Academics
International Students
From its earliest days, The Masters School has enrolled students from all over the world. This year, international students hail from 30 countries and join their United States counterparts, who come from 11 states. International students quickly integrate into the community and are regularly found among our student leaders, winning athletes, accomplished artists and leading scholars.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
The ESL program is open to international students learning English as a second language. This program is designed for English language learners; however, students entering the program must already have some mastery of the language, as our introductory ESL classes presume an intermediate level of English proficiency.
The goal of the program is to prepare students for and support them through the rigors of mainstream coursework by teaching skills and covering material that will accelerate their English language learning. Our hope is that by providing international students with special classes in addition to their mainstream courses, they will develop the skills and the confidence to express themselves effectively in English and will thereby acquire the means to become fully engaged in all aspects of community life here at Masters.
Two levels of ESL classes are offered by the English Department. The literature and writing courses correspond to mainstream English classes. The Language Arts courses are offered to support and improve upon students’ academic English skills; credits for these courses are applied toward fulfilling the School’s foreign language requirement. Students who are mainstreamed by junior year are required to begin study of a foreign language unless another year of Language Arts is required.
Placement decisions for ESL courses are based on the student’s academic record and the results of a placement test that the English Department administers when students arrive on campus. On rare occasions and on a case-by-case basis, after a student has been placed in a given ESL course, he or she may be promoted midyear to a higher-level ESL course with the recommendation of the present ESL teacher and with the approval of the English Department. In no case is promotion to a higher level ESL course or to a mainstream course automatic; students must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the English Department a mastery of skills at one level before they are eligible for promotion to another.
ESL courses offered
List of 4 items.
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Advanced Literature and Composition
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Language Arts I, II and III
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Literature and Composition
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Reading and Composition
International Club and International Field Trips
As members of the International Club, international and American students share the rich diversity of cultures represented at The Masters School. The club meets on a regular basis with the International Student Advisor to share experiences of attending school in a foreign country as well as to plan trips to New York City and on-campus activities.
In October, all new international students spend several days in Boston visiting historic sites related to the American Revolution, as well as colleges and universities. The highlight of each year is the International Dinner, when club members prepare their favorite native dishes for the School community.
The Masters School
