Every person who comes to ILSCA has a different reason for wanting to learn a language.
A parent may want their child to grow up speaking the language of their grandparents. An adult may be preparing for a trip, learning English, or hoping to feel more comfortable communicating with others. A student may need extra support at school, while someone else may be looking for language services to help with an important personal or professional goal.
Whatever brings them to us, we believe their goals deserve to be heard.
Since 1991, the International Language School for Children and Adults (ILSCA) has served as a Claremont language school dedicated to bringing languages and cultures to our community and surrounding areas.
How Our Story Began
ILSCA was founded in 1991 by Ursula Bonacker Mickey, who began with a German language program in Claremont.
For Mickey, bringing the German community together was especially meaningful. She wanted people to have opportunities to speak their language, share their traditions, and stay connected to their cultural roots.
She also sought out people who loved their languages and cultures and wanted to share them with others.
That appreciation for language, culture, and community became part of ILSCA’s foundation.
Today, under the leadership of Director Nuria Fortier, we continue that tradition while welcoming people interested in many different languages and cultures.
What began with German has grown into a school offering nine languages: Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, American Sign Language (ASL), and English as a Second Language (ESL).
Our commitment remains the same: to create opportunities for people to learn, connect, and appreciate the languages and cultures around them.
Listening to Our Community
One of the most important parts of ILSCA is something simple: we listen.
We listen to parents looking for language opportunities for their children, adults interested in learning something new, students needing academic support, and schools and organizations seeking language programs or services.
Their questions, interests, and suggestions help us understand what our community needs and how we might respond.
Sometimes that means exploring a new class or program. Other times, it means helping someone find the right instructor, arranging private tutoring, or coordinating a specialized language service.
We know that every person comes to us with different goals, and we value the opportunity to understand those goals before recommending a path forward.
For us, being a community language school means continuing to grow alongside the people we serve.
Our Instructors: Sharing More Than a Language
From the beginning, our instructors have been at the heart of ILSCA.
Mickey believed in finding people who loved their languages and cultures and wanted to share them with the community. Fortier continues that tradition today.
Most of our instructors are native speakers and experienced educators who bring not only their teaching knowledge, but also their cultural backgrounds, traditions, and personal experiences into the classroom.
Each brings individual strengths, creativity, and a personal approach to teaching.
We value the relationships our instructors build with students and the care they bring to their work. Their contributions help make ILSCA a welcoming place where students can explore language and culture together.
Our instructors are an essential part of who we are, and we appreciate the knowledge, dedication, and enthusiasm they share with our community.
Language Learning for Every Stage of Life
At ILSCA, we believe it is never too early or too late to begin learning another language.
Our programs welcome young children, teenagers, and adults with different interests, experiences, and learning goals.
For children, language learning often begins with music, stories, movement, games, art, and hands-on activities. These experiences introduce language in ways that are engaging and appropriate for their age.
For teenagers and adults, classes emphasize practical communication, guided conversation, and opportunities to use what they learn.
Our small-group classes allow instructors to get to know their students, answer questions, and encourage participation.
We understand that learning a language takes time and practice. Our goal is to provide a supportive environment where students feel comfortable learning, making mistakes, asking questions, and continuing to grow.
Helping People With Real-Life Language Needs
Over the years, we have seen how important language can be in different areas of people’s lives.
Some individuals come to ILSCA because they need a document translated or assistance communicating across languages.
Others need bilingual language proficiency assessments for employment or professional opportunities, including positions where demonstrated language skills may qualify them for additional compensation.
Families seek private tutoring to support their children’s language studies and academic progress.
We also work with adults who want to strengthen their English skills as they prepare for the U.S. citizenship test and naturalization interview.
Each of these situations is different, but each represents something meaningful to the person seeking help.
Alongside our educational programs, ILSCA provides language services for individuals, families, schools, and organizations.
We believe language education and language services should respond to people’s actual needs, whether those needs are educational, cultural, professional, or personal.
Summer Camps: Learning Spanish Through Experience
Our Spanish Immersion Summer Camps are another way we bring language and culture to life.
Held at Pitzer College in Claremont, these camps welcome children ages 3–12 for a week of Spanish learning through creative and interactive activities.
Children explore Spanish through music, storytelling, games, art, hands-on projects, and outdoor activities.
Small, age-based groups allow children with different levels of Spanish experience to participate.
We want children to experience Spanish as something they can use while playing, creating, exploring, and interacting with others.
These camps reflect our belief that language learning can happen naturally through meaningful experiences, both inside and outside the classroom.
Bringing Our Community Together Through Free Events
Not every language experience needs to begin with enrolling in a class.
We also enjoy creating opportunities for families and neighbors to come together simply because they share an interest in language and culture.
Our free Spanish Storytime introduces children to Spanish through stories and interactive activities.
Our free Spanish Conversation gatherings give adults a welcoming place to practice speaking, meet others, and enjoy the language in a relaxed setting.
These events are especially meaningful because they reflect the spirit in which ILSCA began: creating opportunities for people to connect through language and culture.
We hope they continue to be a small but valuable part of community life.
Working With Schools and Community Partners
Our commitment also extends beyond our regular classrooms.
ILSCA works with schools, charter-school families, and community organizations to offer after-school enrichment, customized language instruction, workshops, and other educational opportunities.
We also support organizations and businesses through language training, proficiency assessments, translation, and interpretation services.
Every school and organization has different needs, so we begin by listening and exploring what may be possible.
These partnerships allow us to bring language learning into different settings while remaining connected to our local community.
Continuing Our Mission With Care and Purpose
For Director Nuria Fortier, continuing ILSCA’s mission is both a professional responsibility and a personal commitment.
As a native Spanish speaker who learned English as a second language, Fortier understands how important language can be in everyday life and how meaningful it is to remain connected to one’s cultural roots.
Spanish will always have a special place in her heart, but her appreciation extends to every language and culture represented at ILSCA.
Alongside directing the school, Fortier continues to teach and tutor. Staying involved in the classroom helps her understand students’ experiences and remain connected to the everyday work of language education.
She also works closely with instructors, families, schools, and community partners, looking for thoughtful ways to strengthen the programs and services ILSCA provides.
For Fortier, the goal is not simply to offer more classes. It is to continue building a school where people feel welcome, instructors are valued, and language and cultural learning remain meaningful to the community.
Our Claremont Language School: Looking Ahead, Honoring Our Roots
More than three decades have passed since Ursula Mickey founded ILSCA as a German language program.
Today, we offer nine languages and a variety of educational programs and professional language services for children, adults, families, schools, and organizations.
Our community continues to grow and change, and we continue to listen.
But what matters most to us has not changed.
We believe languages bring people together. We believe cultures deserve to be appreciated and shared. And we believe learning another language can create opportunities for understanding and connection at every stage of life.
We are grateful to the students, families, instructors, and community partners who have been part of ILSCA’s story.
Since 1991, our commitment has been to bring languages, cultures, and people together, right here in our community.
And we look forward to continuing that tradition.
