About the ESL Institute

Courses

English courses are offered at the elementary level, the intermediate level and the advanced level.  Students at these levels receive intensive English instruction for four hours per day, five days per week, in the areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking as well as pronunciation and contextualized grammar instruction. For students who have a TOEFL score of 60 or above (Internet-based) or 500 or above (paper-based, administered by the ESL Institute), the ESL Institute provides “bridge” courses where students can simultaneously enroll in one to two University of New Hampshire academic classes while continuing to intensively study English from four to ten hours per week. At these “bridge” levels, students have the opportunity to “try out” academic courses in a supportive environment.

Class Size and Make Up

All ESL instruction is provided in small, personal classrooms, averaging a class size of approximately 12 to 15. Students come from all around the world: Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.

ESL Faculty

ESL Institute students can be assured that they are getting the highest quality English instruction available. All of our teachers are University of New Hampshire faculty. All have graduate degrees, many have taught and lived abroad, and all have many years of experience teaching English to international students.  Our faculty is available to assist students with course assignments and to offer encouragement and advice about strategies for success in an American university. Please click here for more information about our ESL faculty.

Flexible Enrollment

At the ESL Institute, we provide flexible enrollment times for students:  Students have the option of registering for 8 or 16 weeks during the academic school year or for 5 or 10 weeks during the summer sessions. Please click here for more information about our academic year or summer sessions.

Admission to the University of New Hampshire

For those interested in full admission to a University of New Hampshire degree program, a TOEFL score of 80 or above (Internet-based) or 550 or above (paper-based, administered by the ESL Institute) is required.  Also, for those students who do successfully gain admittance to the University of New Hampshire, up to 16 credit hours from their work in the ESL Institute can be applied as University of New Hampshire credit.  The faculty and staff at the ESL Institute will work individually with students seeking full admission to UNH, helping to ensure that their admission packet is completed in a timely manner for UNH admission review. Please click here for more information about UNH Admissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

For additional questions about the ESL Institute, we invite you to view our Frequently Asked Questions page.  Or, please call 603-862-0083 or e-mail esl@unh.edu.