Chris Wagner, Senior 1: American Studies

School: BA of Education, History from Kutztown University of PA, USA. Study Abroad program at Kingston University of London, UK.

The goal of the International program is to prepare the students for college in an English speaking country. American Studies is a course meant to focus on just this. The students will continue to practice and learn the English language. They will also learn about culture and what life is like in the west. Western classrooms are very different than Chinese classrooms and the students need to learn how to think and study in different ways.

Since most of the students will be attending college in the United States this course is also meant to teach them about American history. American history is nothing compared to Chinese history, but in its short history America has in many ways influenced much of the world. The course aims at covering most of the important events from European exploration and discovery of the American continents, up to more modern history in the 1960s.

There will also be an emphasis on vocabulary and reading and writing about history. This will help prepare students for things like AP exams and general exams at foreign universities.