When Udo Naganobu studied English at Rennert Miami on the campus of St. Thomas University, in March of 2006, it was the first chapter of his American story.

Udo, who is 22 and from Japan, plans to return to the United States to get a graduate degree in sports management at an American university.

Udo chose Rennert's Miami English school because he wanted a true English immersion experience in an environment where he would be forced to speak English. Miami's warm weather also was a lure to him.

In school, Udo's favorite courses were conversation and Q& A, an exercise where students talk about themselves, their cultures and what is happening in their lives.

"He was shy at first but open, funny, very interested in sports and in American hip hop culture," observes his English teacher, Patrick McNichol. "Udo experienced immersion and it was very good for him, he came out of his shell much quicker than he might have otherwise. He got a lot more conversation practice and was able to make friends quickly with other students"

During his stay in Miami, Udo played basketball with his homestay host. He also saw the Miami Heat play the Boston Celtics. "Udo is a Heat fan while I favored the Celtics," Patrick recalls. Other highlights of his trip included a visit to the Cuban festival Calle Ocho, a trip to Bayside and a pool party at a Rennert teachers' condominium with students from Holland, Brazil and Venezuela.

At the end of Udo's four week stay at Rennert Miami it was apparent that he had made friends with students from different cultures. "When he was saying goodbye the South American girls were hugging him and kissing him goodbye," Patrick says, smiling. "I never saw somebody turn red so quickly."

For an 18-year-old, Julien Mattei has very clear goals. Julien, from Paris, France, wants to get into one of the best American universities and he eventually plans to work on Wall Street as a trader.

"I want to continue my studies in the U.S. either at the Wharton School of Business, Columbia University or M.I.T. Business School," he says. He is at Rennert Miami to fine-tune his English and to prepare for the TOEFL test he will need to take to get him into one of those schools.

Julien was drawn to Miami because of the nice weather. A serious student, he also enjoys Miami's amenities, including the sun, South Beach, the campus swimming pool, shopping, playing basketball and girls. He has toured Little Havana and has taken in a Florida Marlins baseball game.

Julien is pleased with Rennert Miami's English school. "There is a good level of classes and good teachers here," he says. "I am taking some private lessons because before leaving here I am scheduled to take the TOEFL test.

Life has been full of transitions for Eldar Abbasov. Born in Azerbaijan in 1960 when it was one of the 15 republics of the U.S.S.R., he is now a Russian citizen who lives in Moscow with his family. A historian by profession, with a Ph.D. from Moscow Lomonosov State University, he is now working in the commercial sector.

He studied English at Rennert Miami because "I think the English language is the one very important language for communication within the globalized environment," he says. Eldar is employed at Ramenka, Ltd., a retail company in Russia that has more than 60 hyper and supermarkets in Moscow and other cities in Russia.

Eldar chose Rennert's school on the campus of St. Thomas University in Miami because he liked warm places. "Actually, Miami is a fantastic city," he says. "I enjoyed a lot of things (about it), most of all the sunny weather." Eldar's visit to Miami included a trip to Key West, a trip by airboat through the Everglades and sightseeing at historical American Indian sites.

It's a testament to Rennert Miami that Eldar, a dedicated academic, loved studying English there. "It was actually very fantastic to study English in Rennert Miami at St. Thomas University," he says. "First of all, I enjoyed the environment. In my mind, I came back to my student years. I also enjoyed the high qualifications of the teachers."

Gloria Laverde, a physician in Colombia, is studying English at Rennert Miami in preparation for her medical licensing examination in the United States. "My goal is to validate my medical credentials in the U.S.," she says. "My husband is Mexican and when I go back to Mexico, it will be very important to have a U.S. medical license."

She has taken a rigorous course of study, including a general group course and many weeks of private lessons. "English grammar has been a major focus of her studies, and she has made progress," says Ingrid Powers, Rennert Miami's director.

Gloria likes outdoor living and she chose Miami for its tropical climate and relaxed lifestyle. "Here one can go to outdoor concerts and there are outdoor cafes and restaurants," she says. "I live in a high rise apartment on Miami Beach, overlooking the ocean, and like to have breakfast on my terrace every morning."

The St. Thomas University campus, where Rennert Miami is located, "is also tropical, with lots of trees, lakes and flowers," Gloria says. She feels very much at home in the school and on the campus. "I like Rennert Miami very much because everyone always has a smile on their faces," she observes. "It's fun to go to school and learn English there. The teachers are great, and I am noticing a large improvement in my English ability. I can now read medical books and actually understand them."

As a Korean magazine editor who wants to work someday on an international publication, Myung Joo Hur decided that the best way to meet her goal was to refine her English.

That led her to Rennert Miami.

"I decided to come to the U.S. to study English," Myung Joo says. "I really like hot weather, which made me come to Miami. Miami is also the best place for me to learn English through immersion, because there are fewer Asian students. I was also curious about Latin American culture, and Miami has a large Latin American population."

Myung Joo studied for five months at Rennert Miami. Her stay at Rennert's campus at St. Thomas University turned out to be a good blend of academics and recreation.

"I met really great English teachers in Miami," Myung Joo says. "One of my teachers taught me different aspects of the U.S. She made me curious about other states in the U.S. So, after the language course, I took a trip to different states in the U.S. Also, the other teachers who are really intellectual motivated me to study very hard. I am really satisfied with the teachers who I met in Miami."

After school, Myung Joo enjoyed the warm Miami weather. During the week, she swam in the pool after dinner. On the weekends, she went to South Beach to work on her tan. Sometimes she visited her teacher's house where she got a close-up view of American life.

Myung Joo also visited Little Havana in Miami, where she enjoyed Latin American art galleries and Cuban cafes. She traveled to Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando. The Miami Historical Museum and the Bahamas were also on her itinerary.

Like many young people, Myung Joo found her first trip away from home to be a profound experience. "Until Miami, I was always at home and my mother took care of everything," Myung Joo says. "After Miami, I felt very independent. I learned to cook and to take care of problems by myself. I can now live by myself."

A determined young woman who works pragmatically toward her life goals, Myung Joo Hur made the most out of her overseas trip to study English in Miami.

Wilm-Jörn Thust, 35, loved his stay at Rennert Miami. "I never before was taught grammar as effectively as in Miami," the German native says. "At Rennert Miami we used the Internet for real daily news and we learned a lot of new vocabulary and idioms. This meant we could learn the language as if we lived in the country, with news, issues of the day and events."

Wilm, an international consultant and trainer, came to Rennert Miami to improve his English so he could go to an American university for an MBA. "I also wanted to find a base for communication with other cultures," he says.

Miami was an attractive study destination because of its mixture of American and Latino influence. "I wanted to learn about and understand other cultures," Wilm says, "and I planned to find the best things from other cultures and integrate them into my living style." In Miami, Wilm found a South American ambience, which he loved, as well as open-minded people and balmy weather.

During his stay at Rennert Miami, Wilm refined his American speaking techniques when he got up in front of his class and made a presentation about Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. He got to see a lot of Florida, travelling to Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tampa, Key West, the Miami Seaquarium, the Everglades, Miami Harbor, Bayside, Coconut Grove and the Kennedy Space Center.

He also saw the kinder side of Americans when he lost his I.D. in a nightclub. "The next evening I came back and spoke with the owner and the marketing director," he says. After that evening the manager gave him free entrance to his club. "I could go in like a movie star whenever I wanted," he says. "My friends were always surprised when I went in without waiting in line and the bodyguard said: 'Hello William, what's up?'"

Nina had to choose between Boston and Miami when she decided to study English in the United States.

Miami got the nod, and that's how she wound up at Rennert Miami at St. Thomas University.

"I chose Miami because of the good weather," Nina says. "And I liked the fact that you had to stay on a real (college) campus. We don't have campuses in Holland, so I only knew of them from the movies!"

Nina made the most of her stay, relaxing on the beach after class, going shopping at the malls, and visiting the Everglades, Orlando and New York City. During her time in Miami, she made friends with other international students. She still maintains contact with some of them.

Nina, who wanted to sharpen her English before she starts college in Holland, liked talking in English with people from all over the world. "I also enjoyed almost everything in Miami," she says. "Except for the public transport, Miami is just like the movies. It's so beautiful with the white beaches and turquoise sea. You really feel like a movie star when you walk on Lincoln Road with your Starbucks coffee!"

Yasmin Lindenburg had heard rapper Will Smith rhapsodize about Miami's glamour and lifestyles. "I wanted to see if he was right about this place," she says. "And he was."

It took Yasmin a while to warm up to Miami but, after a while, she really liked the city and "all things American." Miami's beaches, its friendly people, its malls and its South Beach night clubs helped sway her.

She had learned English in high school, but she wanted to reinforce her studies with an immersion experience in an English-speaking area. "I wanted to go to a place where everybody speaks it," she says. "I wanted to learn the slang, and, honestly, I think everything sounds better in English."

She enjoyed her courses at Rennert Miami. "I like the fact that we had a lot of conversation," she says. "I also enjoyed the enthusiasm of the teachers. The people are very nice. The teachers and Ingrid really try to comfort you from the beginning...the vibe was very comfortable."