Category: English Language Institute
Alumni Spotlight: Salem Almutairi
July 30, 2026 Written by CAS Communication Staff | Photos courtesy of Salem Almutairi
Do you wonder what it’s like to attend the English Language Institute (ELI)?
Alumni Spotlights celebrate the journeys of former ELI students and the lasting impact their experiences have had on their academic, professional and personal lives. Learn more about the journey of Salem Almutairi, a current sophmore from Kuwait, who graduated from the ELI.
Salem Almutairi
Where I Am From
Kuwait
Where I Am Now
I am a sophomore at UD studying English literature.
Where I'm going
I’d like to get a master’s in English or teach English.
What was your experience like when you first arrived at the ELI?
I was very nervous, naturally, because it was a new environment, and I had flown thousands of miles. I did feel better when I learned that there were other Kuwaitis at the ELI. After orientation, I went outside and saw one of them and started meeting everyone. That’s when the nervous barrier broke for me.
How has the ELI helped you improve your English?
In Kuwait, the way we learn writing in English is not up to par for university standards. The most work I'd ever done on a writing assignment was two paragraphs with an introduction and a conclusion. We learn UK English in Kuwait, so the way people speak, the accent and the terms they use are way different than the ones in the U.S. That's the main thing I got from the ELI.
How did the ELI support your transition from the ELI to undergraduate studies on UD's main campus?
Most of my assignments at UD are about writing synthesis or reflection papers. I never knew how to write those types of papers before or how to write citations or research papers. I would say that's the most important thing that the ELI taught me.
What do you want to do when you graduate with your degree?
I might get my master's in English. If not, then I might go teach English. I like fiction writing and this dystopian era. I was going to go into computer engineering, but I didn't really feel like doing math and switched my major to English.
Do you have any advice for Kuwaiti students coming here?
Keep in touch.
