To be successful in navigating the waters of American higher education, international students need to demonstrate proficiency in the English language and an understanding of the educational expectations of American academia. Unlike Americans who apply to a US university, international students must demonstrate that they understand enough English to take a class at a university without much difficulty. Many universities require a language proficiency examination such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL[TM]). Although preparing for such a test can be done in the student's home country, many international students choose to prepare by attending an English as a Second Language (ESL) program in the United States prior to gaining admittance into an American undergraduate or graduate program. By doing this, international students have the chance of improving their level of English while experiencing American life. The American English and Culture Program (AECP) is an intensive ESL program based at the Tempe campus of Arizona State University (ASU). AECP is a non-degree, non-credit program that prepares international students to meet the language requirement for acceptance into ASU or other American universities. It provides the opportunity for international students to become fully prepared for academic study at the university level, while building on their experiences of American as well as global community, communication, connection, and cooperation.