The Open Society Institute's English Language Programs have closed.

The programs primarily comprised two separate initiatives that worked closely together and complemented each other. The Soros English Language Program (SELP), financed by the Soros foundations in individual countries, provided English language support for the specific needs of the country. The Soros Professional English Language Teaching (SPELT) program sponsored English as a foreign language (EFL) specialists and provided teacher training at secondary and tertiary levels.

Both programs were designed to help prepare individuals and groups for a world in which English has increasingly become a necessary language for international communication in professional and academic fields. Among other things, SELP supported various foundation programs, established and provided short-term support for English/foreign language schools in the areas of both language learning and teacher training, and promoted teachers' associations. SPELT focused on EFL teacher development, encouraged curriculum reform and fostered new trends in large-scale foreign language teacher development (e.g. mentoring).

Both programs also worked to promote social inclusion. To this end, SELP and SPELT endeavored to provide access to their diverse projects to all segments of society throughout the countries of the Soros foundation network.