Coursework includes required courses in Tamil language and culture, as well as an independent study on a topic of personal interest. All students are housed with host families. Music, dance, and other artistic and craft traditions are preserved as in no other place on the island. ISLE is affiliated with the University of Peradeniya, whose faculty offer coursework in Sri Lankan Studies, Buddhism, literature, art, theatre, political science, history, and anthropology. Students study conversational Sinhala, the local language, and participate in a field study project.
Accommodation is provided in homestays.
In addition to language courses, electives are offered in economics, sociology, history, and art. The courses encourage students to explore the local area through field trips to museums, temples, and other activities integrated into the curriculum. Participants share rooms with Chinese students in dormitories and attend special lectures given by professionals working in Taiwan.