Recommended · Fairfax, VA
English as a Second Language Program
Year-round intensive English program at a private career-focused college in the DC suburbs, feeding academic pathways and TOEFL prep for F-1 international students.
About
Housed within Columbia College - a small private career-oriented institution about twelve miles west of Washington on the Fairfax/Vienna corridor - the English as a Second Language Program (CCESLP) trains international students to survive and thrive in an English-medium classroom. The curriculum runs on rolling ten-week sessions covering listening, speaking, reading, writing and grammar, with a dedicated iBT TOEFL preparation track for students who need a portable score before moving on to a US degree program.
What gives the program its shape is less any single innovation than its location and its function. Fairfax County sits on the edge of one of the wealthiest, most polyglot metro areas in the country, and Columbia College leans into that: incoming students take the CaMLA English placement plus in-house speaking and writing tests, are sorted into leveled classes, and are pulled once a session onto field trips through the DC museum belt and, in spring, the Cherry Blossom Festival. It is a modest, workmanlike program - accredited by CEA, SEVP-authorized to issue Form I-20, and clearly built around the pipeline into the college's own vocational and academic programs rather than around glossy marketing.
Expect a small, community-scale operation rather than a big-name university IEP. The website is straightforward and, in practice, appears aggressive about blocking automated traffic, so prospective students should plan to call or email admissions directly for current tuition and start dates.
Programs offered
- Intensive English as a Second Language (CCESLP)
- TOEFL iBT Preparation
- Vocational English as a Second Language (VESL)
- Online VESL
Languages & delivery
Languages taught
- English
Delivery
- 👥 F-1 international students preparing for US academic study or vocational programs, plus local immigrants and residents seeking structured English instruction in the DC metro area
Accreditations & certifications
- ✓ Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA)
- ✓ SEVP-authorized to issue Form I-20 for F-1 students
What stands out
- Rolling 10-week sessions offered year-round rather than fixed semesters
- CaMLA English placement plus in-house speaking/writing diagnostics
- Dedicated iBT TOEFL preparation track
- Weekly-cadence field trips into Washington DC museums and cultural events
- SEVP-authorized with F-1 pathway into Columbia College's own programs
- Companion Vocational ESL (VESL) track including a fully online version
- Twelve miles from central Washington DC in high-income Fairfax County
Recent Google reviews
I was a student at this ESL program and want to say only good things. Teachers are very kind and understanding. Classes were organized very well. Ida, the ESL program leader gave a lot of personal attention to every student. Thank you for all your help!
I don't know them personally, but I've heard from others about their dedication to the community and their faith in God. I also want to thank them for helping many foreigners with English classes. May God continue to bless them.
Based on 4 Google reviews · average 5.0
Location
📍 8620 Westwood Center Drive, Vienna, VA 22182