Dublin School is greatly enriched by the presence of students from a variety of countries in our small community. The interaction of American students and international students forms an important part of education at Dublin School, and we deeply appreciate the contributions made by our international students and their families. We believe that the ability of all students to learn from and communicate effectively with people of other cultures is critical in building a more interdependent and peaceful future as society continues to globalize. International students become firmly rooted in the Dublin community and help Dublin create a model of a diverse and respectful society. The ESL Program helps international students develop the language skills and the cultural understandings to participate fully in all programs at Dublin School as they pursue their education.

Academic traditions in different societies vary greatly. America has some particular conventions of academic work, which pertain particularly to academic writing and research. Americans believe that each individual has different and important insights into intellectual matters, students as well as teachers. Therefore, the development and communication of original, individual ideas is the aim of all higher level academic work. American teachers generally, and Dublin teachers in particular, place great importance on and encourage student questions. International students are trained to perform in Dublin’s classrooms in the ESL program, as they explore topics pertaining to American history and society, develop their vocabulary, and practice reading, writing, listening, and speaking English. Comfort and confidence in the American academic environment and the Dublin community forms the greatest goal of the ESL Program, along with helping students improve their language proficiency and TOEFL scores.