About ESL at UTC

2025

English as a Second Language Institute

Improve your English, make new friends, and ace the TOEFL / IELTS test!

Total hours of classes per week

6 LEVELS

20

of English language proficiency

10

Only a 10-minute walk from downtown Chattanooga

HOURS

12:1

Student to faculty ratio

JOIN THE GO GLOBAL COMMUNITY

PRIVATE

BEDROOMS 1 BATHROOM PER 2 RESIDENTS

98%

98% of former students would recommend our Intensive English Program at UTC.

LEARN AMERICAN ENGLISH There are 245 million native English speakers in the U.S.A.

245

MILLION *2020 U.S. Census.

Courses start in: JANUARY

JUNE

MARCH

AUGUST

MAY

OCTOBER

$8,721

estimated living expenses for 16 weeks

30+ 2+

hours of volunteer and community outreach activities

field trips to urban cultural centers such as Atlanta or Nashville

11,834

Total Fall 2024 Enrollment

PROGRAM COST

$5,423 16 weeks

$2,554 8 weeks

All ESL classrooms are on UTC campus Program dates, costs, services, and requirements are subject to change.

How Can I Apply?

1 Visit utc.edu/esl to submit the online application.

2 Pay a non-refundable application fee of $30.

3 Submit: a clear copy of your current passport. a copy of your high school diploma. an English translation of your high school diploma. documentation of financial resources (F1 applicants only). your other immigration documents (for applicants already in the USA).

All admitted students must fulfill immunization requirements before registering for classes.

What Does Tuition Include?

Course fees

Three textbooks University fees

Access to academic facilities, student health services, and the ARC fitness center.

Entry to sporting events, UTC Outdoors trips, open lectures, concerts, and art exhibits.

Participation in events and field trips organized by the Center for Global Education.

Student UTCID card.

Complimentary use of Chattanooga’s CARTA public transportation system.

Yvonne Dunham Slobodenko ESL Director Yvonne-Slobodenko@utc.edu

Dr. Takeo Suzuki

UTC Center for Global Education Executive Director

20 Hours

Our ESL program is year-round. Students attend immersive classes for up to 20 hours weekly, walking distance from the Tennessee riverfront and downtown Chattanooga. Our program empowers students with the linguistic and cultural competence necessary for success in academic, professional, and social settings.

6 Levels

We offer courses for students at six levels of English proficiency: starter, elementary, pre-intermediate, intermediate, upperintermediate, and advanced. Students complete the Oxford Online Placement Test and an oral assessment to ensure their placement in the level best suited to their needs. Our instructors use researchbased teaching methods and state-of-the-art academic resources to address individual learning needs.

3 Textbooks

Tuition buys a lot at UTC, but we know you’re here to learn. That’s why the ESL Institute includes textbooks in your tuition. We use titles from two leading publishing houses, Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. These texts grant online access to exclusive learning resources.

Duolingo English Test

At the end of each session, students take the Duolingo English Test. This is a computer-based test which is used to measure the language progress students have made during the semester. It can also be used for undergraduate and graduate level admissions at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Highly Qualified Instructors

Our faculty possess diverse experience and respected credentials.

Our instructors hold degrees from accredited undergraduate and graduate programs. They have taught English to learners of all ages in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Our instructors utilize the communicative language teaching approach, helping students develop English-language competence through interpersonal interaction.

Apply Online at utc.edu/esl S C H O L A R S H I P S A R E AVA I L A B L E !

Xin

Juria

Hao

Chongqing, China

Nagoya, Japan

Ho Chi Mihn, Vietnam

Our professors are very nice, and the classes are interesting. They give us a chance to talk to each other and express ourselves. They help us to know America more and adjust and fit into our new surroundings.

[The library] is very clean and comfortable, and the first floor is open 24 hours. I live in my dorm, so whenever I want to go, I can just go and study. And it has Starbucks next to the library.

Learning English here is better than learning it in my home country because I am able to apply more listening and speaking skills by being surrounded by English speakers.

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Sovanmony

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Ngan

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Rodolfo

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Trang Bom, Vietnam

Cuiabá, Brazil

I like living on campus because of my American roommates. I can improve my English by talking with them every day. I also feel happy on campus.

I have everything I need.

I really feel like the ESL program is preparing me for the TOEFL. I feel more confident after taking the ESL program and feel that it improved my ESL skill a lot.

The teachers are professionals at their job and know how to teach well. There is a large diverse group of students, which allows us to learn about one another’s cultures along with English.

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@UTCglobal utc.edu/esl esl@utc.edu

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UTC is a comprehensive, community-engaged campus of the UT System. UTC is an equal employment opportunity/ affirmative action/Title VI/ Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA institution. 2011886-25