Language Acquisition Tests Now Accepted at BYU in Provo and Ensign College.
Learn English at the English Language Center
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 learn English and 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.
Semester Dates
Semester(s) |
Semester Dates | Application Accepted |
| Winter 2023 (1 semester) | January 9 to April 20, 2023 | May 1 to September 15, 2022 (extended) |
| Winter 2023 & Summer 2023 (2 semesters) | January 9 to August 17, 2023 | May 1 to September 15, 2022 (extended) |
| Summer 2023 (1 semester) | May 8 to August 17, 2023 | July 18, 2022 to January 30, 2023 |
| Summer 2023 & Fall 2023 (2 semesters) |
Not accepting applications for Fall 2023 | Not accepting applications for Fall 2023 |
| Fall 2023 (1 semester) | September 4 to December 14, 2023 | January 20 to June 1, 2023 |
Primary and Additional Costs
| Primary Costs | *Additional Costs | ||
| Application Fee: | $50 | Books (estimate): | Up to $300 per semester |
| Fall 2022 tuition: | $2,650 | Health Insurance (estimate): | $350 per semester (single student) |
| Winter 2023 tuition: | $2,650 | $516 per semester (married student) | |
| Summer 2023 tuition: | $2,650 | Living Expenses (estimate): | $3350 per semester |
*Do not send money for the additional costs
Placement Levels
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. 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 an intermediate-high level of English proficiency.
The table below shows each level offered in both the Foundations and Academic Program.
