Sean’s Class
Schedule : Any day except Saturday.
English for ESL students Workshop (Novice-level English)
This course is focused on giving students the necessary skills to comprehend the structure and syntax of English, grammar, punctuation, paragraph construction, vocabulary development, and other skills necessary to develop ease of expression in English reading, writing, and speaking. Students will be provided significant resources and guidance to conceptualize and put into practice improved English skills.
ESL to English Fluency Workshop (Intermediate-level English)
It is a common experience for students learning English to get ‘stuck’ at various levels of English ability. This class is dedicated to learning the skills necessary to overcome obstacles that slow or prevent growth in English acquisition. This class focuses on the specific issues that are troubling students instead of providing yet another worksheet or assignment that does not forward their comprehension of English. With the right guidance, any issue that troubles an English learner can be readily overcome.
Academic Writing Workshop (Advanced-level English)
Take your writing to the level necessary to impress teachers, professors, and academics alike. Learn the skills to be a superior writer that high school teachers sorely overlook or do not know how to instruct. This course is primarily focused on workshopping the essential skills to write like an academic, including: improving wordiness (increasing the efficiency of writing); cautious writing (improving the accuracy of communication); structure and formatting (effective essay design and understanding citation standards, etc.); academic diction (academic verbs, replacing phrasal verbs, increasing formality, etc.); and much more. Be entirely ready for university long before you attend!
Reading Comprehension Skills Workshop
Even many students with proficient English skills often struggle to comprehend the significance and meaning of stories and other texts. This workshop aims to develop the means to better uncover and understand the subtext (i.e., deeper meaning) of stories; to apply one’s own perspective and experience to glean meaning from texts; to better understand the often more advanced or particular vocabulary used in creative writing; to understand the strengths and weaknesses of understanding texts through the lens of the author’s intent; to better understand the historical, cultural, psychological, sociological and philosophical content of literature; to develop techniques and approaches to discover ‘deeper meaning’ in stories and how to write effective essays around the new ideas you have gathered that you will have the skills to discover.
SAT and/or IELTS Preparation Workshop
Learn the skills and techniques necessary to improve your results on the reading and writing components of standardized tests such as the SAT and/or IELTS tests. This course assists students in developing effective strategies for preparation and taking standardized tests — what aspects of these tests does one have to focus on or answer in a particular way, given the often unique design of each test. While many resources exist to assist students in such tests, a trained professional educator with many years of experience can more effectively identify and target various strengths and weaknesses a student may possess to develop superior testing abilities for academic advancement.
Shakespeare Workshop
Due to William Shakespeare’s antiquated language, many students are frequently discouraged or unmotivated to discover why Shakespeare’s works maintain such prominence some four hundred years after his time. This course is dedicated to exploring Shakespeare’s works (namely, Hamlet, The Tempest, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, among others), making them more comprehensible for today’s students, exploring their deeper meaning (subtext), relating ideas and themes in the plays to issues that still persist (or will continue to persist so long as there are humans), exploring the literary devices Shakespeare employs to foster meaning in his work, as well as how to write effective essays based on Shakespeare’s work.
Public Speaking and Oral Communication Workshop
Learn the skills that will have you speaking in class with confidence and erudition! This class focuses on gaining the skills required to make persuasive arguments, to maintain the interest of an audience, to utilize effective vocabulary, to comprehend the differences between casual and formal English, to speak with smoothness and confidence as well as providing the practice necessary to put these skills into practice.
University Application Workshop
Learn all that you need to make effective university applications that increase your chances of being selected to the university of your dreams. This course allows one to develop an understanding of the standards and expectations of various universities; understanding how the post-secondary education system works in Canada and the United States; what universities wish to see from prospective students; strategies for academic paths towards career goals; how to write superior personal statements that increase your chances of being selected; how to prepare for interviews with institutions; and how to prepare effective applications for admission; and much more.