The Department of English Language Teaching (DELT), University of Peradeniya is the largest Department in the University, equipped with well qualified staff in the field of English language teaching and learning.

The main goal of the department is to empower undergraduates by honing their English language skills to pursue their academic and professional careers. For this, innovative teaching methodologies, assessment procedures, academic collaboration with expert professionals and other latest research and developments (R&D) in the field of ELT are employed.

The Department of English Language Teaching (DELT) of the University of Peradeniya serves all nine faculties of the university through English Language Teaching Units (ELTUs), but is administratively located within the Faculty of Arts. Its primary objective is to teach English to undergraduates for academic, specific and general purposes. While individual faculties have specific requirements and courses to fit their English language needs, the Faculty of Arts offers English as a Second Language (ESL) courses to its students at three competence levels in the First (ELA 1000), Second (ELA 2000) and Third (Diploma Certificate Course –ELA 3000) through the years of study. These ESL courses combine English for General Purposes (EGP) and Humanities and Social Science-based English for Specific Purposes (ESP), approximating a 1:2 ratio, while aligning with the UTEL descriptors.