special tuition offers
at seattle language academy

• If you are new to SLA, you are eligible for a $50 tuition discount on any standard FLP class or ELP evening class.
• Take the two-language challenge and get $50 off on your second class.
• If you are new to SLA, you are eligible for a $100 tuition discount on any ELP Intensive class.
• Refer a friend or co-worker to SLA and receive a $25 discount off your next class at SLA.
• Want to take classes but need some help? Apply for SLA's need-based tuition discount.
  
  

what to look for in a language school

From neighborhood cultural organizations and private language schools to universities and community colleges, students are often presented with a plethora of choices when deciding where to embark on language study. The choices can be baffling, and the savvy consumer will want to do a little homework in advance. Here are some questions to ask yourself when shopping. Of course, we’ve provided our own answers, but we invite all prospective students to shop and compare. We feel SLA is the best place to study a foreign language, and we try to explain why below.

1. How long has the school been around?
Longevity in itself is not proof of excellence but in a competitive environment it can be a powerful indicator. Students are advised to look for a school with a proven track record and a history of attracting and retaining students. An institution can provide no better recommendation for itself and no better proof of the quality of its programs than its own satisfied students who come back again and again and who tell their friends and co-workers about their positive learning experiences.

2. Are the instructors qualified professionals?
The qualifications of the instructor are of paramount importance—it is an axiom of the profession that being a native speaker of (say) French no more qualifies you to teach the language than knowing how to drive a car qualifies you to repair Peugeots! It takes both training and long experience to become an effective foreign-language instructor; and although native knowledge of a language is certainly an advantage, it is far from the most important factor. Serious schools hire instructors who possess both strong academic credentials and demonstrated success in classroom teaching in addition to native-level linguistic proficiency. Follow this link to see SLA’s teacher profiles.

3. What is the average number of students per class?
This figure varies a great deal from institution to institution and is a key indicator of the seriousness of a school’s programs and its ability to offer effective instruction in a classroom setting. Most university and community college classes tend to have a very high per-class average, often between 20 and 30 students. At SLA, our maximum number of students per class is 15; our minimum number of students per class is five; our average number of students per class is eight. While all seasoned teachers will know how to incorporate group work to maximize class time and ensure ample speaking and practice opportunities for each student, small-class settings provide the best environment for fast and effective learning.

4. How frequently are lessons held?
Frequent contact with the target language is of prime importance. Many schools and community colleges in the area offer classes that meet just once per week. While this format might be more convenient to some, at SLA we feel that two meetings per week are the very minimum needed for effective learning and retention. In addition to SLA’s standard classes, which meet twice per week, SLA offers intensive courses in the summer quarter that meet three, four or five times per week.

5 What is the average cost per hour of instruction?
A class that appears cheap on the surface may in fact be relatively costly when you look at class-duration and the average cost per hour of instruction. At SLA, our standard classes run for 30 hours; tuition is priced at $425 for beginning students, $395 for continuing students, which averaged out over one year of instruction translates into $13.42 per hour. The table below shows how our tuition rates stack up against other providers in the area:

Language Institution REGISTER NOW!	Duration	Average Cost per Class	Cost per hour	Frequency of Meetings	Average # of Students	Cost of 1 yr College Equivalent
	30 hrs	$402.50	$13.42	2x wk	8	$1610
	30 hrs	$405.00	$13.50	2x wk	8	$2430
	20 hrs	$295.00	$14.75	1x wk	8	$1770
	46.5 hrs	$756.00	$16.22	4x wk	22	$2400
	46.5 hrs	$1145.00	$24.57	2x wk	15	$3435

7. Is the school a community oriented organization?
Finally, there is the question of the role played by the school in the community. Seattle Language Academy is a non-profit organization whose mission springs from a belief in the inherent value of language-learning both for individuals and the communities they live in. Every year, SLA donates dozens of language-classes to assist other non-profit organizations in their fundraising efforts. The school is on the verge of launching a merit-based scholarship program for local high school students. SLA also builds community by hosting weekly international events including its Foreign Film Series & Speakers and Events Series nights that draw 30 to 70 people per evening. SLA's lecture series brings in some of the region’s best-known writers for readings and informal talks. Wine-tastings. Concerts. Weekly conversation tables in our core languages—these events are all part of the school’s community outreach efforts, outreach that, the quality of our programs aside, sets SLA apart from its competitors and makes it one of the most unique cultural institutions in the region.

need-based tuition discounts

In an effort to make its classes and programs available to as many students as possible, Seattle Language Academy is pleased to announce a need-based tuition discount plan for those who cannot afford Seattle Language Academy’s normal tuition rates. Requests are considered on a case by case basis; tuition reductions, valid for one quarter of study, are granted on the following scale:

• $320 (25%)
  
• $215 (50%)

If you would like to request a tuition discount based on financial need, please fill out the Need-Based Eligibility Questionnaire in editable PDF or Microsoft Word and submit it to assistance@sealang.org, or print and mail/drop off at SLA Reception. Requests must be received by the registration deadline: