PASSPORTS AND VISAS 101

Atlanta'ya gelen ve İngilizce dil becerilerini geliştirme veya akademik kariyerlerini ilerletme ihtiyacı olan uluslararası öğrenciler, profesyoneller ve şirket yöneticileri, bölgedeki birçok İkinci Dil Olarak İngilizce (ESL) kursundan birini tercih edip kayıt olabilirler.

ESL programları, ana dili İngilizce olmayan öğrencilerin ve çalışanların koleje veya işyerine girerken becerilerini geliştirmelerine yardımcı olmaktadır. ESL programlarının içerikleri, bireysel öğrencilerin ve öğrenci olmayanların ihtiyaç ve yeteneklerine yönelik çeşitli fırsatları kapsar. Bazı kurslar İngilizce diline temel bir giriş sağlarken, diğerleri telaffuz, kelime bilgisi ve sözlü anlatımın Amerikan telaffuzundaki nuanslarını vurgular. Birçok üniversite, ana dili İngilizce olmayanları akademik arayışlara hazırlamak için tasarlanmış kurslar sunar. Diğer kurslar ise öğrencileri birçok kolej ve üniversitenin zorunlu kıldığı TOEFL (Yabancı Dil Olarak İngilizce Testi) sınavını geçmeye hazırlar.

Estudantes internacionais, profissionais e empresários chegando a Atlanta que precisem melhorar suas habilidades com a língua inglesa e/ou progredir em suas carreiras acadêmicas podem se inscrever em um dos muitos cursos de Inglês como Língua Estrangeira (ESL, do inglês English as a Second Language) da região.

Os programas ESL auxiliam estudantes e trabalhadores que não sejam falantes nativos da língua inglesa a aprimorarem suas habilidades conforme ingressam em uma faculdade ou local de trabalho. O escopo dos programas ESL abrange uma variedade de oportunidades voltadas às necessidades e competências de cada indivíduo, estudante ou não-estudante. Alguns cursos fornecem uma introdução básica à língua inglesa, enquanto outros enfatizam as nuances da pronúncia, vocabulário e verbalização americanas. Inúmeras universidades oferecem cursos elaborados para preparar falantes não-nativos de inglês para objetivos acadêmicos. Outros cursos preparam estudantes para passar no TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), exame requisitado por muitas faculdades e universidades.

Les étudiants internationaux, les professionnels et les cadres d’entreprise qui arrivent à Atlanta et qui ont besoin d’améliorer leur compétences en anglais et/ou de progresser dans leur carrière universitaire ou professionnelle ont la possibilité de s’inscrire à l’un des nombreux cours d’Anglais en Deuxième Langue (ou ESL) proposés dans la métropole. 

Les programmes ESL permettent d’aider les étudiants et employés pour qui l’anglais n’est pas la langue maternelle à améliorer leurs compétences linguistiques pour mieux s’intégrer à l’université ou au travail. Les programmes ESL couvrent une grande variété de compétences orientées vers les différents besoins et capacités des individus, qu’ils soient étudiants ou non. Certains cours servent à fournir une introduction générale à la langue anglaise, tandis que d’autres mettent l’accent sur la prononciation, le vocabulaire et les nuances spécifiques de l’anglais américain. Plusieurs universités proposent des cours destinés à préparer les locuteurs non-natifs à suivre des études universitaires en anglais. D’autres cours visent à préparer les individus désireux de passer l’examen du TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language, diplôme d’anglais internationalement reconnu) qui est un prérequis pour s’inscrire dans la plupart des universités américaines.

International students, professionals, and business executives arriving in Atlanta who need to improve their English language skills and/or advance their academic careers can enroll in one of the area’s many English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. 

ESL programs help students and employees who are not native English speakers enhance their skills as they enter college or the workplace. The scope of ESL programs cover a variety of opportunities geared towards the needs and abilities of individual students and non-students. Some courses provide a basic introduction to the English language, while others emphasis American flavors of pronunciation, vocabulary and verbalization. Several universities offer courses designed to prepare non-native English speakers for academic pursuits. Other courses prepare students to pass the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam which is required by many colleges and universities.

The Greater Miami Area is the seventh-largest metropolitan area in the United States and has a population of 6.2 million people.  The metropolitan area is composed of Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and Palm Beach County.  Its main cities include Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Hialeah, Coral Gables, Miami Gardens, Miramar, Homestead, Davie, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, and Boca Raton.  This is a diverse community where 40% of the population was born in another country, and it is one of America’s most important cities for international trade.  Miami is a business hub for the Latin American region and is often thought of as the unofficial “Capital of Latin America”.  Miami and the state of Florida also have a growing number Arabs and Arab-Americans, which includes immigrants with Egyptian heritage.  Often relocating from other parts of the United States, they are drawn to the area’s warm weather and booming economy that makes this a paradise for owners of small businesses dealing in food services, retail, and construction.  Miami and the South Florida region have a population of a few thousand Egyptians and nearly 50,000 immigrants from countries like Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Palestinian Territories. 

Atlanta has a population of over 6 million people, making it the 9th most populous metropolitan area in the United States.  Atlanta is the capital of Georgia, which is the 8th most populous of the 50 states.  The city and surrounding area—known as the Atlanta metropolitan area—is also the commercial capital of the Southeast United States and has the third-highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the country.  The metropolitan area includes the municipalities of Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Roswell, Alpharetta, Marietta, Duluth, Norcross, Tucker, Lithonia, Decatur, Mableton, and others.  Atlanta is a diverse and international city that has about 50,000 residents of Arab descent, some of whom have immigrated from Egypt or have Egyptian heritage.  The symbol of Atlanta, the phoenix, borrows from Egyptian mythology and symbolizes the rise of the city after its destruction during the Civil War.  Ancient Egyptian influence can also be found at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, whose interior is based on historical Egyptian architecture; and the Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University has one of the largest collections of Ancient Egyptian art in the Southeast.  Atlanta residents interested in learning about modern day Egyptian and Arab culture can sign up for Arabic courses at the Alif Institute. 

UPDATED November 26, 2022 (Please see information below under "Other things to consider")

Greater Boston is the eleventh-most populous metropolitan area in the United States with a population of 4.9 million people, and includes towns such as Cambridge, Brookline, Quincy, Brockton, Lynn, Newton, Waltham, and Medford.  Boston is one of America’s oldest cities and has a rich history that attracts over 20 million tourists each year.  Known as the “intellectual capital of the United States”, Boston is a center of education that has more than 350,000 college students from around the world, including students from the Philippines.  Schools like Boston University, Harvard, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology all have Filipino student organizations.  There are a few thousand Filipinos living in Greater Boston and about 12,000 throughout the state of Massachusetts.  Although Boston does not necessarily have a strong connection to the Philippines compared to other major U.S. cities, this city (and the city of Springfield) have made one of the biggest contributions in relations between our two countries—the game of basketball.  Basketball was invented in Springfield by James Naismith, and Boston is home of the Celtics, one of the game’s greatest NBA franchises of all time.  Basketball is a national obsession in the Philippines and fans there are just as passionate as those in Boston.

UPDATED November 26, 2022 (Please see information below under "Other things to consider")

Philadelphia is the largest city in the state of Pennsylvania and is one of the oldest cities in the United States.  Founded in 1682 by Englishman William Penn, a social reformer and champion of liberty, he named the city Philadelphia using the Greek term meaning “brotherly love”.  Philadelphia has the nickname “City of Brotherly Love” and is nowadays more casually known by locals and non-locals alike as “Philly”.  The Philadelphia metropolitan area has over 6 million people and includes cities and towns in the states of New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, in addition to Pennsylvania.  The area is well known as a center of higher education and has more than 80 postsecondary institutions including Temple University, Drexel, Villanova, and University of Pennsylvania, whose Penn Language Center offer courses in the Filipino (Tagalog) language.  Historically, Philadelphia was also an important city for the nation’s military and had the country’s first naval shipyard.  Filipinos were allowed to join the U.S. Navy starting in 1901 and have found a home in Philadelphia ever since.  There are now over 35,000 Filipinos living in the Philadelphia metropolitan area and the city is home to the Filipino American Association of Philadelphia, one of the oldest Filipino organizations in the United States.

UPDATED November 26, 2022 (Please see information below under "Other things to consider")

Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States and is an important global city that attracts visitors from all over the world.  The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area—which includes the District of Columbia and parts of Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia—is America’s sixth-largest metropolis and has a population of 6.3 million people.  Cities within this area (apart from the District of Columbia) include Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, and Reston—all in Virginia—along with the Maryland towns of Bethesda, College Park, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Rockville, and Silver Spring.  The Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area has nearly 100,000 Filipinos residents and has over 100 organizations and programs that provide services to Filipino Americans and people of the Philippines.  Considering the close historical connections between the United States and Philippines, Washington, D.C. is one of the most important foreign capitals for Filipinos working in government and international politics.  During World War II, there were several hundred thousand Filipinos that fought alongside American troops to defeat Japan.  Today the contributions of Filipinos during the war is commemorated at the World War II Memorial, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

UPDATED November 26, 2022 (Please see information below under "Other things to consider")

Charlotte is the 23rd-most populous city in the United States and is the most populous city in the state of North Carolina.  The Charlotte metropolitan area is a sixteen-county region that stretches into the state of South Carolina and includes the towns of Concord, Gastonia, Huntersville, Kannapolis, Indian Trail, Mooresville, Monroe, Salisbury, Matthews, Statesville, Rock Hill (SC), and Fort Mill (SC).  Known as the Queen City, this metropolis of 2.6 million people has been one of the country’s fastest-growing cities the past two decades.  Charlotte’s youthful population, low cost of living, and geographic location in America’s Sun Belt, have made it an attractive destination for business investment.  Charlotte and the state of North Carolina have become an important financial center and is the headquarters of several large banks.  There is a strong link between Charlotte and Philippines when we consider that some of these large banks have operations in Philippines to handle their customer service and back office administration.  North Carolina is also home to several military bases, and the Philippines is a popular retirement destination for many American veterans.  Residents of Charlotte interested in trying Filipino food before their trip to Philippines can check out Joel’s Asian Grill in Mooresville.