June 30 - August 2
Morning Programs

The Immerse Program

English language classes, workshops, and cultural immersion for English Language Learners

For students entering 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade
Recognized throughout the world for excellence in teaching and learning, Cushing’s English language classes and workshops for English Language Learners are highly recommended for students who plan to continue their education in the United States. Through a carefully planned curriculum, Cushing’s Immerse program in American English can have a dramatic and enduring impact upon your fluency.
You can significantly increase your English proficiency in just five weeks. Small class sizes and skilled, supportive teachers are the keys to the success of this program. Faculty in the Immerse program have extensive experience teaching, both during the academic year and during Summer Session. For this reason, we can create homogeneous classes tailored to meet your needs. You are tested upon arrival and carefully evaluated each week to make sure you are placed in the correct level of instruction. In addition, teachers meet regularly to discuss your progress and facilitate placement changes, if needed, as your skills improve during the program.
Students enrolled in the Immerse program will spend their mornings taking reading and writing classes, listening and speaking classes, and English language workshops.

The first half of the morning program consists of two, one-hour skills classes: one to enhance listening and speaking, the other to focus on reading and writing. In every course, emphasis is placed on study skills—including organizational skills, note-taking methods, and test-taking strategies.
The second half of the morning program is spent in dynamic and interactive English language workshops with a focus on public speaking, argument and debate, creative writing, and exploring American culture.
Please note: Other English language courses, including TOEFL preparation and Word Power (building vocabulary), are available as afternoon classes.

In addition to morning classes, students in the Immerse program will have the opportunity to practice language skills during afternoon classes and activities, as well as through participation in the arts and in dorm life. Moreover, through class trips, excursions, and special events, you have an opportunity to travel to places of historical and cultural significance.

Immerse Classes

List of 3 items.

  • Listening and Speaking

    The Immerse Listening and Speaking morning class helps students at all levels to develop academic vocabulary and increase confidence in spoken English. Using a wide array of themes and class activities, beginning level students build fluency by listening for central ideas, understanding important and relevant details, and making inferences from the text or narrative. Intermediate level students learn important language usage and develop the basic skills of everyday conversation in various real-life scenarios. The advanced level challenges students in a more academic setting with a focus on taking comprehensive notes, organizing and synthesizing information, and building discussion and listening comprehension skills in various settings.
  • Reading and Writing

    The Immerse Reading and Writing morning class helps students at all levels to develop critical comprehension and compositional skills. Beginning level students read a series of popular books to help build their fluency and understanding, as well as their vocabulary. Basic writing skills are developed using grammar and mechanics to construct topic and concluding sentences, among other essay components. Intermediate students expand their reading skills using various media sources, including newspapers, websites, periodicals, and essays. Writing skills at this level will employ more advanced grammar and mechanics to enhance paragraph and short essay development. Advanced students continue to develop close reading skills, including literary analysis and comprehension through short stories, poems, and mini-novels. Writing skills progress through longer assignments, including the development of comprehensive introductions, sequenced body paragraphs, and effective conclusions. Students at the advanced level are also expected to improve their work through the revision process.
  • English Language Workshops

    Immerse students will spend part of their morning engaged in dynamic and interactive English language workshops. These sessions focus on public speaking, argument and debate, creative writing, and American culture. The public speaking sessions include reading, viewing, and reciting excerpts from well-known speeches. Daily activities improve enunciation, volume, rate, tone, and eye contact. Students will then use these skills to write, revise, and deliver an original speech in front of the class and faculty guests. The argument and debate sessions include close research on a given topic, working cooperatively with your team to develop an argument, and gaining communication skills through discourse and expression. The creative writing sessions introduce the elements of short stories (plot, setting, characters), narrative essays, poems, and other common genres in this style. Using this information, students will write, revise, and present an original story or essay that is peer-reviewed and evaluated at the end of Summer Session. Lastly, the American culture workshop uses American film, music, art, television, and other media sources to help students learn and understand specific idioms, dialects, and colloquial expressions, as well as non-verbal communication.
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Cushing Academy Summer Session

39 School Street
Ashburnham, MA 01430-8000

Tel: 978.827.7700
Fax: 978.827.7087

Cushing Academy

39 School Street
Ashburnham, Massachusetts 01430

Cushing Academy
