What International Educational Center does

International Educational Center (DBA Linguachi) is a privately held, SEVP-certified English language school located at 1245 Milwaukee Avenue, Suite 100, Glenview, Illinois, near Chicago. Founded in October 2005 by Lucy Lyubetska and Lana Dizik, the school has enrolled over 2,000 students since launching its first classes in January 2006, with approximately 200 students currently enrolled. Its primary mission is teaching ESL to international students alongside TOEFL preparation, with a nine-level curriculum (Basic A through Advanced +B) delivered at 18 clock hours per week for 216 classroom hours per level using a communicative, learner-centered methodology rooted in psycholinguistic research. The product portfolio also includes a three-level Academic Writing series, American Short Stories & Poems, English for International Communication (business English), and Medical English as a specialized sub-product.

The school's revenue model combines recurring tuition ($3,420 for a 9-month ESL program, payable at $310 monthly) with transactional administrative fees, including a $25 registration fee, $250 I-20 issuance fee, $350 SEVIS fee, and $420-$470 I-539 Change of Status fee. Customer acquisition is sales-led, driven by a multilingual website (English, Polish, Ukrainian, Korean, Russian), social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), and student testimonials, with international students supported through four enrollment pathways: direct on-site enrollment, application from abroad, SEVIS transfer, and Change of Status.

IEC is accredited by the Commission on English Language Program Accreditation (CEA) for the period August 2018 through August 2028, is approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education's Division of Private Business and Vocational Schools, and is authorized under federal law to enroll F-1 nonimmigrant students, providing I-20 issuance and SEVIS documentation support. The school operates with approximately 15 employees, has no parent company, no external institutional investment, and no public ticker, functioning as an independent, founder-owned education provider serving international students from diverse geographies including South Korea, Ukraine, Poland, Bulgaria, and Mongolia.

Name

International Educational Center

Legal name

International Educational Center

Website

https://linguachi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International Educational Center (Linguachi) is a privately held, SEVP-certified ESL school in Glenview, Illinois, serving approximately 200 international F-1 students with a nine-level English curriculum, TOEFL prep, and visa support services since 2006.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Language Education Services

NAICS

Language Schools (611630), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

English Language Schools (ESL/EFL) (EDAIAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Language Learning Centers (ESL/EFL & World Languages) (EDANAHAG)

Keywords

• English language training
• ESL programs
• TOEFL preparation
• Academic writing courses
• International student services

Headquarters

HQ city

Glenview

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Course Fees: Primary revenue stream from ESL course tuition. Based on Korean language page: tuition is $3,420 for 9 months with monthly payment plan of $310. Includes enrollment agreement and course catalog.
2. I-20 Issuance Fee: Fee charged for Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant Student Status form issuance: $250 per student, additional $100 for each dependent.
3. SEVIS Fee Collection: Student and Exchange Visitor Information System fee collection of $350 per student for F-1 visa processing.
4. I-539 Change of Status Fee: Application To Extend/Change Non-immigrant Status fee: $470 per applicant (paper filing) or $420 (online filing).
5. Registration Fee: One-time registration fee of $25 for new student enrollment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

International Educational Center is a private English language school in Glenview, Illinois that delivers classroom-based ESL instruction, TOEFL preparation, academic writing, business English, and literature courses to international students. It is an SEVP-certified school authorized to issue I-20 forms, supporting F-1 visa enrollment, SEVIS transfers, and Change of Status applications for non-native English speakers seeking U.S. education.

Product overview

International Educational Center is an English language school offering a multi-product portfolio centered around ESL education for international students. The core offerings include: a nine-level ESL (English as a Second Language) program spanning Basic to Advanced+ levels; an Academic Writing Series with three levels for academic writing development; American Short Stories & Poems for literature appreciation; TOEFL Preparation for test readiness; English for International Communication (Business English) with three levels; and Medical English as a specialized sub-product. All programs use a communicative, learner-centered approach based on psycholinguistic research, conducted at 18 hours weekly with 216 classroom hours per level.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• English as a Second Language (ESL) A comprehensive multi-level English language program consisting of nine levels (Basic A, Basic B, Intermediate A, Intermediate B, Advanced A, Advanced B, Advanced +A, Advanced +B, and TOEFL Preparation), each comprising 216 classroom hours over 12 weeks at 18 hours weekly. The curriculum develops speaking, listening, reading, and writing through a communicative, learner-centered approach for adult and young adult learners.
• TOEFL Preparation An intensive test preparation course helping students develop academic English skills for the TOEFL iBT examination. The program focuses on reading, listening, speaking, and writing along with effective test-taking strategies for college and university admissions.
• Academic Writing Series A three-level writing program (Level 1, 2, and 3) providing 216 classroom hours each at 18 hours weekly. Covers paragraph and essay writing, research techniques, grammar, and college-level communication skills to develop academic writing for college and professional settings.
• English for International Communication A three-level business English program (Levels I, II, and III) with 216 classroom hours each, focusing on Business English, workplace communication, leadership, presentation, and professional writing skills. Level III develops leaders for the global workplace with emphasis on verbal and non-verbal communication styles and business etiquette.
• American Short Stories & Poems A literature course comprising 432 total classroom hours across two 12-week phases (Focusing on Structure and Focusing on Content). Students study works by Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, Langston Hughes, Ray Bradbury, and Shirley Jackson to improve reading comprehension, vocabulary, critical thinking, discussion skills, and American cultural understanding.
• Medical English A specialized English course for health professionals designed to develop medical vocabulary comprehension and application across healthcare fields. Covers medical terminology, prefixes, suffixes, root words, anatomy, physiology, medical conditions, symptoms, procedures, X-rays, common lab tests, and abbreviations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,000 students enrolled since 2006 with approximately 200 currently enrolled
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Embassy CES (Study Group): Network of accredited English language centers across U.S. cities serving F-1 international students, comparable academic structure, but operates as part of a broader international education group.
• EF Education First (EF International Language Campus): Global private education company with U.S. English language campuses serving international students. Larger, broader portfolio but directly competes for the same F-1-seeking international ESL cohort with similar visa support services.
• Inlingua International: Global language training franchise with English-language programs for international learners, including U.S. delivery via partners. Comparable ESL instruction and international student focus, though broader in language offerings.
• ILSC Education Group: Global operator of accredited English language and teacher training programs with U.S. locations serving international students, overlapping IEC's ESL and EAP offerings.

Direct peers

• ALCC American Language and Culture Center: Another U.S. private ESL provider serving F-1 international students with accredited multi-level curricula and visa services, comparable in scale and philosophy to International Educational Center.
• Kaplan International Languages: Operates accredited English language programs in the U.S. for international students, including F-1 pathways and TOEFL/test prep offerings that overlap almost line-for-line with IEC's curriculum and admissions services.
• ELS Educational Services: One of the largest U.S.-based ESL program networks enrolling F-1 international students on multiple campuses, with university articulation paths. Most directly comparable to IEC given the SEVP-certified F-1 model and nine-level ESL structure, just at much larger scale.
• Rennert International: New York-based ESL and TESOL training provider focused on international students with multi-level curricula and business English — closely comparable academic and customer profile to IEC.
• Converse International School of Languages (CISL): U.S. ESL school targeting international students with multi-level curricula, F-1 visa sponsorship, and TOEFL prep in a similar small-to-mid private school model as IEC.

Emerging players

• British Council (English language programs, U.S.): Global English education brand operating accredited English language programs in the U.S. for international students, overlapping with IEC on F-1-eligible ESL delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCARoBEKKhamsFyrn5C_sJ7Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/linguachi
• Instagraminstagram.com/lingua_chi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-educational-center

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Educational Center