ESL 2006

It’s 9 a .m. on Monday morning…and we’re off to a GREAT Marine Military Academy start in the English as a Second Language (ESL) Camp classrooms.  This year’s Camp, comprised of thirty-five EXTREMELY ENTHUSIASTIC campers between the ages of 13 and 17 are making this four-week intensive total immersion experience really pay off. During the day, ESL campers attend classes taught by MMA Foreign Language, English, and Math teachers Diolanda Dye, Katherine Charrey, and Jose Michi.  Campers learn to speak, read, and write contemporary American English through teacher instruction, audiovisuals and computer resources. Focus is on practical vocabulary needed to study subjects offered at MMA during the regular academic year. Weekly proficiency exams track the students' progress.

After school, the campers participate in the same kinds of activities enjoyed by summer campers, focusing on sports and physical fitness in a military environment. Field trips to cultural and sports events and local points of interest give the campers practice in using English in the real world. Campers who achieve adequate proficiency in the English Language are invited to apply to MMA for the academic year. The ESL program is open to students from other countries at all levels of English proficiency. Some campers will find it useful to return for a second summer. Since the program uses only English, native speakers of any language benefit—and this year’s campers are no exception to the rule! WAY TO GO, ESL CAMPERS!!!