Conversation & Fluency
Who should take this course?
Students who would like to focus on conversation, fluency-building, and American culture topics will benefit from the Conversation and Fluency program. In addition to structured lessons in grammar and vocabulary development, students will have many opportunities to interact with other international students and UC San Diego Cultural Ambassadors who are native English speakers and members of the community. Cultural field trips, plus presenataions by guest speakers may be integrated into the classroom experience. Students who would like a fully live-online Conversation and Fluency program should check out our Online ESL Courses page for more information.
Placement Test
Students with high-beginner to advanced levels of English proficiency are welcome to take this program. All new students must take an online placement test to determine their English level before starting the Conversation & Fluency program. The placement test is part of the required online pre-arrival orientation.
Dates
2022
- July 5 - 29 (July 4 is a holiday)
- August 1 - 26
- August 29 - September 23
2023
- January 9 - February 3
- February 6 - March 3
- March 20 - April 14
- July 3 - 28
- August 7 - September 1
View a complete list of all program dates.
Application Deadline
All programs close when they are full. Applications are reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis until all seats available are taken. Acceptance deadline is 3 weeks before the program start-date.
All enrolled students are required to complete an online pre-arrival orientation before starting the Conversation & Fluency program.
Program Schedule
- Monday – Friday
- 15* or 20 hours per week
- Schedule varies depending on English level
Cost (in U.S. dollars)
2022
- Application Fee: $150 (nonrefundable)
- Part-time Tuition: $1,800 (15 hours per week / 60 hours total)*, OR
- Full-time Tuition: $2,000 (20 hours per week / 80 hours total)
- International Student Service Fee: $175
- UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies medical insurance: $180
- Books/Materials: Approximately $150-175 (Payment CANNOT be made in advance. Books and materials must be purchased upon arrival at UC San Diego.)
2023
- Application Fee: $175 (nonrefundable)
- Part-time Tuition: $1,800 (15 hours per week / 60 hours total)*, OR
- Full-time Tuition: $2,000 (20 hours per week / 80 hours total)
- International Student Service Fee: $200
- UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies medical insurance: $220
- Books/Materials: Approximately $150-175 (Payment CANNOT be made in advance. Books and materials must be purchased upon arrival at UC San Diego.)
*The part-time program does not qualify for the form I-20.
Programs You May Also Like:
For a complete list of all programs, please visit our Courses and Programs page.
Advisory About Variable Enrollments
Enrollment numbers in our Academic, Conversation, and Conversation and Fluency programs vary greatly from month to month. If our online pre-arrival placement tests indicate that your English proficiency level does not permit placement in the original 4-week program class, we may place you in 4 weeks of study in a corresponding 4-week or 8-week program, or we may provide a combination of classes and individual tutoring to ensure a program of 15 or 20 hours per week for 4 weeks. Alternatively, we may decide to place all 4-week program students in level-appropriate classes in a corresponding 4-week or 8-week program in order to provide a program of 15 or 20 hours per week for 4 weeks. When this happens, the students’ 4-week program will have the features described for the new 4- or 8-week program, not the features described for the original program. The tuition and fees for the students’ 4-week program enrollment will remain the same.