Program Summary

The CLS educational philosophy is simple: learning through experience.
This approach is especially appropriate to students whose language training has been confined to textbooks. The CLS Curriculum is founded on the belief that learning requires practice. Consequently, the CLS participants were involved in hands-on activities in addition to their time in class. The participants were introduced each day to a different aspect of daily life in New York, ranging from social etiquette and fashion to politics and sports. This introduction began with classroom sessions each morning to present the participants with vocabulary, phrases, themes and ideas on the day's topic. The participants then put this knowledge into immediate practice through direct experience of one or more of the many aspects of life in the region including a Broadway musical, participation in a sporting event and dining in one of Manhattan’s top restaurants. It was this exposure to a wide variety of settings ranging from casual to luxurious that helped participants to feel comfortable and know how to conduct themselves in different situations. Rather than bookwork, the learning was focused on conversing, social interaction and experiencing the life and culture of New York.

There were many highlights of the CLS Adult Program in New York, but it was the trips to Washington DC, Boston, MA, Atlantic City, NJ and Miami, FL that were most memorable. In Washington D.C. the participants toured the capital's major attractions, including Capitol Hill, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the White House. In Boston, MA they toured Harvard University and were able to go into a classroom and there receive an English lesson from our Instructor! They also toured Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the next day drove up to Connecticut and toured Yale University. Finally, the participants flew out to Miami, Florida, one of America's most extravagant vacation destinations. It was here they enjoyed world-class dining and unparalleled shopping facilities and took part in recreational activities, not to mention dancing the night away in a vibrant and exciting Miami nightclub.

Participant comments

“This program is very different from any other language program I’ve participated in. Being with my instructor 24 hours a day seven days a week really helped me with all aspects of my English development. Being able to go to different places and see taste, smell, touch and receive English instruction on the spot was incredible. The only thing I can say that was difficult was trying to keep up with all the learning!”

Yeon-Jin Lee

“I’ve been fortunate to travel to many places in the world, but never have I been able to understand, digest and enjoy it as much as I did by participating in CLS’s New York, A Global City Adult Program. I was able to visit and see some of the most exciting and famous places in America. I didn’t particular like the art aspect of the program, but that is just my personal taste. This program provided me with memories that will last me my entire life. The language and culture I was exposed to during the program and the amount I was able to absorb and learn was very precious and will help tremendously in the future.”

Sung-Wook Han

Staff: