A foreign affair: Menlo Park's Language Pacifica attracts students from around the globe A foreign affair: Menlo Park's Language Pacifica attracts students from around the globe (December 17, 2003)

By Andrea Gemmet
Almanac Staff Writer

Two South Americans stand in the lobby chatting. A handful of Taiwanese and one Peruvian are amiably eating snacks around a table. A knot of Japanese youths is producing clouds of cigarette smoke on the balcony, and the students checking e-mail at the computer center could populate half of a model U.N. meeting.

It's the morning break between classes at Language Pacifica, an English language school that draws students from all over the world to its intimate facility near downtown Menlo Park.

"At any one time, there are about 50 to 55 countries represented," says Gerald Brett, the founder and director of Language Pacifica. "We're recognized as having probably the most diverse students."

While other schools often rely on students from a single region, and sometimes a single country, there are benefits to having a polyglot student body. He pauses in front of a classroom where the students hail from Japan, Russia and Turkey.

"With a homogenous group that speaks a single language, there's a tendency to revert to that language. Here, they can't all speak Russian, Turkish and Japanese with each other, so they're forced to use the common language -- English," Mr. Brett says.

At a time when many schools for foreign students are foundering due to terrorism concerns, stricter U.S. immigration policies and political tensions, Language Pacifica is still going strong. That's not to say, however, that the school hasn't been impacted.

Of five large schools teaching English as a foreign language in the area, Language Pacifica is the only one left, says Mr. Brett.

"Right now is the hardest time in the past decade," he says, for several reasons.

A strong dollar in currency exchanges raised the cost of attending Language Pacifica, even though the school didn't raise tuition a penny, he says. The terrorism attacks of September 11 and the subsequent immigration and visa restrictions on foreigners, especially students, had a devastating effect on the language school business, Mr. Brett says. The SARS epidemic was particularly tough on West Coast schools, most of which serve a large number of Asian students.

"The attorney general stated publicly that any business dealing with international students is a dangerous business," Mr. Brett says. "The welcome mat has been removed."

Add to that the hard-hit local economy, which slowed the influx of imported professionals and their spouses looking to hone English skills, and it's easy to see why the folks at Language Pacifica are happy to be weathering the storm as they head toward the school's 25th anniversary next year.

"It's a very, very interesting business, and it's very much controlled by international factors," Mr. Brett says. "Three years ago, we had 250 students a month. Now we have 130 to 140 a month, and we're still the biggest school in the region."

Serious students

Students at Language Pacifica run the gamut, from high school graduates looking to get into American colleges to foreign professionals improving their business English, college graduates who want to add American bachelor's or master's degrees to their resumes and spouses of visiting scholars.

With the school's emphasis on strong academics, the one group they don't see much of is the holiday crowd -- people looking for a vacation in America who aren't particularly interested in studying.

Language Pacifica maintains close ties with five local community colleges and has a strong alliance with Menlo College in Atherton. The colleges send students who need to improve their English skills to Language Pacifica, and in turn, Language Pacifica helps students enroll in the colleges.

"We're working with a young man from Algeria, whose English skills were minus zero," Mr. Brett says. "In two years he's reached a level of extraordinary fluency, he's gotten a scholarship at Menlo College and his bachelor's degree is half done."

Bob Wilms, the assistant director of admissions at Menlo College, said he's used to getting high-caliber foreign students from Language Pacifica.

"It's been wonderful for us. We've just gotten this amazing group of wonderful, high-level, mature, serious students, literally from all over the world, through Language Pacifica," Mr. Wilms said. "The students we get from Language Pacifica are excellent students, measuring easily in the top 20 percent of our students."

As a whole, international students make up about 20 percent of Menlo College's student body, far higher than the four or five percent that most schools aim for, he says.

Foreign students tend to raise the level of academics in most institutions, Mr. Wilms says.

"One out of every five students is from everywhere in the world, bringing their culture to our environment and taking our culture back to their environment -- that has a lot of value for humanity in general," he says.

Danette Beavers, who teaches advanced English courses at Language Pacifica, said she found her niche teaching international students following a stint as a special education classroom aide.

"There's nothing like working with people from all over the world and learning a lot about different cultures," Ms. Beavers says. "It's not just that you're learning about culture and history, but there's something about it that personalizes the rest of the world. I think that aspect of it has really changed my perspective on the world."

Language and culture

Classes at Language Pacifica are small, with no more than 12 students, and with an emphasis on learning about American culture as well as acquiring language skills, says Mr. Brett.

"In my philosophy, they're both equally important," he says.

To that end, morning classes focus on grammar and writing, while the afternoon oral communication classes focus on news and topical issues. About half of Language Pacifica's students live with local host families, and the school offers an array of activities, from weekly movies and frequent excursions to discussion forums.

It's also one of the reasons that the school is filled with the overflow from Mr. Brett's collection of contemporary regional artwork.

"That's the argument for the art collection, that you learn about a culture through the art of the region," he says.

The walls are covered with an array of paintings and drawings, sculptures are scattered throughout, and a found-object rendition of the Statue of Liberty has become the school's unofficial mascot. It's not hard to believe that Language Pacifica, with its airy open floor plan, is occasionally mistaken for an art gallery.

"Language is an artful arena. There's a fabulous variety of ways people acquire language and culture," Mr. Brett says thoughtfully.

Friendly teachers

Students say they appreciate the accessibility of the teachers most about the school.

"It's friendly, the teachers are excellent, and our classes (are) dynamic," says Ronit Rosler, a Venezuelan who is here with her husband, a Stanford University student.

Alp Genc, a Turkish university graduate, says he's spending four months studying English at Language Pacifica in order to get a better job when he returns to Turkey in April.

Another Turkish student, named Fatih, is hoping to learn enough English to enroll in UC Berkeley to study either computer science or international business.

"I like the teachers because when you have a problem, whenever you want, they can help you. They're like friends," he says.

Convincing the parents of foreign students that America is still a friendly place, however, has become harder task these days.

"There's more caution and fear on the part of parents as to whether students will be welcomed or ostracized. I hear that consistently at college fairs," says Mr. Wilms of Menlo College.

He says U.S. schools are losing a lot of students to Canada, where an education is somewhat less expensive and government policies are more welcoming. Also stepping into the void are Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, Mr. Brett says.

Not only does that impact intensive English programs, but it has a stunning impact on colleges, where the higher prices charged international students help hold down tuition for residents, he says.

By putting roadblocks in the path of international students, the United States is losing opportunities to build relationships and understanding between countries. One of Language Pacifica's current students is an Argentinian doctor and former member of congress, Mr. Brett says. The Algerian student who is earning his bachelor's degree at Menlo College has political aspirations in his home country.

"That's one of the main arguments for not closing our borders," Mr. Brett says.

INFORMATION

Language Pacifica is located at 585 Glenwood Ave. in Menlo Park. Information about the curriculum, staff and opportunities for hosting international students is available on the Web at www.LanguagePacifica.com or by calling 321-1840.

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