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Language Pacifica's in-person classes ended on June 2, 2023. Private and semi-private lessons are available online, but there are no longer in-person classes, F1 students or homestay program.
LANGUAGE PACIFICA
Since 1979, thousands of students from all over the world have journeyed to the San Francisco Bay Area’s Silicon Valley to study English at Language Pacifica. We have full-time and part-time intensive English courses for students needing TOEFL preparation, English for business, and/or personal enrichment.
Language Pacifica’s mission is to provide the highest quality intensive English program to non-native speakers of English. We embrace diversity, service and excellence in creating a humanistic and innovative environment in which to teach and learn the English language and American culture.
Language Pacifica is accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA) for the period August 2019 through August 2020 and agrees to uphold the CEA Standards for English Language Programs and Institutions. CEA is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a national accrediting agency for English language programs and institutions in the US. For further information about this accreditation, please contact CEA, 1001 North Fairfax Street, Suite 630, Alexandria, VA 22314, (703) 665-3400, www.cea-accredit.org.
This school is authorized under Federal law to enroll non-immigrant alien students.
For those international students who plan to study in the United States, Language Pacifica maintains conditional acceptance agreements with a number of San Francisco Bay Area colleges and universities, along with many others around the country.
"Having the opportunity to study in a foreign country is even better when you are in the right place! Here, at Language Pacifica, I feel I’m in this place."
Ana Laura, Brazil
"I’m glad that I am studying in Language Pacifica. The teachers are nice and excellent. I’ve met a lot of friends from many countries here. If you want to have fun and study English in America, Language Pacifica is your best choice."
Alex, Hong Kong
"I’ve been in several language schools in California and I think what’s best about LP is the teachers’ quality. They are very friendly and enthusiastic about teaching."
Mie, Japan
OUR TEAM
OUR HISTORY
Language Pacifica's Founder and Honorary Principal, Gerald Brett, tells the history of Language Pacifica’s 35+ years.
"In the summer of 1979 two young ESL teachers founded a two-room school called Language Pacifica in Mountain View, California, right in the heart of Silicon Valley. The school consisted of a front office and one classroom. At that time students were mainly interested in conversational English and many of the students worked for international corporations setting up shop in Silicon Valley.
By 1981 the school had expanded to five classrooms and for the first time Language Pacifica issued the I-20 so students could study full-time. That year Language Pacifica began offering TOEFL preparation and sent its first graduate to Foothill College.
Language Pacifica’s next big change came in 1985 when it moved one town north to Palo Alto, California just a few blocks from the campus of Stanford University. Within a few years the school occupied more than 10 classrooms and sent students to De Anza College and Canada College, in addition to Foothill College. By the mid-1990’s Language Pacifica had grown to 20 classrooms, with a faculty of 20 teachers and an average of 200 students per month.
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In 2002 Language Pacifica made one more move, going to Menlo Park, California, on the other side of Stanford University. For the first time the school occupied its own building. Located across the street from Menlo College, the school now worked in close partnerships with more than 20 different colleges and universities in the United States.
Language Pacifica draws its students from a wide cross-section of nations. In our close to four decades as a Silicon Valley institute, students from over 60 nations have studied with us. We are proud to be one of Northern California’s most respected schools."
In 2018, the school continued its northern progress by moving to a lovely new building in San Mateo, just half an hour from downtown San Francisco.
THE AREA
Silicon Valley
Language Pacifica is in the heart of Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley is the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California. It is the leading US high-tech hub with a large number of cutting-edge entrepreneurs, engineers, and venture capitalists. Every year Silicon Valley attracts thousands of people from all over the world, who come here to work and live. The unique mix of different nationalities, cultures, religions, and accents makes Silicon Valley one of the world’s most interesting and attractive regions.
Young people love Silicon Valley because it provides them with a lot of great opportunities: to receive a quality education highly recognized everywhere outside the region; to gain invaluable experience working in an innovative environment; and to be enriched by the area’s cultural and intellectual diversity. One can expand one’s professional knowledge in such universities and colleges as Stanford University, Santa Clara University, San Jose State University, The University of California Berkeley and Santa Cruz, Menlo College, Foothill College, De Anza College, and many others.
Silicon Valley is rich in places of tourist interest. San Francisco ( with the California Academy of Science, the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, War Memorial Opera House, Golden Gate Park, Alcatraz, etc.) and its Bay Area neighbor San Jose (which has the San Jose Museum of Art, Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, The Tech Museum of Innovation, Rosicrucian Park, etc.) are especially popular with tourists. From Silicon Valley one can easily get to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Yosemite Park, beaches, California and Nevada ski resorts, and numerous other locations.
Silicon Valley is also known for its sports and cultural events. The area hosts numerous music festivals. There are jazz festivals in both San Francisco and San Jose as well as concerts and performances of a wide variety of music year-round. The San Francisco Marathon is an annual event that attracts more than 7,000 participants. Professional and college American football, basketball and baseball games are hosted regularly at the stadiums of San Francisco, Oakland, Stanford, and San Jose.
Silicon Valley is a marvelous recreational area with hundreds of trails for hiking and biking, free tennis courts, incredibly rich farmers markets, cafes and restaurants of cuisines from all corners of the world. Just come and see!