The Language Academy TLA Adult School
THE DESTINATION | THE SCHOOL | MAP | RACHEL’S TAKE | WHY THIS SCHOOL? | FACILITIES | THE COURSES | FROM OUR CLIENTS | HOUSING | SOCIAL LIFE | INSURANCE AND PRICING | REQUEST AN ESTIMATE | OTHER PROGRAMS | SIMILAR PROGRAMS
The Language Academy (TLA) located in sunny Fort Lauderdale, Florida offers the total package of quality English courses and an exciting social and cultural program for students to fully immerse themselves in American life. In the place known as the “Sunshine State” of America, students are sure to enjoy the beautiful weather, beaches, and variety of natural attractions and activities that Florida has to offer.
Fort Lauderdale is named for a Second Seminole War fortification built on the banks of the New River in 1838. It is situated on the southeast coast of Florida, one hour north of Miami. It is embraced by the Atlantic Ocean, New River and a myriad of scenic inland waterways, which give it its name, the “Venice of America.” It is an attractive business environment, with a diverse range of industries, an outstanding quality of life, and a great climate, making Fort Lauderdale the perfect place to live, work and study.
THE LANGUAGE ACADEMY AT A GLANCE
- Year of foundation: 1997
- City: Fort Lauderdale
- Position in the city: Downtown
- Minimum age in adult school: 16
- Number of students in school: average 150, maximum 250
- Main type of public transport: buses
- Approximate number of nationalities in the school each year: 40
The Language Academy: 200 S Andrews Ave, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301, United States of America
“I had met the founder of The Language Academy, Marco Pinna, many years ago at an school and agent conference, and have kept up with TLA ever since. Marco went to the Ft. Lauderdale area originally as a designer of yachts(!), and later opened a business language training center for his international, high-profile clients. TLA evolved into a full-service English language school, also offering English for general use and exam preparation, but it has stayed true to its roots as a center for Executives. For his charm and good humor, dealing with Marco has been a pleasure from the beginning, and I’ve had the chance to catch up with him often since TLA joined IALC and Quality English. He also has family here in Rome, some of whom work with the school. I finally had the chance to visit Ft. Lauderdale and Miami, and while they are close to each other in Florida, they are quite different cities. Ft. Lauderdale was founded as a winter destination by persons from the cold Northeast of the United States, and as a result it is almost exclusively English-speaking. Ft. Lauderdale is a good choice for foreign language learners, as the city is small enough to make distances manageable (also on foot or by bicycle, and the weather is great for that) but at the same time provide even a long-term student with enough to do. The school offers apartments that are not expensive or far from the school, but I think that students will enjoy staying more with a host family, as they are close to the school for a city in America, and are friendly and welcoming and offer nice homes, some with swimming pools. As a city, Ft. Lauderdale is also not full of language schools competing for the same host families, so there is truly a good choice of them for students. I recommend this school to anyone who wants a course in an excellent school, a cost of living that is lower than that of the more storied locations in the US, and the chance to live and speak English as a real American in a fun and warm destination that has some of the best beaches in the country.”
The Language Academy
Why Study at this School?
Of the English language schools in or near the Ft. Lauderdale area, The Language Academy distinguishes itself in the following ways:
- The school is located in the heart of downtown, in the prestigious Museum of Art Plaza, and within walking distance to the world-renowned Las Olas Boulevard, a shopping and restaurant heaven.
- The school is a 10-minute bus ride to the world famous golden sand beaches.
- TLA prioritizes personal attention and quality teaching and offers a total experience in academic, social and cultural life in the United States.
- The Language Academy approach to teaching and learning English is essentially learner centered, and all teachers focus on students’ needs, interests and goals.
- The school is able to offer excellent homestays and apartments.
- The Language Academy is accredited by ACCET and is a member of ALTO, English USA and the prestigious IALC.
- The Language Academy has six times been shortlisted for the Study Travel Magazine’s “Star Language School” in North America.
- The school has excellent facilities and resources to accompany students with everything they need.
- With a number of different course options, durations and start dates TLA is extremely flexible and has programs that meets all kinds of learning needs and language goals.
- The Language Academy has a very good nationality mix, with students from over 40 different countries every year.
- The courses offer an exceptionally good value for money in the US English language school market.
- TLA is an official Cambridge, TOEFL, TOEIC testing center.
The facilities
THE FACILITIES AT A GLANCE
- 18 modern, bright, air-conditioned classrooms
- State-of-the-art media lab with TVs and language-learning software
- Executive Suite for Professionals
- Self-access Media center
- Student Library
- Free Wi-Fi
- Student Lounge
- Coffee lounge with vending machines, espresso machine, microwave and free tea throughout the day
MORE ABOUT THE FACILITIES AND SERVICES
Progress Monitoring
The school’s teachers and Director of studies will check students’ progress continuously throughout the course to make sure they are learning effectively. Regular individual counseling with teachers is available to students throughout the course. The teachers and administration are at the students’ disposal to give them advice and practical guidance throughout their stay.
Student Welfare
The Language Academy staff and teachers are available to support students in a professional and confidential manner with any problems that might arise while they are away from home.
The courses
GENERAL ENGLISH AND EXAMINATION COURSES
- Minimum Age: 16
- Length of each lesson: 50 minutes
- Start dates: Most Mondays
- Number of students in class: maximum 12
General English
TLA of Fort Lauderdale offers 7 levels of English proficiency for its General English courses, from beginner to mastery. Students can attend standard, intensive, group or private lessons.
- English level: All
- Course duration: flexible
- Number of hours per week: 17, 19, or 27 hours
- Timetable for General English part time: 9:00 – 13:00
- Timetable for General English intensive: 9:00 – 13:00 and 14:00 – 16:00
General English Platinum Mini-Group
TLA of Fort Lauderdale offers a mini group General English course with a maximum of 5 students to allow them to fully converse and receive individual attention.
- English level: All levels
- Course duration: flexible
- Number of hours per week: 17 hours
- Timetable: 9:00 – 13:00
- Class size: maximum 5
Exam Preparation
The exam preparation courses are dedicated programs for the TOEFL, IELTS, and TOEIC exams.
- Minimum English level: B1
- Course duration: 4 – 8 weeks
- Number of hours per week: 17
- Timetable: 9:00 – 13:00
Cambridge Exam Preparation
The Language Academy of Fort Lauderdale offers First Certificate in English (FCE), Certificate of Advanced English (CAE) and Proficiency Certificate (CPE) preparation courses throughout the year. The school also offers a 4 week course option during the summer.
- Minimum English levels: B1 (FCE), C1 (CAE), C2 (CPE)
- Course Duration: 10 or 8 weeks, 4 weeks (summer course)
- Number of hours per week: 17 hours
- Timetable: 9:00 -13:00
University Preparation
The University Preparation course is ideal for students who want to enter American universities and colleges. This program is a combination of General English, writing workshops and test preparation courses (either TOEFL ,IELTS, TOEIC or Cambridge). For an additional fee students can receive assistance with the admission process to universities and colleges. The school offers conditional acceptance without TOEFL to select universities.
- Minimum English levels: B1
- Course Duration: 24 or 48 weeks
- Number of hours per week: 27 hours
- Timetable: 9:00 – 13:00 and 14:00 – 16:00
BUSINESS, PROFESSIONAL, AND EXECUTIVE COURSES
Business English Certificate (BEC) Course
- Minimum age: 21
- Minimum English level: B1
- Course Duration: 2 weeks
- Length of each lesson: 50 minutes
- Number of hours per week: 17
- Timetable: 9:00 – 13:00
- Start Dates: see dates and fees
- Number of students in class: maximum 8
Executive / Executive Plus Courses
This is a comprehensive course that focuses on Business English and American corporate culture. Students will learn corporate terms, write reports and practice their business negotiations and presentation skills. Students may combine the Executive course with 5 private lessons per week for the Executive Plus course.
- Minimum age: 21
- Minimum English level: B1
- Course Duration: 1 week or more
- Length of each lesson: 50 minutes
- Number of hours per week: 20 (Executive) or 25 (Executive Plus)
- Timetable: 9:00 – 13:00
- Start Dates: Most Mondays
- Number of students in class: maximum 5
Super Executive Course
The super executive course combines the executive group classes with 10 additional private lessons during school hours in which students can focus on their specific professional language needs. Each private class is 50 minutes.
English Course Plus Internship/Practicum
This course is a combination of 4 – 6 weeks of General English and 6 – 8 weeks of volunteer activity in a business environment. Student will learn to write a CV under teacher supervision, and real-life practice by observing the US working world at an organization, social group or a company.
- Minimum age: 21
- Minimum English level: B2
- Course duration: maximum 12 weeks
English for Specific Purposes Mini Group Course
The Language Academy offers English for Specific Purposes for professionals in the law, finance, marketing, human resources, aviation, oil and gas fields.
- Minimum age: 21
- Minimum English level: B1
- Course Duration: 2 or 4 weeks
- Length of each lesson: 50 minutes
- Number of hours per week: 20
- Timetable: 9:00 – 13:00
- Start Dates: see dates and fees
- Number of students in class: maximum 8
SPANISH, ITALIAN, FRENCH, PORTUGUESE AND GERMAN LANGUAGE COURSES
The Language Academy also offers Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese and German courses. These classes provide all elements of language instruction including speaking, listening, reading and writing. The school has lessons at all levels, from beginner to advanced, in either a group or individual format. All of the foreign language instructors have years of foreign language instruction and are native speakers of the language.
HOST FAMILY
Living with an American host family is the best option for students who are enthusiastic about immersing themselves in American culture. All homestays are carefully selected and visited regularly to ensure consistently high standards. The school and Marshall Language Services recommend this form of accommodation the most for language learning. Family life is informal and the people are welcoming, friendly and talkative, so students will have plenty of opportunities to practice their English with native speakers. By booking homestay accommodation, students will also not have to worry about shopping for food and preparing meals every day. Mealtimes are often the occasions in which families converse most with the students.
Additional homestay provisions and information:
- Students can stay with a family or with a single host.
- Private or shared rooms available.
- Executive private rooms available for executive students.
- Meals: Half-Board (Breakfast and Dinner) or no meals (room only).
- All homestays offer wireless internet.
- Homestay offer shared bathroom facilities.
- Homestay families provide bed linens.
- The average commute to TLA is 30 minutes by public transportation.
- Accommodation is from Sunday to Saturday. It is possible to book extra nights at an additional cost.
APARTMENTS
The school’s apartments, which include efficiencies studios, efficiencies, or one-bedroom units, are located within easy reach of the Language Academy. Studio apartments are one room and offer a private bathroom with a fridge and microwave. Efficiency apartments offer a large room with a large bed, a kitchenette, and bathroom. One-bedroom apartments offer a full apartment with living room, bedroom, full kitchen and bathroom.
All apartments also offer:
- Air conditioning
- Bed linen and towels
- Weekly cleaning and linen changing service
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry facilities
HOTELS
TLA can make reservations for students at hotels, many of which are only a few minutes from the Academy. The school offers a wide selection of hotels at a wide range of prices. Students can choose from a variety of different locations from the beach, to the city, to the shopping districts.
Insurance
Insurance covering medical and travel assistance, personal liability and trip cancellation is not included in the price of the program. Marshall Language Services has a policy available through Guard.Me that covers these elements, as well as an additional policy through CareMed that covers cancellation under a wider range of circumstances, including the need to repeat school exams. A summary of these policies may be downloaded below.
Dates and Fees
Calculate your own approximate quote
The following tool will help you to get a good idea of the cost of a language course and accommodation, if requested, at this school. It may not include all the courses and accommodation options available or take into account promotional offers or costs associated with student visas, insurance, study materials or exam fees. For these reasons, the availability of any course, accommodation option (especially in the high season) and the final price of a package will always have to be verified with Marshall Language Services prior to enrolment.
Contact us for information about dates & prices
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