Custom Curricula for your Institutional Goals
Your institution has unique goals, student populations, and contexts. Off-the-shelf solutions rarely align perfectly with your needs—so why settle?
Focus on Language designs original curricula tailored to your specific objectives, whether you're launching international partnership programs, supporting incoming scholar cohorts, or building faculty capacity in specialized areas.
Recent Custom Work:
Professional English development curriculum for UC Davis's Bolashak Scholars Program (Kazakh educators)
AI integration training for international faculty cohorts
Discipline-specific academic writing programs
Cross-cultural communication curricula for global partnerships
Custom Curriculum Design Process:
Discovery Phase
Initial consultation to understand institutional goals, learner profiles, desired outcomes, and existing resources. We discuss English proficiency levels (CEFR, TOEFL, IELTS), timeline constraints, and delivery preferences.
Design & Development
Curriculum development aligned with your learning objectives, including:
Scope and sequence documentation
Asynchronous learning materials (video demonstrations, exercises, activities)
Synchronous session plans (virtual or in-person)
Assessment frameworks and progress tracking tools
Facilitator guides (if you'll deliver internally)
Implementation Support
Flexible delivery options including:
Full facilitation by Focus on Language
Train-the-trainer model for internal delivery
Hybrid approach (I launch, you sustain)
Ongoing consultation during rollout
Curriculum Licensing
Purchase licensing rights to deliver programs independently with your own facilitators. Licensing includes complete curriculum materials, facilitator training, and implementation support.
Curriculum licensing available starting 2026. Contact for details.
What Makes Focus on Language Different:
Rather than teaching English in isolation, our curricula integrate language development with professional contexts that matter to educators:
Research writing, presentation, and publication
AI tool integration and digital literacy
Professional networking and collaboration
Career advancement in international academic contexts
Participants don't just improve English—they gain strategies, tools, and confidence to thrive professionally on international stages.
Investment & Timeline:
Custom curriculum projects typically range from 8-16 weeks development time depending on scope. Pricing varies based on program length, learner cohort size, and delivery model.
Why Institutions Choose Focus on Language
Research-Informed Practice
Every program is grounded in Dr. Swift's PhD research on second language acquisition, language ideologies, and educational equity—plus 15+ years of practical application with diverse learner populations. This isn't theoretical; it's evidence-based practice proven in real institutional contexts.
International Expertise
Extensive experience designing programs for international educators, including curriculum development for UC Davis's global partnership initiatives. Deep understanding of the unique challenges multilingual faculty face navigating U.S. academic systems.
Scalable Solutions
From single workshops to comprehensive multi-year programs, we design for sustainability. Whether you need immediate faculty support or long-term capacity building, solutions scale to institutional needs and resources.
Cultural Responsiveness
Programs honor participants' linguistic and cultural backgrounds while building capacity in English-dominant academic contexts. Strengths-based approaches that position multilingualism as asset, not deficit.
Measurable Outcomes
Clear learning objectives, assessment frameworks, and outcome tracking. Institutions receive documentation demonstrating program impact for internal reporting, accreditation, and continued funding justification.
Institutional Partnership Approach
We don't sell cookie-cutter programs. Every engagement begins with understanding your specific context, challenges, and goals—then designing solutions that align with institutional priorities and integrate with existing structures.
Meet Your Instructor
Meet Dr. Marinka Swift
I've spent 15+ years helping international educators navigate the exact challenges you're facing right now - from publishing in English to presenting research confidently to integrating AI tools without losing your authentic teaching voice.
Through my work designing professional English curriculum for UC Davis's Bolashak Scholars Program and training educators across diverse international contexts, I've learned what actually works for busy faculty juggling teaching, research, and professional development in a second (or third, fourth, fifth!) language.
My approach is grounded in real experience: I'm a language learner myself (C2-level Italian, intermediate Spanish), I've taught everyone from high schoolers to university faculty, and my research on language and belonging directly informs the practical strategies I teach.
These courses distill everything I've learned into actionable frameworks you can implement immediately - whether you're preparing for your next conference presentation, drafting a research paper, or building your professional network in English.