Learn English in North Carolina

Popular Local Attractions

Cultural Activities & Events

Beautiful Nearby Attractions

Conditional Admission to Partner Universities

AEP Program

Learn more about our accredited Academic English Program.

Cultural Events

Learn more about cultural events and activities for our students.

Study English in the Silicon Valley of the East!


We are certified by the Department of Homeland Security to issue I-20 form to international students.

Located in the heart of the Silicon Valley of the East Coast, Raleigh, North Carolina, the English Learning Institute (ELI) is only a few- minutes’ drive from world famous universities like Duke University, UNC Chapel Hill, and NCSU. Over two hundred multi-national companies have either headquarters or research centers nearby in the Research Triangle Park (RTP). International students will have plenty of opportunities to immerse in campus life or network with high-tech professionals while attending the Academic English Program (AEP).

Area Rankings

The local and surrounding area has been consistently ranked one of the safest places to live in the USA and the best place for business and living quality and has received the following accolades.

North Carolina

  • #1 ‘Growth State’ [Forbes-November  2016]

Raleigh

  • #2 Easiest City to Find a Job [ Forbes – November  2015]
  • #3 America’s 20 Best Cities for Young Professionals [Forbes – March  2016]
  • #5 among Top 10 Most Hospitable U.S. Cities [Successful Meetings – August 2016]
  • #7 Best Places to Live [U.S. News- February 2017]

English Learning Institute


The English Learning Institute (ELI) improves and enhances educational, technological, and cultural opportunities for international students seeking to improve their English proficiency. ELI’s Academic English Program (AEP)  is a full-time, CEA accredited academic English program for international students offered year-round. This program is designed for English learners of all levels seeking to improve their English proficiency in all skill areas. AEP teaches English language and university study skills to students from many countries around the world.

ELI offers students the following:

  • 20 hours per week of academic English classes + 1 hour of optional practice or test preparation courses
  • Reading, writing, listening, speaking, and presentation courses
  • 5-level program aimed at university/college admission
  • TOEFL preparation and testing
  • Internet and computer access
  • Access to library, health center, gym, and other campus facilities

Mission Statement

The English Learning Institute’s mission is to provide the highest quality language instruction for each student through its strategically designed curriculum offered by skilled and knowledgeable faculty in a nurturing and culturally-responsive environment that fosters each individual’s academic and personal success.

Program Goals

  • Ensure a positive and productive learning environment
  • Assist students in setting academic and personal goals and taking steps toward achieving them
  • Increase students’ awareness of their strengths as language learners
  • Use student-centered methods that foster communicative competence in an academic setting
  • Offer opportunities to delve into American culture through immersion
  • Be sensitive to the challenges that accompany learning a new language and adjusting to a new culture

Curriculum

  • ELI delivers a CEA accredited English program recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
  • The Curriculum is designed by professors from top American universities.
  • Instructors use Inquiry Based Learning methods and provide interactive classroom experiences that inspire students to take an active role in the learning process.
  • All instructors have training and expertise in teaching English as a second language  to international students as well as experience teaching  post-secondary students.

News & Announcements


ELI launches an American High School Program with Shanghai Jiaotong University Education Group

ELI Foundation is developing a High Shool Program in cooperation with Shanghai Jiaotong Education Group. The joint program is designed to prepare Chinese students for education at American universities by helping them develop core academic skills needed for post-secondary studies in the US.  After studying in Shanghai for the first two years, students will spend the last year at ELI Foundation School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Click here to read more

ELI Foundation opens branch offices in China

In April 2018, ELI Foundation opened two branch offices in China: in Shanghai and Nanjing – the capital of the Jiangsu Province. Some of foundation’s representatives will also reside in Beijing and Yixing in order to better assist local partners. With its foreign base, ELI Foundation hopes to expand its education programs in Asia and launch new projects in cooperation with Chinese schools, universities and other educational associations.

Click here to read more

ELI signs a cooperation agreement with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences

On the 3rd of May 2018, ELI Foundation and the University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences signed a cooperation agreement to further promote educational exchanges, research projects, joint degree programs and other educational ventures between the United States and China.

Click here to read more.

ELI Foundation signs a contract with Chivast Education International

In October 2017, representatives of ELI Foundation signed a contract with Chivast Education International, the overseas study service agency affiliated to Chinese Service Centre for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE), Ministry of Education.

Click here to read more.

The ELI Foundation

Click here to learn more about the ELI Foundation!

ELI’s Language Partner Program!

We now have a language partner program available to our students! Click here to learn more.

ELI Volunteering Opportunities!

ELI is currently looking for volunteers!  Visit our Volunteer Opportunities page to learn more.

ELI Internships!

ELI is currently looking for Interns to fill multiple internship positions. Visit our Internships page.

ELI’s Study USA Profile!

ELI is now featured on the Study USA website! See our profile here.

F-1 visas!

As of February 7, 2017 ELI is authorized under Federal law to issue I-20 forms to international students! Students who have questions about how to obtain  an I-20 form from our school can visit our Immigration Advising page.

The Superfund Research Center

Last month, Duke researchers received about $10.2 million grant to study the longterm impacts of early life exposure to toxins found in land that contains hazardous waste known as a superfund.

The five-year grant is the fourth of its kind that the Superfund Research Center has received from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Richard DiGiulio, Sally Kleberg professor of environmental toxicology said that the grant helps to solidify what has become an ongoing interdisciplinary collaboration among Duke faculty, such as biomedical engineering, toxicology and environmental health.

(Source: http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2017/08/duke-receives-five-year-grant-for-10-2-million)

Charlotte’s First Golf Major

This week will be Charlotte’s first golf major, but the Carolinas have been a popular locale since 1999. The Carolinas didn’t host a golf major until the mid-1930s, when the PGA Championship came to the famed No. 2 course at Pinehurst. Now Pinehurst has hosted four majors, most recently the 2014 U.S. Open. Quail Hollow, a longtime tour stop with the Wells Fargo Championship, will host the world’s best golfers when competition runs Thursday through Sunday.

(Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/sports/other-sports/pga-championship/article166093167.html)

Contact Us


ADDRESS

6320 Quadrangle Drive, Suite 240

Chapel Hill, NC 27517

PHONE

919-360-9509