A Field-Based Curriculum Designed to Teach English and Culture to Musically Gifted English as Second Language Students

Abstract

An innovative, student-centered, field-based program was created to teach ESL and culture to gifted Chinese adolescent music conservatory students. This ESL Transition Program which is a one year program was designed to improve the students’ English abilities, introduce them to U.S. culture and create a smooth transition to high school.  This program accelerated the students’ acculturation to the U.S. while improving their English. The students were taken on an extensive number of field trips (19) where they visited 50 sites of interest in Philadelphia. They received an insider’s view of the city, its cultural institutions and its culture. As pre-high school students, they studied secondary school level subjects to prepare them for high school.  These students who usually devote a large portion of their time practicing their instrument and studying music received a well-rounded education that did not interfere with their musical studies.

Keywords: field-based curriculum, curriculum, ESL, culture