The moment they land at the airport, we want our international students to experience our warmth, commitment, and passion for our students. No matter their language skills, we work to establish relationships right away. Performing academically and socially in an unfamiliar language is difficult and painful, but we know that when students feel individually valued and personally known, they are more likely to stretch towards opportunities to practice their English language skills.
ESL is taught through immersion supported by individual and small-group tutorial instruction. Students are encouraged to use English as much as possible in their lives during and after school, at meal times, and through extracurricular activities such as sports, outdoor activities, trips, and theater productions.
Students are assessed twice a year, in September and May, in writing, grammar, reading, and listening. Based on these assessments, students are placed in classes appropriate to their needs. Spring Street offers ESL classes at three levels: 1) ESL Beginner, 2) Intermediate, and (3) advanced.
Depending on their English proficiency, students begin with 3 or fewer ESL classes and 3 mainstream classes. As their English progresses, they are mainstreamed in 5-6 classes with Advanced ESL support after school. Tutoring after school and on weekends allows for one-on-one instruction and support.
The goals of the ESL Program are to improve students’ English in every way, to help them communicate clearly and comfortably with native English speakers, to support them in the achievement of their academic goals, and set them up for success in university.
ESL Courses
- ESL IA: Grammar and Conversation
- ESL IB: Beginning Composition
- ESL IC: Vocabulary Development
- ESL IIA: Grammar, Writing, and Composition
- ESL IIB: American Fiction
- ESL IIC: Expository Writing
- ESL III: U.S. History
- ESL III: Earth Science
- TOEFL/SAT Prep
- Private Tutoring
