ESL Courses

Course does not replace a standard English course. Level: Open to all grade levels. Prerequisite: Instructor review of 1,000 to 2,000-word creative writing submission; Dean of Studies/Dept. Chair approval. Students will take their first leap toward becoming the next Mark Twain, J.K. Rowling, Ernest Hemingway or Agatha Christie as they work toward publishing their first novel. Students will meet once a week in a classroom setting, once a week with the instructor for a one-on-one session, and once a month as a group in a Writers’ Conference format. The first trimester will be spent working on the foundation of building a story: storyline, character building and point of view, as well as weekly assignments to enhance the writer’s creative spirit and grammar skills. Students will then begin writing their novels, with assigned weekly word counts methodically advancing the writers toward their goal. The first drafts, which will include roughly 25,000 words, will be completed by early March. The novels will be refined in April, printed in early May and a book reading will be held prior to the end of school. This course will count for 2 credits, and may NOT be taken in lieu of a yearlong English class. *Small class fee for publication may be incurred.

ESL - ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

The goal of the ESL program is to assist English language learners to increase their fluency, comprehension and confidence in English, so they are able to use it comfortably and effectively in both academic and social situations. The program provides a balanced curriculum in the four essential domains of language mastery: reading, writing, listening and speaking, as well as in grammar and vocabulary for students to acquire the academic skills needed for the increased level of difficulty and quantity of reading and writing that is expected of them in traditional English classes. Based on application materials and the results of the English placement tests taken by international students when they arrive on campus, students are placed either in traditional English classes or in one of two leveled ESL programs. Those students who take ESL also take U.S. History for International Students. Students placed in traditional English classes may also be recommended for Writing Workshop, based on their demonstrated writing ability.

ADVANCED ESL PROGRAM

This two-class program for all grade levels provides a transition to either Superior ESL or traditional English classes. A student in Advanced ESL will take both a Language and a Literature class, as described below. Prerequisite: Department recommendation.

Advanced ESL: Language and Structure

Through explicit reading and writing practice, students will develop academic language skills, critical thinking and learning strategies; a foundation of grammatical structure; comfortable oral fluency; and an active vocabulary to support their academic success. The course uses authentic content from National Geographic including articles, videos, audio files, charts and other infographics to prepare students to work effectively and confidently in a variety of academic environments. Throughout this course, students will conduct critical reading of nonfiction; complete exercises in grammar which are reinforced in sentence and multi-paragraph writing, journal entries, and creative nonfiction; perform daily conversational speaking and formal public speaking presentations; and carry out authentic listening activities. Text used: Pathways: Reading, Writing and Critical Thinking 2, level 2 or 3, 2nd edition.

Advanced ESL: Literature and Analysis

The purpose of this class is to allow English language learners the opportunity to develop and strengthen their critical comprehension of literature through the study of short stories, novels and poetry at an appropriate level and pace. They write personal responses and creative pieces, as well as build skills needed to write a literary analysis essay. Students participate in a variety of speaking and listening activities including whole class discussion, group work and formal oral presentations. Vocabulary is developed through the literature studied and includes a foundation of literary terms used in both discussion and writing. Students improve basic and advanced grammar through their writing in this course. Texts may include, but are not limited to, a selection of short stories, short films, Monster by Walter Dean Myers, They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, and a variety of poetry.

This two-class program for all grade levels provides a transition between ESL and traditional English classes. Students will take two ESL classes, as listed below. Superior ESL provides an increase in the quantity of reading and writing, as well as raises the level of difficulty of reading and expectations for writing from the Advanced ESL level program. Prerequisite: department placement.

Superior ESL: Language and Structure

Through explicit reading and writing practice, students will continue to develop and expand their academic language and critical thinking skills at an appropriately challenging level. Using authentic and relevant content from National Geographic including articles, videos, audios, charts and infographics, students are prepared to work effectively and confidently in a variety of academic environments. Key units will focus on solidifying paragraph and essay structure as well as expanding writing skills to include research strategies, advanced grammar, increased oral fluency and more sophisticated academic vocabulary. Practice is provided through the use of textbooks and online workbook exercises. Students will engage in conversational and formal public speaking throughout the course including formal multi-media presentations. Text used: Pathways: Reading, Writing and Critical Thinking 2, level 3 or 4, 2nd edition.

Superior ESL: Literature and Analysis

Through the study of American short stories, novels, poetry and film, students will solidify and expand critical reading comprehension, academic and creative writing skills, listening and speaking skills needed for discussion-based classrooms, and further develop an active vocabulary of everyday words, as well as, acquire an advanced vocabulary of literary terms. Students will participate in a variety of speaking and listening activities including short story skits, whole class discussion, group/pair work and formal oral presentations. Writing assignments include personal responses, descriptive, comparative and creative pieces, and literary analysis essays. Students improve advanced grammar through their writing in this course. Texts may include but are not limited to short stories from Discovering Fiction 2, The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely and Speak by Laurie Halse-Anderson

WRITING WORKSHOP Term Level: Intermediate; assists students in need of additional writing skill development. Prerequisite: Teacher or department recommendation. This class is required if recommended Through a collaborative environment, students learn the skills necessary to develop an effective planning, writing and revision process. Ongoing revision of a digital writing portfolio allows students to develop and apply an array of writing techniques to a variety of writing forms; increase organization; and learn to use more sophisticated expression, word choice and advanced grammatical structures. This course focuses on the student’s individual writing needs and is offered in addition to a student's required English class.