The UBC English Language Institute is On Board with Social Media

By Izabela Leszko

Since the University of British Columbia English Language Institute (UBC ELI) opened its doors in 1969, students have had the opportunity to study English with experienced ESL teachers. Today, social media plays a large part in ELI’s ability to reach out to students. Since most of our students are international, social networking sites provide the perfect medium for current and prospective students to share their experiences and communicate with ELI staff and each other.

It all started when ELI launched its Facebook group, and later switched to a fan page in the spring of 2009. With over 2200 followers and growing, students can share their experiences at ELI, communicate with their classmates and staff, and learn more about ELI programs. Further to the social media experience, the ELI blog is available to all students and staff looking for an opportunity to participate and share with prospective students. Many of these blog entries are posted on our Facebook fan page and on our Twitter account.  The ELI YouTube channel includes footage of life at ELI and such events as International Night and videos entered into our “What does the ELI mean to me?” video contest. We try to integrate all our social media channels and our website so that all these tools work together to create a rich online experience and provide a great avenue for connecting ELI's students, alumni, prospective students and staff!