The English Studies Institute(ESI) in Berkeley is a great institute. I have participated in their English-Japanese language exchange program — where the exchange students from Japan and UC Berkeley students get together to help each other get more comfortable with the other’s languages — for about 3 years, and have seen many of the Japanese exchange students improve their English speaking ability over their course of study in the institute. English is not my first language. I wish I had studied in ESI way before I entered the university in the United States. And, I really suggest everybody who wants to learn English as their second language to study in the ESI, because not only can they learn English language in an English-speaking environment, they can also build great connections with local students, and experience the diversity Berkeley has to offer.