American Language Institute Blog

Mouna Ben Garga came to the ALI to learn English. She hopes that her study abroad will one day help her home country of Tunisia. Tunisia is credited with the...

For Camila Bernal Sierra, living in San Diego hasn’t been that much of a culture shock. She believes growing up in South America made her more familiar with American culture....

Many American Language Institute (ALI) students attend classes to improve their English and better their chances to enroll to the main campus of San Diego State University (SDSU). In 2008,...

In a very diplomatic way, Zhenis Kalibekov would love to see his son, Alisher, follow in his footsteps. Zhenis is the Republic of Kazakhstan’s diplomat to China, following four years...

Many students come to the American Language Institute to improve their English so they can move on and be successful at the university level. One student, Xie Baifan, is studying...

When Marc Tannenhaus was studying political science at Arizona State University (he later earned a master’s at Eastern Michigan University) he wanted to become a teacher. At the time, he...

Van Hillier wears many hats at SDSU. He does everything from being an international teacher training coordinator to coordinating special group visits to the American Language Institute, such as a...

Originally from Austria, Barbara arrived in America at the age of 22 and remembers her American assimilation process.

If you come to SDSU to learn and study English, there is a good chance you will have Joseph Gaxiola as an instructor for at least one class. He teaches...

In 1988, Cindy Kisteleky started working at the ALI – 23 years later she says that she would have never guessed that she would still be at the same school....

For the past 23 years Paula Peterman has been committed to the ALI. When she started working for the ALI, the ALI was located in an apartment building across the...

Talk about a major career change. Kim Jacobus-Syfrett  worked in the computer field for 25 years as a programmer and a data base developer. She decided that she wanted a...

Noah Hansen lives and breathes the international journey. Having traveled to more than 45 countries, he became passionate about international work and education through experience. He started working at the...

Lynnette Torres has worked for ALI for almost four years and her experiences have shaped her understanding of living and studying abroad. She knows all about being a new face...