Washington Academy of Languages

The Washington Academy of Languages (WAL) provides English and world language training to students interested in learning a language. It is a division of City University of Seattle and its mission is to promote cross-cultural understanding through language instruction and teacher training.

WAL offers a premier English Language Program (ELP), 10 world languages and graduate TESOL certificate.

If you are looking for more information about WAL and how to apply to these language programs, please go to WAL’s website for a complete overview of the course schedule and how to apply.

Language Programs

WAL’s English Language Program (ELP) is designed for students who want to study at CityU or another U.S. institution. The goal of this training is to promote cross-cultural understanding through language instruction and help students become competent in areas such as social conversation, academic writing and oral presentations.
The TESOL certificate  is one of the only online, certified, graduate TESOL programs in the area that includes field experience and individualized course work. The faculty and curricula will prepare you to teach English in a variety of settings. If you want to take your certificate further, you can go on to apply to your credits to CityU’s M.Ed. in Adult Education and Instructional Design or the M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction.

If you wish to learn a world language, WAL’s esteemed faculty is here to help. WAL’s World Language Programs offer flexible night and weekend programs in the following 10 languages:

  • Arabic
  • Chinese
  • French
  • German
  • Japanese
  • Korean
  • Persian
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Spanish

The curriculum taught in these language courses range from beginner to advanced. Courses focus on all aspects of language: speaking, pronunciation, culture, reading, writing and comprehension.

WAL’s teaching philosophy is built on the belief that learning a language is more than understanding grammar and memorizing vocabulary; it is expanding one’s perspective and learning how to understand another culture from the inside out.