English Language Teaching Institute, Assam (ELTIA), Guwahati, a specialized Institute for research and training in the field of English language teaching, is an autonomous organization under the Societies Registration Act of 1860. It was established in 1986 on the recommendation of the Government of India. With specialisations in Linguistics and language teaching, ELTIA aims at augmenting the standard of English language teaching and learning in the state of Assam.
ELTI,Assam started functioning from a Government building at Mirza, near the Guwahati airport but was later shifted to the city in 1993.It is now housed in the Elementary Education building located at Kahilipara area of Guwahati. The Institute is adjacent to the State Council of Educational Research and Training, Assam, the offices of the Director, Secondary Education, Assam and the Directorate, Higher Education, Assam.
The Institute receives annual grants in aid from the Government of Assam. The academic programmes were funded by Government of India under the ELTI Support Scheme of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt.& of India till 2008. Since 2008 up to 2016-17 , the English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad had been funding the training programmes.
The Board of Governors, ELTI, Assam looks after the academic as well as the administrative matters of the Institute. It is constituted by the Govt of Assam. The first Board of Governors of ELTI, Assam was constituted by the Govt of Assam vide Memo No EDG.232/86/27- A dated 4th September 1986 and late S. C. Rajkhowa, former Vice –Chancellor of Gauhati University headed the Board of Governors as its Chairman. The Director of the Institute is the Chief Administrative and Academic Officer of the Institute, and manages the affairs of the Institute as per the guidelines formulated by the Board of Governors.