English As A Second Language Program

Chaminade offers numerous English as a Second Language (ESL) courses for all international students. The purpose of the courses is to help our students with their verbal, reading, listening and speaking skills.

All new international students will take the DuoLingo English Test, both for admission and for proper English class placement. Based upon the earned score, the student will be placed into the appropriate level of ESL. Students who begin in the lower-level course will take two years of ESL language classes while students who start with the upper-level ESL language class can choose from Chinese, French, Greek, Latin or Spanish as their language in future years.

In addition, first year international high school students will take an ESL theology course, an ESL writing/composition class and an ESL history class designed to provide a foundation in these content areas. These courses will help our new students feel more comfortable in our academic environment while gaining valuable English skills. International students in their second year of high school at Chaminade will take most of the same courses that our American students do.

The ESL courses are designed to meet the needs of a diverse international population. The courses assist the student by improving his ability to produce accurate and understandable English in the classroom. Materials from the student's core academic subjects are used to expand his vocabulary. American culture is also a feature in these courses.