English as a Second Language

Hillside's noteworthy English as a Second Language (ESL) program is orchestrated by Director of International Student Programs Michael Brown. The program offers four levels of intensive English study with the purpose of effectively integrating English language learners into grade appropriate classes.

Beginner Level

For students whose knowledge is sufficient to communicate in a limited way
Curriculum: Students are taught to have simple oral and listening skills and communicate ideas about greetings, people and places, jobs, days of the week, seasons, lifestyles, travel, places of interest, food, the future, etc. The writing component introduces students to writing in English, and imparts English grammatical structure.

Lower Intermediate Level

For students who have a basic command of the language
Curriculum: Students are taught how to interpret the general meaning of a conversation, and speak more fluently in English. They also learn oral and listening skills and how to ask and give information, share opinions, describe places and people, talk about habits and routines, give directions, make plans, offer advice, compare traditions, make predictions, etc. Students in this level continue to work on their writing skills and to learn intermediate English grammatical structure.

Upper Intermediate Level

For students who have a solid command of the language
Curriculum: Students learn to make inferences, "read between the lines," and draw conclusions from reading materials. Students receive an introduction to intermediate and more complex grammar structures. The writing component of the curriculum teaches students to create paragraphs and essays.

Advanced Level

For students who have internalized the essentials of the English language
Curriculum: Students learn to communicate comfortably and to express themselves in a variety of ways. Students refine their oral and listening skills and learn about the nuances of polite and impolite requests, confirm information, talk about background facts, debate points, speculate about past events, express ideas clearly, analyze and discuss language,etc. Advanced ESL students are introduced to complex grammar structures. They also read classic novels such as Sherlock Holmes, Dracula and various short stories. Furthermore, students learn the essentials of writing paragraphs and essays.