More About International and ESL:
Staff for ESL Program
Our Staff and Our Approach
The ESL program at Spring Street International provides international students with personal, individualized, and high-quality instruction to aid students in their quick assimilation into the mainstream college preparatory curriculum.
International students with TOEFL scores lower than 500 take an ESL English class as well as an ESL Tutorial. In addition, these students are mainstreamed in history, math, and science according to their subject-area level and ability. After the first year, students are mainstreamed according to their English abilities.
ESL classes are small, providing individualized instruction according to the students' level and need. Students have ample opportunity to practice speaking in class through class discussions and presentations. Special emphasis is placed on reading comprehension and writing skills, preparing students in essay writing for mainstream English classes, as well as for the SAT and TOEFL tests.
The nature of our ESL and boarding program creates the ideal environment for international students who may need extra help in their classes. Our ESL teacher, Lisa Ehle, is also one of our dorm parents and is available in the evening to give students the extra support they need to be successful at our school. Lisa has 5 years teaching experience teaching foreign languages (3 years ESL and 2 years Spanish). She has a TESOL certificate, training in ESL instruction, and has been involved in boarding programs for the last 4 years.