I would like start reminding you of how fortunate we are to be graduating today, because not everyone gets a chance to go to college to learn English, and very few have access to the caliber of education that we have received here.

I will admit that I have worried in the past. Sometimes I have worried about the best way to be a fluent English speaker.. Now I think that we have something in our hands to demonstrate that we really can do it!

As a speaker at our graduation, I* am proud to represent all of the graduating classes from Atlanta English Institute, who are receiving a diploma.

I am only one of the histories in this diverse group of experiences, however, we all achieved our goals, we have been successful in this college and we will make a difference in the future and that is something I am proud of representing.

Allow me to speak for all of us when I say thank you to this school for giving us our college experiences, to the teachers in our departments for opening our minds to the world and to all those who have shaped our lives up until this point, giving us the drive to learn and the ability to finish this monumental goal.

From here we all have different pathways, but we all share the same appreciation for the knowledge given to us by this wonderful school. We now have the tools to show each and everyone of you that we can be a positive influence on the world.

Thank you.

I feel very lucky to choose this school to improve my English.

Before I came here, I took ESL course in a private university in Ohio. Every class had 25 students, and all those students were from China. Every week we took 15 hours course, such as reading, speaking, listening and writing. I needed to pay about 8,000 dollars per semester. After one semester, I found that I had made little improvement on speaking and listening because all the students around me were Chinese, just as in Chinese school. I couldn’t even speak a whole sentence, so a lot of students transferred from that school, including me.

When I visited my sister in Atlanta, she recommended me AEI. She told me that this was this was a wonderful school. At the beginning, I went to level 6 on ESL program. After two semesters, I really found that I had made a great and fast improvement. When I firs saw Mr. Kolar, my level 7 teacher, he asked me what was the first important thing in learning English. I said: “speaking”. But he corrected me, it was listening. I was really shocked at that time. I followed what he said. When I was driving, I listened to the radio. When I was home, I watched TV. Anytime and Anywhere if I had time. After several weeks, I realized that I can listen well and can speak fluently. I was so excited. Thank you my teachers, I appreciate it!

Anyway, I am so happy to learn English here, and I am enjoying every class here. I hope everybody make a bib progress in learning English in the future.

Dear Mrs. Julie Ressler, Dean of students, Mr. Erick Ressler, Director, Joyce Robertson , Academic Provost, distinguished Administrative Assistants and Faculty, proud and relieved parents, ladies and gentlemen, and graduating students, good afternoon, and thank you for this great honor. Indeed, I am deeply honored that you have asked me here to say a few words at this important occasion, which you might find what I have to say worthy of your attention on so important a day.

Standing here, I remember the first day I came to the United States , that day I thought I would become in a great journalist here and my dreams would become reality. I guess some of us think the same that this country would open a new door in our life, would give us the opportunity to improve our lives and changes our destiny.

I decided to study English because my best friend Alex told me that I had to learn English; at first I thought it would be a waste of time because I could already TALK GOOD… Well after all he was right… I did not TALK GOOD, but now I guess I SPEAK WELL…

We as foreigners have common experiences, obstacles that we face in this country; we miss our families and we miss our friends. We confront different problems: economical, getting immigrations papers, loneliness, and a big obstacle is the language.

Adopting new culture is a difficult task, one thing that unites us is that we all are humans with feelings and dreams we all want a better life, we came here to build our future, to become in better humans, to find the opportunities that we did not have in our countries.

This graduation is the first step to conquer the obstacle of language. To Jump over “the language barrier” is the first stage of the competence that we have to complete to achieve our goals in the United States of America .

There are some important things to learn, apply and never forget. I want to mention some of them.

1. As you adopt this new culture always remember where you come from. Teach your children your native language.
2. Continue with you education. Remain well rounded.
3. Strive for excellence in whatever you do.
4. Be a good example to others. Be brave.
5. Read and teach your children to read they will benefit from it.
6. Write, and teach your children to write, they will thank you later.
7. Don’t be lazy, there is a wealth of information out there and all you need to do is find it and use it. Internet, libraries movies arts it’s all there for you.
8. Travel, the world is bigger than your door step. Try new foods, meet new people.
9. Be kind to strangers.
10. Be passionate in everything you do and you will succeed.

I want to give a special thank you to Mr. Ray Sweatman for all I learned with you specially the classes of level 13 that I had never finished...

And to my mom who is here today sharing with me this special moment of my life. I love you.

Good luck to everyone and thank you so much

Good afternoon everybody

Like people say, nothing is impossible. When I was in Senegal , I though that I’ll never speak English as I do now.

When I came to United States in September 2005, I was no able to understand anything. People were saying, even though I knew several words. Everybody knows that learning a foreign language is very difficult. Since I came to Atlanta English Institute, I have improved my English a lot. We students don’t practice enough and we’re afraid to talk sometimes due to our native languages. Because of the good staff, I can understand native speakers and communicate with them. I had never though about giving a speech in English in front of people. For that reason I want to thank all the teachers, especially Mr. Brian, Rochelle, Lisa, Mr. Craig, Sarah Lee, Mr. Ray Sweatman and the dean of Student Mrs. Julie Ressler for accepting me in her school. Also I want to thank Mrs. Joyce Robertson , the Director Mr. Eric Ressler and all my classmates. AEI helped me a lot and I wish it would help others who will come here to learn English as a Second Language.

I want to say a special thank to my cousin Hiou for being here and helping.

Thank you for your attention and have a nice afternoon

Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon!

In today’s demanding and competitive world people have to keep up with the newest information and technology. English is today’s language for excellence. Therefore, the program that we finished is one important step for us to attain a place in this informatics era.

Learning a language requires that we dedicate a long time and strong effort to assimilate the new grammar and vocabulary. Also, the people and materials from which we are learning are very important. For that reason, choosing a school is a vital point in our English learning process. I feel happy to have chosen the Atlanta English Institute, because of all that I have learned and all the people I have met.

I am happy to have this opportunity to thank all my teachers. Their creativity, patience and good sense of humor made those long hours every evening interesting and amusing for us.

Of course, I have to give special thanks to the administrative staff and directors for their kindness and help. The high quality of teaching at the Institute is supported by efficient and warm personnel in the administrative office. Together they are a team of high excellence and humanity and that is what students need.

But for me, studying was not the only source of knowledge here. Meeting people from so many countries has been an incredible experience. During the classes I learned about their countries’ history and customs. This enriched my life and also through their conversation I improved my English. Thank you my friends!

I want to dedicate to all my teachers, classmates and administrative staff, those moments in which I surprisingly found myself speaking fluently or understanding what native people were saying in common talk. You were all present in these fantastic moments.

Thank you so much!

The Good Opportunity to Study Native English

I came from Korea . I am 47 years old. I have been studying ESL course at A.E.I since October, 2005. Now, I am on vacation. After the vacation, I will take level 7.

When I first started studying English, I had a hard time because I couldn’t speak English well. Since I was afraid of studying English, I was coward and discouraged.

But I thought that studying the native English was a good opportunity which I had never experienced in my life. Therefore, I decided to study English harder and harder.

I recognized that the more I study harder, the more I learn. In addition, all of the teachers’ kindness and passion make me encouraged and impressed.

Day by day, I felt that my English was improving. Sometimes, I still had a hard time to study because I had to keep step with my classmates who were younger than me. I think that the best way which overcomes such a difficult environment is to do my best.

Even though I can’t speak English fluently, I will try to improve my English as I study at A.E.I. I am very happy to study at A.E.I. I especially appreciate A.E.I’s good teachers.

The Atlanta English Institute is one of the best English Schools. Not only due to its high level English Language teaching capabilities but also because its solid foundation in terms of multi-cultural and diversity environment. My wife and I learned a lot with you and we will carry these teachings for the rest of our lives. We really thank you for everything! You are one of the best.

This past semester was my first term at the Atlanta English Institute. I have had such a great first experience. I came in mid-term, and everyone was son willing to help me learn my way around. All of the instructors asked me if I needed anything, or gave me tips to make my job more efficient. They also share ideas, which make for a better school all around, and they genuinely care about their students.

The administration is organized and dependable. They take care of all business and other issues in a professional manner. They have a good system in place to make sure they address both student and instructor needs, as well as maintenance or computer issues.

The students are also very friendly, and helped me to get adjusted to a new workplace. The students seem to have very positive relationships with each other, as well as the other instructors and administration. It really is a tight-knit school.

I felt honored to be a part of such a great group of people, and I know that I am working in a great school. Thanks for this opportunity!!

Teaching at Atlanta English Institute and becoming a member of its strong community has been a truly outstanding experience as a teacher. Students are not simply taught to speak English, they are immersed in an environment whose focus is not only on academics, but on the overall cultural and education health of each student. There are many private schools and universities in the Atlanta area at which students may come away with newfound skills, but students at AEI come away with much more. They are not simply one of many; they are a significant addition to the school. Students are taught not just to speak English, but to communicate with Americans and understand the culture and values of the nation. I have enjoyed teaching at this institute more than any other I've worked with in the past.

My name is Baska. I'm from Mongolia. I have been studying at this school for just one session, and I'm in level 4 (Donna's class). I have studied at a few other schools before I came here. In Chicago I studied at "Intrax English Institute", Truman College's ESL program and "University Language Services" in Los Angeles. I had learned something from those schools, but I'm learning much, much more here at A.E.I. Also, I really like the books which we are using.

The environment here is very friendly. Also, my teachers spend a lot of time to help me. Even though I've been studying here only a short time, I think I've learned a lot. I feel that my reading and writing skills have improved significantly in just two months. Even my boyfriend said so!

I want to say "thank you" to everyone for making my experience so enjoyable. I've had such a good time, and you've make it very happy for me here. I hope this school can become the best school in the USA and the whole world. I'm sure you won't have any regrets for choosing to study at A.E.I

I'm a Pastor in a Baptist Church in Lausanne (Switzerland). I came for four months to Atlanta in 2003 and 2004 to learn English as for a pastoral training. I took English courses during three months in the AEI. I could notice after a few weeks how this training was precious to me, particularly for my job. Today I can say that I love English more when I arrived in USA. My deep desire is to continue to improve my level by reading, listening and if possible by discussions with people who speak English. Thank you very much for the good work of the AEI team.

To All Students, Director, Staff, and Educators at Atlanta English Institute:

As I am about to complete all the levels at AEI after being here for almost a year and a half, I want to express myself about the experience and great satisfaction that I have had in and around this wonderful community.

Through my English learning process here, I have met many people from different countries, backgrounds, and civilizations. By meeting all of them, I learned from each and every one. As a result, it helped me not only to understand others' culture but to enhance my English skills as well.

My time here has been pretty valuable to me, especially from the improvement of my English pronunciation to the writing section.

In addition to that, the Director, the Dean of Students, and all educators have given their best to make learning English better here. They have been flexible and available at any time to help students get through all the issues that some of us may have had, such as how to comply with the immigration rules and regulations as well as the reinstatement process.

I thank you all for everything you have done for us and look forward to the continuing growth of this school for the better service of the generation to come.

God Bless You!

AEI is the right place where you can prove your English at the same time gaining the deep appreciation to kind Christians. Their small scale makes it easier to communicate with instructors. Administration people's willingness to help students is unseen at other places. I personally get many helps from them which still dear my heart. Thank you, Atlanta English Institute.

Dear Atlanta English Institute

As you know, I studied at the Atlanta English Institute (AEI) for over one and one-half years, driving ninety minutes each way from Macon, Georgia. The reason I drove this distance and over this extended time was that I felt that the English instruction I received at AEI was superior to anywhere else.

AEI gave me an understanding of the whole English language, In addition to paying close attention to me as a student; the school cared very much about me as a person. I believe my instruction at AEI was an essential factor in my being able to secure an excellent job as a manager with the Georgia Public Safety Training Center. In this position, I have responsibility for over 30 employees and for managing a cafeteria that feeds 1500 - 2000 people daily.

If you decide to attend the Atlanta English Institute, I am sure your time and expense would be well worth it.

Sincerely,

My name is Andres. I studied for six months at the Atlanta English Institute. When I first enrolled, I did so to improve my English. However, my time at school was more than just an academic experience. I made good friends, had fun, and most important, I learned from so many cultures that now I feel as if I have traveled all over the world.

The experience of studying in a foreign country with people from different cultures is one that completely changes one's perspective of the world. It was a great experience!

Today is last day.
I'm moving on Monday.
I talked to the teachers,
I got a test.
I guess I learned a lot.
I feel my English is improved.
I was happy to study at good school.

Be happy!

I just would like to really say thank you for all the support you and Julie and AEI have offered me during this process of re-instatement. I am really grateful and pray that God would continually enlarge your territory.
Please pray for me.
Thank you

I have been accepted to the Master of Divinity program at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. I thank you for your help. I believed without studying at AEI, I can't make it. Please tell this news to school staff and to my teacher. I wish all the best for the Atlanta English Institute!

This is to recommend the Atlanta English Institute for anyone who wants to study English. I am a visiting professor at Georgia Tech and searched all over the city to find the best school for my daughter, Jean to study English at.

After my search, I felt the Atlanta English Institute was the best school. Since enrolling Jean, my expectations have been more than met. The school not only knows how to teach English, but they care very much for each student. When my wife and I cam in to express a concern, the school had already addressed this concern. Moreover, they have sought to know and to address the proper study objectives for my daughter.

I am very happy with the school and I hereby heartily recommend it.

Sincerely,