ESL

Olney Friends School offers a core course in English as a Second Language (ESL) to students who are academically prepared for a college preparatory curriculum. While test scores such as the TOEFL are not required, students considering admission to Olney should be prepared to demonstrate evidence of listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills that are already at least on an intermediate level. 

• In Quarters 1 and 2, all non-native English speaking students take an ESL course designed as an intermediate step in the process of learning English as a second language. ESL at Olney assumes a basic level of English fluency and grammatical knowledge, although if necessary this class can review the fundamentals. The coursework for ESL will include several components: mechanics, grammar, vocabulary, conversation, writing, critical thinking skills, and reading for comprehension and analysis. Since all non-native English speaking students at some point will be required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the class also includes TOEFL preparation skills and exercises.

• In Quarter 3, international students may progress to a Writing Laboratory elective. Students learn how to choose topics for writing, how to write good paragraphs, and how to organize paragraphs into clear, logical, and expressive written compositions. Among other things, ESL students practice generating ideas for writing, the use of North American vocabulary, using transition words and phrases, and identifying grammar problems in expository writing. This course is designed for students who already have strong English speaking and listening skills. In this course, students focus on specific writing projects for this and other classes.

• In Quarter 4, students may sign up for Writing Through Grammar. The course is open to all ESL and native-speaking students who wish to further strengthen their language skills.