ESL for Actors

This course gives non-native English speakers a chance to experience the language in a much more visceral way. Texts from the stage and screen are used for actors to implement all of the grammar, vocabulary, and many other skills they have learned in previous courses. By playing roles in English, actors learn how to use appropriate intonation and tone to get what they want in a scene. This allows actors to connect the words on the page to their wants and needs with the level of clarity that allows for a successful performance.

The ESL program specializes in providing its students with practical, hands-on learning. Students spend time developing vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, all while gaining practical experience that will benefit them in the entertainment industry. Through informal conversation, students will practice the daily conversations necessary for living in America. They learn to avoid rudimentary mistakes, learn commonly used words, and pick up the rhythm and musicality of American English. By spending an entire class period working on conversational skill, our ESL class prepares its students for the rigors of living, working, and succeeding in America.
By pairing English and drama together, we remove students from the traditional classroom setting and encourage learning through life, by acting out real world situations.
Each class will fuse skill development with the practice of theatre and film performance and production, which may include: improvisation, grammar worksheets, focused discussion, reading samples, script analysis, in-class writing, pronunciation and articulation development, and watching / commenting on works of theatre and film.