Studying English in Hawaii

Studying English in Hawaii is not always an obvious choice for international students. Perhaps it seems too good to be true. How could anyone ever concentrate on studies while being surrounded by paradise? Or perhaps it is a hard sell for students who need the assistance of parents or sponsors. Those paying the tuition may fear that the student may learn how to surf better than to speak English.

But these myths are far from reality. Sure you can learn to surf but it doesn't have to be at the expense of a high-quality language education. Due to proximity and a long interlocking history, the Japanese have long since discovered the secret treasure of studying in Hawaii. However, each year more and more Europeans and South Americans discover the Pearl of the Pacific-the Hawaiian archipelago, not only because it is a tropical paradise but also because of Hawaii's growing world importance as the economic, geographical and cultural center of the Pacific Rim-the fastest growing region in the world.

Honolulu, the heartbeat of Hawaii, boasts a number of English language schools that will meet most students' needs. Each school is slightly different, so it is a good idea to check each school's homepage to find the one most appropriate for you.

Most schools have morning and/or afternoon intensive English lessons and most schools offer both full-time (F-1 Visa) programs and part-time (tourist) programs. Several schools offer private (one-on-one) lessons. In some of the programs students can only enter at the beginning of terms while others are more flexible with weekly or monthly enrollment through out the year.

Some of the things you will want to consider when inquiring about schools are accommodation (Is the school able to help you with accommodation), location (How near is the school to your accommodation?), purpose (What is the main reason you want to study English? Conversation skills? Grammatical Accuracy? College preparatory?), when and how long you want to study (Does the school's schedule and your own match?) and price (Does the tuition fit in your budget?).

What follows is a brief overview of some of the better-known schools on Oahu:

The Institute of Intensive English (IIE) is conveniently located in central Waikiki. Although the terms at IIE are 8 weeks long, students can enroll any Monday and can take part-time or full-time classes at IIE. Classes are 4 hours a day Monday through Thursday in either the morning or the afternoon. Friday Activities are optional for part-time student but mandatory for full-time students. On Fridays students can choose to take a lesson on American culture or vocabulary building or participate in a field trip. During the field trips students go to local areas of interest like hiking up Diamond Head, a scavenger hunt through China Town, or a guided tour through the Aloha Tower and the Maritime Museum.

IIE offers optional TOEIC and TOEFL preparation classes. Part-time students can choose to take one of the test preparation classes and one regular lesson. Full-time students have the same option or they can choose both regular lessons and a test preparation class for a total of 6 hours of study a day, 24 hours a weeks. For students who want more individualized attention IIE offers students the option of taking private lessons. This is a popular option for people who are in Hawaii for a brief stay or have a specific topic that they wish to study.

IIE places a strong emphasis on developing students' oral communication skills. This is achieved through pair and small group work in class and encouraging students to attend after-class activities like Movie Night, Conversation Night and joining in the Nike Town Running Club with teachers and classmates.

Intercultural Communications College (ICC) is located near Ala Moana Shopping Center. ICC has a new student orientation every fifth Monday. The full-time course is 20 hours a week and the part-time course is 16 hours a week with each course being 4 weeks long. Courses at ICC focus on grammatical accuracy. ICC also offers testing preparation programs in the TOEIC, TOEFL and the Cambridge exams. ICC has an activity coordinator on staff that plans weekly after class activities with students.

The New Intensive Courses in English (NICE) Program is located on the campus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. NICE is a 10-week program with enrollment at the beginning of each term. The 10-week program is open to both full-time and part-time students. Full-time students take twenty hours of classes each week while the part-time students study 15 hours per week. The part-time program has both morning and afternoon classes. NICE has a 4-week summer program, which is open only to full-time students. During each term students do an outside activity-Culture Day-with their teacher.

Hawaii Pacific University (HPU) also has a language program at the downtown campus. Enrollment is accepted at the beginning of each semester with additional courses available in the summer. Full-time and part-time students are accepted in the HPU program. The main attraction of the HPU program is for students whose desire is to enter HPU as an HPU university student after they have achieved English proficiency. If a student completes the required proficiency courses then he/she can enter HPU without a TOEFL score.

After researching and deciding on a program, it is time to prepare for life in Hawaii. Many people think that Hawaii has no seasons but those who live here know that although there may not be major temperature changes between the seasons they are still felt. In the winter, after sunset, the evenings can get chilly. A light jacket or a sweatshirt may be required for comfort. Summers are usually quite a bit warmer and more humid than the rest of the year. However, you will find Hawaii agreeable anytime you decide to come as the cooling trade winds keep the temperature moderate throughout the year.

After classes and during the weekends you will have plenty of time to discover everything that Oahu has to offer. World-famous Waikiki is popular during the day as place to get sun or catch waves anywhere along the two-mile stretch of white sand beaches that tourist from around the world come to Hawaii to see. In the evening Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki comes alive with street performers entertaining the people passing by on their way to dinner or the International Market Place for evening shopping.

Hanauma Bay is an excellent place to spend Saturday afternoons. Famous for its clear blue waters and excellent snorkeling Hanauma Bay is located about 10 miles from Waikiki. Bring your books to study under the palm trees on the grass before you head into the water to swim with parrotfish, butterfly fish, moray eels and sea turtles. Since it is a state park there is a $3.00 entry fee but as a student you will be able to use your student ID card for the Kamaiana (local) rate-free.

Since you will be exercising your mind all week you might want to exercise your body on the weekends by hiking along any one of Oahu's hiking trails that offer fabulous vistas of the island. The trails range in difficulty from the relatively easy if not hot and dry walk up Hawaii's most famous land mark, Diamond Head to more difficult trails that have you making your slippery way through jungle vegetation or going along ridge lines with sheer drops on either side. Whatever your level as a hiker or even non-hiker you will be able to find trails that will take you away from busy Honolulu and give you a chance to contemplate the beauty nature offers us with out the fear of meeting a snake. There are no snakes native to Hawaii. However, never over estimate your abilities and always have a hiking buddy with you on unknown trails.

And then there is the North Shore. Waikiki is popular with surfers of all levels with its sets of 1-3 foot waves, but it is the North Shore that attracts the serious surfer with frequent high surf advisories in the winter. Boasting some of the world's best surfing, the North Shore is the site of three major surf competitions each December and where the TV program Bay Watch, Hawaii is filmed.

Whoever said that you couldn't have your cake and eat it, too? Hawaii is a perfect example. There are a number of schools that offer quality language education at reasonable prices and there are never days cold enough that make you want to dig into your covers and dread going to class. And even if you wake up to find Pele crying (raining) you know that you know that at some point in the day there will be a rainbow. Being surrounded by mystery and beauty will only inspire you to study and make the most out of your stay in paradise. Aloha.

Written by
Marta L. Wiggins, Director of the Institute of Intensive English.