, read for comprehension and speed, read technical material, and observed actual college/university classes.

Students will also be equipped to survive socially and emotionally in the American culture of college/university life. ECI ELP accomplishes this through giving students the opportunity to live with caring American host families and participate in a variety of activities in the community.

Lastly, ECI English Language Program seeks out qualified teachers in the area of ESL. In order to hire quality teachers, an intensive process is used to evaluate a prospective employee. Employees are also required to participate in professional development on a continual basis. Teachers will participate in workshops, read professional material, self-evaluate, analyze their program, participate in observation reviews with the program director, and complete action research.

Language is one of the greatest gifts of communication that humans possess. The English language, particularly, is of great value in our time because of the high demand for people who can communicate cross-culturally in English. ECI ELP seeks to facilitate students in their English language learning process and to equip them for academic success in the United States.



ECI English Language Program has a full cycle of study of 12 sessions (48 weeks) and consists of twelve levels. Upon enrollment, students are administered placement test to determine their level of English proficiency. The levels are as follows:

Beginning Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4

Upon successful completion of the basic levels, the student will be comfortable using conversational strategies and will enjoy speaking and practicing the English language. The student will also have a good command of the basic grammatical structures of the English language.

Intermediate Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4

Upon successful completion of the intermediate levels, the student will be able to use prewriting and pre-reading skills for academic purposes. The student will also be able to write acceptable essays in the American style. These levels will concentrate heavily on academic writing, taking the student from complex sentences to academic essays. Students will also learn to effectively take notes from college lectures and build a strong academic vocabulary.

Advanced Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4

Upon successful completion of the advanced levels, the student will be able to conduct research and cite information, speed-read at an average rate, read technical material, give group presentations, write summary critiques, and participate in debate and critical thinking skills. This level will prepare the student for the academic challenges that he or she will encounter studying at the university level.

Core Integrated ELP:   Academic Elective Classes:
ESL 101 - Beginning English 1            E01 - Listening & Speaking
ESL 102 - Beginning English 2   E02 - U.S. History
ESL 103 - Beginning English 3   E03 - American Literature
ESL 104 - Beginning English 4   E04 - Academic Word Vocabulary
ELS 201 - Intermediate English 1   E05 - American Culture
ELS 202 - Intermediate English 2   E06 - American Idioms
ESL 203 - Intermediate English 3   E07 - Reading Comprehension
ESL 204 - Intermediate English 4   E08 - Research and Writing
ESL 301 - Advanced English 1   E09 - Spelling
ESL 302 - Advanced English 2   E10 - TOEFL/IELTS Preparation
ESL 303 - Advanced English 3   E11 - Essay Writing
ESL 304 - Advanced English 4   E12 - Focus on Grammar
   E13 - Word Building
   E14 - Composition I/Composition II
   E15 - Pronunciation
   E16 - SAT/ACT


ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Admission Procedures
  1. Complete the E.C.I. application. This form can be downloaded from our website, www.eciprograms.com. Click on "English Language Program" box and look for "Apply Online". After you submit the inquiry, you will see links for two documents: Admission Application,Statement of Support Form You will complete the Admission application, as well as the Statement of Support.
  2. Send the completed application and admission fee in the amount of $250 to E.C.I. You can send the application via e-mail: eci@ionet.net If you opt to send it by regular mail, then use the address of the main campus:

    ECI Main Campus      
    1055 S. Sherman Street, Suite 110/140      
    Richardson, TX 75081      

  3. Along with the application, send your transcript from the academic institution you are currently completed or have completed. The last two pages of the Admission Application are the Recommendation Questionnaires (one academic and one personal recommendation). It is important that they are completed so the Admission Application can be taken into consideration for student acceptance. ( You can include 2 recommendation letters to cover for the last 2 pages of the admission application).
  4. Copy of your passport, Bank Statement, and completed Statement of Support Form
  5. Should you have any questions during the process of completing the application, you can always communicate with us at eci@ionet.net
  6. After the receipt of your application packet, E.C.I. will review the application and if accepted, E.C.I. will issue and send to you an acceptance letter along with the I-20 document.
  7. After your receive the I-20, you have to apply to the nearest embassy/consulate of the United States of America for an F-1 Student Visa.
  8. You have to pay the I-901 fee (known among the students as SEVIS fee) in the amount of $350. You can pay this fee online by going to www.fmjfee.com. You have to show the receipt of your payment at your visa interview.
Please note that the visa application fee is separate from I-901 fee. For the visa application fee, please consult with the American embassy/consulate.

Late Enrollment
If accepted, E.C.I. English Language Program may allow the student to regularly enroll within the first week of the beginning of the session. If the student arrives at E.C.I. (refers to both campuses) in the period of mid-session, after the placement test the student may be allowed to audit the remainder of the session. The student will be then charged pro-rated fee.
Administrative document requests will be processed in approximately 5 business days.

Transfer Students
If you are currently a student on F-1 Visa attending one of the educational institutions in the United States and would like to transfer to E.C.I., please do the following steps:
  1. Complete the E.C.I. application. Please follow the steps of the application process that is described above.
  2. After E.C.I. accepts you, you will be provided a transfer form and an acceptance letter.
  3. Take the completed transfer form and acceptance letter to the student advisor at the institution that you have been attending. Once the student advisor completes the transfer form, signs it and faxes it to E.C.I., then your record will be transferred in SEVIS from that institution to one of E.C.I. campus (for the campus to which you are applying).
C.O.S. (Change of Status)
E.C.I. strongly recommends that you speak to one of the staff members when filing for Change of Status. Although E.C.I. can help you with the process, E.C.I. can not influence the decision to approval or disapproval, that belongs to the Department of Homeland Security. ECI recommends students to get F-1 visa in their countries.

Reinstatement
Make an appointment with E.C.I's student advisor to discuss the reasons for the termination of the F-1 status. If practical, the school will support a student's application for reinstatement. The final decision (whether the reinstatement is warranted or not) will come from the USCIS.



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