Bishop White Seminary offers a formation program for seminarians whose native language is not English. Seminarians in the ESL program participate in all aspects of the seminary's spiritual, personal and pastoral formation. In addition, their academic formation is completed through the English Language Center at Gonzaga University. Seminarians take courses designed to learn and improve their English language skills with the goal of being fully prepared for undergraduate or graduate school admission.

All seminarians currently enrolled in this program at Bishop White identify Spanish as their native language. The seminary provides Formation Advisors and Spiritual Directors who are fluent in both English and Spanish to meet the special needs of these seminarians. In addition, faculty members are sensitive to the valuable cultural and spiritual contributions these students make to the Bishop White Seminary community.

Since 1978, Gonzaga University's English Language Center (ELC) has addressed the needs of students whose native language is not English. In that time, Gonzaga's ELC has served nearly 3000 students from other countries, introducing them to higher education in the United States, and providing Gonzaga's American students with the opportunity to meet, live with and exchange ideas with young people from over 70 nations. Instructional policies and program guidelines of the Gonzaga University ELC are in accordance with the Commission on Accreditation of Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), the national professional organization in the field. The ELC, with a faculty of six full-time instructors, offers year-round intensive classes in eight levels of instruction in English as a Second Language (ESL).

Applications and inquiries for the English Language Center may be directed to the International Student Programs Office (509) 328-8332.