Follow this advice to ensure success at Willow Bend Academy.  Students who are willing to become proficient in English and who work diligently enjoy great success and are well prepared for college.

1. Learn to read, write and speak English. It is very important that students learn English.  We have English classes taught each afternoon for International Students.  Teaching includes reading, writing, speaking, and listening.  It is also very helpful for  English to be spoken at home. You need to practice!  If you use English only to speak with your teacher, you will not be successful in learning English.

2. Make friends with American students.  This will help you learn English and to learn American culture as well as to develop friendships. Most often, International students want to have friends only from their own country and only want to speak their native language.  This WILL NOT help you learn English.

3. Study, study, study.  We will assess your English proficiency upon arrival and assign  curriculum that matches your English ability. You must be willing to work to improve so we can assign more difficult assignments as quickly as possible.  This also requires learning to read and speak English. College professors present lectures in class and expect students to take notes to prepare for exams. Students who cannot understand English cannot take notes. They may be able to read the textbooks, but exam questions come from BOTH lectures and textbooks.

4. Understand that it may take an extra year or more to graduate.  Graduation requires completion of certain courses, at a higher level of English proficiency.  The longer it takes you to learn to speak, read and write English, the longer it will take to complete the requirements for graduation.

5. Many colleges will accept students, but will place them in remedial classes.  Remedial classes are high school level classes taught on the college campus, but do not receive credit. Learning English in high school will allow you to begin to earn college credit during your first semester on the college campus.