International Language Institute of MA

CONTACT:

25 New South Street
Northampton, MA 01060
413-586 - 7569
www.languageschoolusa.org

Alexis Johnson, Executive Director

DESCRIPTION:

ILI is a terrific resource for the Commonwealth -- founded in 1984, located in Northampton and Springfield, it teaches languages mainly in Franklin, Hampshire and Hampden counties. In 1998, it served 550 students in small classes learning Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, and English as a Second Language (ESL). Its faculty are skilled professionals with Master's Degrees or equivalent experience in teaching. ILI provides the language program at Hampshire College, delivers various state and federally funded programs and teaches on-site at area companies. Many institutions call upon it to solve particular problems - e.g., teaching Spanish to Northampton police officers and other city employees, training corporate staff to do business in a particular language, or collaborating with other charities serving immigrant populations. Its program is both warmly human -- e.g., in its "Language Exchange Program" pairing students one-on-one to help each learn the other's language -- and also technological such as language labs and a Distance Learning Pilot Project on the Web, funded by the Massachusetts Department of Education, using ELLIS software and the video series, "Crossroads Cafe." Here is a grassroots way you can help support global understanding.

(1999: CULTURE: Education: Informal: General)