BELLEVUE, WA. – Today, City University of Seattle, a not-for-profit university, announced it has acquired one of Washington state’s top language schools – the Washington Academy of Languages (WAL). The addition of WAL to CityU will significantly expand CityU’s language offering to students in Seattle and around the world. Particularly, it will help student who are learning English as a second language; professionals or students who want acquire foreign language skills and/or Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) who need training.

WAL has been a privately owned, not-for-profit, language school for 30 years. Its courses and curriculum have been praised among academics, professionals and linguists throughout the years. Operating in eleven countries with increasing numbers of international students coming to the U.S., proficiency in English is a key for students’ academic success. CityU is delighted to strengthen its language teaching capabilities as an added dimension of its move to Seattle. Developing an urban learning campus in South Lake Union will enhance both CityU’s and WAL’s capacities to better fulfill their missions. WAL’s director and owner, Dr. Paul Schneider, said it was CityU’s mission, passion, and vision that convinced him he could entrust his school, faculty and staff with the university.

“CityU’s urban learning campus is centered on expanding access and meeting modern students’ educational needs. With the business world being ‘flat’, language proficiently is a desired skill employers want to see cultivated in their future and current employees. In this competitive market, CityU wants to offer the opportunity for people to learn these skills – online and/or onsite. Whether it’s learning English, Mandarin, Arabic, Spanish, etc. – our goal is to equip students with the best education possible. Through WAL’s proven curriculum, we are better positioned to achieve this goal.” said Lee Gorsuch.

Currently, WAL is located at 2 Nickerson St., Suite 201 Seattle, and at 2150 N 107th Street Suite 300, Seattle, WA 98133. WAL staff and faculty will move with CityU later this year, into CityU’s urban learning campus located at 6th and Wall. Go here for a complete list of WAL’s courses.