Is EHLS for Me?

Program Goals

Do your goals include:

• Having a career that utilizes your specialized training and critical language skills?
• Contributing your knowledge and skills to the federal government?
• Being able to express yourself in English with confidence and ease in professional contexts?

The English for Heritage Language Speakers (EHLS) Program offers a unique opportunity to U.S. citizens who are native speakers of critical languages. Participants receive full tuition and a living stipend while attending an 8-month course hosted at Georgetown University. As scholars, they undergo intensive training in professional communication and career skills essential for working in the government.

Upon graduation, EHLS participants seek work in federal agencies as part of their scholarship obligation. They are able to offer potential employers not only native-speaker level proficiency in a critical language, but also confidence and ease with interacting in a government workplace.

EHLS Program graduates since 2006 have been naturalized U.S. citizens originally from countries such as Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, China, Egypt, India, Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mauritania, Mali, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, South Korea, Sudan, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, and Uzbekistan. Their prior professional training has often been in such fields as teaching, architecture, business management, economics, real estate, law, medicine, finance, engineering, computer technology, foreign service, news-media relations, and translation.

What Our Graduates Say

“The program has altered the way in which I learn, the way in which I approach and process information. EHLS is not about the usual classroom instruction. Instead, it creates an organic ecosystem with multiple possibilities for growth and a wide range of choices and opportunities.” – EHLS Scholar

“Joining the EHLS Program was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The EHLS Program changed my life for the better and afforded me career paths that were not available
prior.” – EHLS Scholar

“My desire to make a difference inspired my interest in public service. The Georgetown EHLS Program has nourished that and provided an invaluable and unforgettable personal and professional experience.” – EHLS Scholar

“The curriculum provides a holistic approach conducive to honing every participant’s linguistic aptitude while gaining guided insight and assistance to enter the federal job market. The EHLS experience is not only enriching owing to the multicultural classroom environment but also empowering as scholars learn first-hand from instructors with expert-knowledge in their respective fields.” – EHLS Scholar

View the Alumni Series video below to learn more about how EHLS can help you achieve your goals.