Intermediate ESOL (full credit)
Students in this class need a strong knowledge of basic English grammar. By the end of Intermediate ESOL, successful students will have a command of most of the English verb tenses, the conditional forms, the use of gerunds and infinitives, and the passive voice. Students continue to build their accuracy and fluency in conversation and writing. Throughout the course, students develop academic English skills such as discussion, outlining, note taking, and research and presentation skills. Assignments are varied, with a balance among grammar exercises, reading assignments, personal and academic writing, research and presentations, and vocabulary practice. Materials include a grammar text with a communicative approach as well as readings, music, and videos on a variety of topics.
Advanced ESOL (full credit)
Students in this English class learn advanced grammar skills, academic reading and writing, discussion tactics, note- taking strategies, and a great deal of new vocabulary. By the end of the course, students should be able to use the entire English verb tense system, articles in discourse, conjunctions and logical connectors, relative clauses, causative verbs, the subjunctive, and many other stylistic and structural aspects of the language. In addition to the grammatical work, the course includes topical discussion on a range of academic, social, political and philosophical themes. Readings, writings, lectures, films, and songs are all sources of language practice. Oral presentations and public speaking are also included, as well as some preparation for the TOEFL test. Assignments include regular grammar and vocabulary exercises, readings from newspapers, textbooks, and magazines, and writing and presentation projects.
Academic Studies in English (ASE) (full credit)
ASE prepares first-year students in Intermediate ESOL for regular academic courses. Students learn academic skills for an American high school: taking notes, reading texts, writing academic papers, giving short presentations, doing surveys and interviews, and taking exams in English. ASE develops students’ scholastic vocabulary and ability to discuss abstract ideas. Students complete introductory units in a variety of subject areas, including American culture, the U.S. government, and African-American history. They study English for math and English for field sciences. Homework assignments include reading, vocabulary exercises, reflective writing, interviewing native speakers, doing research, writing academic papers, and preparing presentations. Materials are drawn from a variety of sources, and information is presented at a reading level appropriate to intermediate ESOL students.
Reading Literature in English (full credit)
This course introduces students to reading and interpreting literature in English, and prepares them for mainstream English courses. They learn the basic elements of literature, such as character, plot, setting, and theme, and practice skills of discussing, analyzing, and writing about the works they read. They practice organizing a well argued literary analysis paper, using the text to support what they write. They also learn to make connections between their own experience and the ideas introduced in the literature they read, through the use of a reading journal. Assignments are primarily reading and writing (both expository and creative), with additional work in vocabulary. Students read authentic short stories, poems, a full-length novel, and a complete play.
English Composition (full credit)
The English department offers this course to non-native speakers of English. It is a transitional course taken before entering mainstream literature and writing classes and replicates the experience of a mainstream class in many ways. Students learn and practice a range of writing skills, including sentence-level construction and syntax, techniques for stylistic variety, and expository skills for both personal essay writing and formal literary analysis. Through reading and discussion, as well as through writing, they improve their ability to express complex ideas in English. Additionally, vocabulary development is a natural outgrowth of the course’s literary content; one goal of the course is to increase each student’s ability to express ideas with nuance and precision.
The course includes a variety of literary works for reading and discussion. Students also read expository essays by both established writers and Putney students from mainstream classes. To practice their writing they complete exercises in sentence construction and paragraph development, keep a daily reading journal for spontaneous and personal writing assignments, and write two to four formal papers each month throughout the year. Periodically, they join mainstream classes for shared discussion of books both classes are reading. This course is open to advanced non-native speakers of English. A student is not required to be enrolled in or to have taken other ESOL classes to join this class.
U.S. History in Global Context (full credit)
This course is open to international students whose first language is not English. The course examines the history of the United States from its early exploration through the Twentieth Century. Emphasis is on events and political philosophies key to an understanding of U.S. culture and foreign relations. Students focus on developing oral, writing, reading, and research skills through class assignments. Through class discussions and research, students are encouraged to relate U.S. history to their own country or region. The course uses a text supplemented by primary documents, secondary sources, field trips and films.
