Educational & Cultural Exchange

Excerpt: Short Term Studies (Education USA/U.S. Department of State)

Publication: Short term Study, English Language Programs, Distance Education and Accreditation(If you want to study in the United States, Vol.3, downloadable booklet in pdf format)

English Language Courses

There are over 400 educational institutions that offer English language programs, spread across the many geographic and cultural regions of the United States. These programs provide a variety of courses, from academic English for university-bound students to language and culture courses for travelers. High-quality programs have a professionally trained faculty, an excellent curriculum, and superior facilities for study. Such facilities may include classrooms, libraries, laboratories, computers, and other equipment.
Before you apply to a language school, you should make sure it meets accepted minimum standards. Accreditation is the process whereby standards are established and maintained for educational institutions in the United States. There are two specialized accrediting bodies for Intensive English Programs in the United States: the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education and Training (ACCET) and the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA). Check to see whether the programs you are considering are accredited by either of these bodies.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) authorizes English language programs to issue the government Form I-20, which you will need to apply for your student visa. The USCIS will consider a program as an Intensive English Program only if it offers a minimum of 18 classroom hours (also called contact hours) per week for its students, and if it is accredited by a national or regional accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Therefore, if an Intensive English Program has approval by the USCIS to issue the government Form I-20, that is one indicator that the program is accredited.
Excerpt: English Language Programs (Education USA/U.S. Department of State)

• Aktion Bildungsinformation e.V. - their publication Englisch lernen in Übersee: USA provides descriptions and address lists of language programs in the U.S.
• American Association of Intensive English Programs (AAIEP) - provides help in choosing an English language program in the U.S.
• Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA),
• Directory of ESL Program Websites in the United States (GlobalStudy Website)
• Edupass: English As A Second Language
• English Language Courses in the U. S. (U.S. Embassy London/ US Educational Advisory Service by Fulbright Commission)
• English Language Courses (Kaplan)
• Fachverband Deutscher Sprachreise-Veranstalter (FDSV) - Fifteen leading German organizers of language study trips have joined together under the FDSV e.V., Große Bleiche 17-23, 55116 Mainz, Tel. (06131) 14 38 45, Fax (06131) 14 38 26.
• Language Schools Guide.com
• Language Schools in the U.S. - directory of American English language schools
• Peterson's English as a Second Language - Alphabetical listing of institutions that offer programs in English as a Second Language.
• Study in the USA: English for Specific Purposes (ESP) - these courses help prepare students and professionals for careers in fields such as law, medicine, tourism or teaching.
• Study in the USA: Learning English - information on evaluating an English language school
• UCIEP - an independent consortium of university and college-administered intensive English programs in the United States.
See also: Summer Sessions, Sprachkurse on the homepage of the University of Applied Science, Hannover.

Summer Sessions

Some universities in the United States offer classes during the summer break between May and August. The school may offer one or two "summer sessions," and each session usually lasts between six and ten weeks.

Many universities open summer session classes to the outside public, and they sometimes make available on-campus dormitory accommodations. You may find that students who are enrolled in a degree program at the university also take classes during the summer in order to finish their degree faster than usual or to catch up on classes they missed or in which they want to improve their grades.

While summer sessions at U.S. universities offer degree-level courses, summer schools and similar programs offer a broad range of courses structured for personal enrichment and professional development. Such programs can be found at certain English language centers, as well as at institutes offering classes in cooking, diving, fashion, music, the arts, and other topics.
Excerpt: Summer Session Study (Education USA/U.S. Department of State)

• Peterson's summer programs - click on K12 - activity "academic"
• North American Association of Summer Sessions
• Summer Study in the U.S.(U.S. Embassy London/ US Educational Advisory Service by Fulbright Commission)
• University Continuing Education Association

See also: Summer Sessions, Sprachkurse on the homepage of the University of Applied Science Hannover

Distance Education

The 21st century brings with it a constantly expanding number of ways in which education can be effectively delivered to learners. More than 90 percent of all accredited U.S. colleges and universities that have 10,000 or more students now offer distance education programs.
Distance education is a type of formal learning in which the student and the instructor are not in the same place at the same time. It may be synchronous or asynchronous. If distance education is synchronous, instruction is given at a particular time and, usually, at specific locations. If distance education is asynchronous, instruction can be received by students wherever and whenever they desire, as long as they have access to the Internet or, in the case of correspondence education, to the mail. Many distance education programs also require occasional attendance by the student on the college campus offering the program.

Why Choose Distance Education?
Students enroll in distance education for many reasons. Maybe, they cannot attend campus away from home or they have child or elder-care obligations, cannot get away from their current job, or the program may be offered at a location, that is not feasible to attend for any reason.

Skills needed to Success
Experience shows that those most likely to succed in a distance education program are students who like to work independently and who have some degree of privacy. Potential distance learners should do an honest and thoughtful assessment of themselves in relation to the requirements for the program

Costs
Costs for distance education vary considerably depending on the type of program you choose. Distance education can save you the expenses of travel, room and board, but the actual academic fees usually correspond to those of traditional learning.

Admission Requirements
Application procedures for enrollment into a distance education program are usually the same as those for an on-site program. Many institutions require satisfactory scores on admission tests such as SAT or TOEFL or other tests. Application forms are often required along with transcripts of your past educational performance; letters of recommendation, statements of purpose plus some other requirements are often mandatory.

Choosing a Distance Education Program
Whether you are looking to improve a particular skill, improve your general knowledge, earn a certificate, or earn an undergraduate or graduate degree, there are programs available that will serve your needs.
Distance education is constantly expanding, and many institutions see it as a form of education that can be adapted to suit many of their programs and degree offerings. New programs are coming on-line each day.

Type of Institutions that Offer Distance Education
The institutions that offer distance education programs are almost as varied as the programs themselves. Programs are available through traditional U.S. colleges and universities, "virtual" universities, two-year junior or community colleges, and professional bodies, as well as through private corporations and other organizations. Virtual universities offer no campus-based programs at all; every program they run is a distance education program. The number of virtual universities is increasing all the time, and most hold the same kind of accreditation as traditional, campus-based institutions.

Quality of the Program
You should research the history and quality of any distance education program to determine its value to you. Here are some questions that you might want to ask:
· How long has the institution been enrolling students in this program?
· How often and through what mechanism is the program reviewed for the currency of its curriculum?
· How does the variety of courses offered compare with similar programs at other institutions?
· What is the average length of time it takes for a student to complete this program?
· What have graduates of this program gone on to do, particularly in terms of transferring to other degree programs or finding employment?
· How can I contact some of these graduates and their employers to talk about their learning experiences and their preparation for a career?
· Where can I find evaluations of this program?
· Will this program be recognized in my home country?

Accreditation
The system of quality assurance of U.S. educational institutions is known as accreditation. It is important for you to know the accreditation status of any education program you might enroll in. If the program is not properly accredited, your degree may not be recognized by employers, government entities both in the United States and in your home country, or other institutions of higher learning. Please see the chapter Accreditation at the department of State’s EducationUSA Page for educationusa.state.gov/accred.htm further details.
(source and more information: Short term study-Distance education http://educationusa.state.gov/study/admissions/distance.htm)
See also: Distance Education on the Homepage of the University of Applied Science, Hannover

Links
· ClassesUSA, online degree programs from accredited colleges and universities
· Degree Net,all about distance education from the publisher of the standard publication “Bears Guide to Earning Degrees by Distance Learning”
· Degree Finders.com,
a lot of useful hints, esp. about accreditation
· Distance Education and Training Council, standard-setting agency for correspondence study and distance education institutions since 1926
· Distance Education Clearinghouse, managed and maintained by the University of Wisconsin-Extension, in cooperation with its partners and other University of Wisconsin institutions
· Distance Learning Resources(Fulbright Commission, London)
· E-College
course Finder by degree, subjects and location.
· E-learning Guide (U.S. News and World report)
· Fathom.com , unabhaengige Bildungsfirma der Columbia University
· GetEducated.com, America’s first online counseling center for adult learners seeking accredited online college degrees
· Global Education Network , offers liberal art courses online
· Globewide Network Academy, international catalog for distance learning education
· National Universitites Degree Consortium, all about distance education (read the general information first)
· Peterson's Guide to Distance Learning online database for online courses, searchable for accredited distance learning courses by school name, degree, or subject
· R1edu.org distance learning courses at U.S. "Research 1" universities. Gegründet von der University of Washington, bietet dieser Träger in Zusammenarbeit mit Top-Universitäten maßgeschneiderte Online-Kurse und Abschlüsse an.

Camps

Summer camps have a long tradition in the United states and offer a way for kids between 6 and 16 to learn, grow, have fun and make friends while enjoying fresh air and sunshine. At a camp, you can learn to skipper a sailboat, to ride a horse, learn rock-climbing techniques, develop wilderness survival skills, build a campfire, tell stories, put on a play, learn how to juggle and even brush up computer skills.

A camp is also a place to learn cooperation and leadership, take on a little independence, and leave the pressures of school and everyday stuff behind. Friendships made at a camp, can be special, too.You’ll find camps in some of America’s most spectacular natural settings – from the rugged Atlantic coastline of Maine, to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, to the canyons of Arizona and the temperate rainforests of the Pacific Northwest.

Many camps also offer specialized programs where fun in the great outdoors is supplemented by fitness programs or sports. There’s a camp for about every sport imaginable.

Camp Counselor
Foreign university students, youth workers, and other specially qualified individuals at least 18 years of age and proficient in English may work as counselors in U.S. summer camps for up to four months.Camp Counselors interact directly with groups of American youth by overseeing their activities in a camp setting during the U.S. summer season.
Excerpt: Camp Counselor/Education USA/ U.S. Department of State
See also: Camp Counselor on the Homepage of the University of Applied Science, Hannover

• Summer Camp Programs (Peterson's)
• American Camping Association
• CampPage - A comprehensive listing of summer camps and wilderness programs for youth in the United States and Canada
• KidsCamp.com
• Allen's Guide - Kids and Teens Summer Camps.
• GoCamps.com - The official Website of Frost's Summer Camp Guide

Visa Information

Please make sure you are aware of all visa regulations concerning your stay.
• Visa Information for Foreign Students and Language Students (U.S. Embassy)
• Visa Information for Exchange Students (U.S. Embassy)

Last modified: August 2006

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