★ Little Sunshine's Wonderland ★

: English Language Center. How may I help you?

Caller: Yes. I'm calling to find out more information about your program. For example, what kind of courses do you offer?

Receptionist: Well, first of all, the purpose of our program is to provide language learning opportunities to this area's community [Uh-hum], whether a student's goal is to master basic functional language skills, let's say, for his or her job, or to study intensively to enter a US college or university.

Caller: Okay. I'm calling for a friend who is interested in attending a US university.

Receptionist: And that's the kind of, uh, instruction that we provide, from basic communication courses to content-based classes such as computer literacy, intercultural communication, and business English.

Caller: Great. What are your application deadlines for the next semester?

Receptionist: Well, we ask applicants to apply no later than two months before the semester begins. [Uh-hum] This gives us time to process the application and issue the student's I-20.

Caller: An I-20?

Receptionist: Oh, an I-20 is a form that indicates that we are giving permission for the student to study in our program, and then the student takes this form to the US embassy in his or her home country to apply for the F-1 student visa.

Caller: Alright. What is the tuition for a full-time student?

Receptionist: It's two thousand thirty dollars.

Caller: And how does one apply?

Receptionist: Well, we can send you an application and you can mail it back to us, or you can fill out our application that's on our Web site.

Caller: And are there other materials I would need to send in addition to the application form?

Receptionist: Uh, yes. You would need to send in a $35 non-refundable application fee [Uh-huh], a sponsorship form indicating who will be responsible financially for the student while studying in our program, and a bank statement showing that you or your sponsor has sufficient funds to cover tuition expenses and living costs for the entire year of study.

Caller: And how can I send these materials to you?

Receptionist: You can either send the application packet by regular mail or you can fax it.

Caller: And the application fee?

Receptionist: We accept money orders, travelers checks, or credit cards.

Caller: Alright. I think that's about it.

Receptionist: Okay great.

Caller: Oh and what is your name?

Receptionist: Ok. My name is Tony Nelson. You can just call and ask for me.

Caller: Great. Thank you for help.

Receptionist: No problem and please don't hesitate to call again if you have any other questions.

Caller: Okay. Goodbye.

Vocabulary,

• attending (verb): going to
  - I'm thinking about attending a language school in England next fall.

• content-based classes (noun): classes that focus on a particular subject
  - This program is well-known for its emphasis in content-based classes such as engineering.

• literacy (noun): the ability to read and write
  - Literacy is one key to educating the public.

• deadlines (noun): dates by which something must be done or completed
  - What is the deadline for submitting my application?

• apply (verb): to turn in or submit an application
  - I've decided to apply for an academic scholarship.

• issue (verb): to prepare and distribute
  - The police officer issued the driver a warning for speeding in a school zone.

• "rain or shine" = no matter what the weather is like
  - "Rain or shine, classes will be held on Friday."

• "leave the nest" = move away from home for the first time
  - "For some students, coming to a foreign country can be difficult because it is the first time they have left the nest."