Thomas Knowlton,Senior-2:Writing Workshop Senior-3: Written Language , Armed Forces Journalism School; USA,BA (East Asian Languages, Chinese), Kansas University, USA, Graduate work, Taiwan University ,CELTA (Cambridge English Language), Bangkok, Thailand

Acquiring university level English, as with any second language, requires years of daily practice. The foundation for learning to write English well, is reading English well. Reading articles from modern media sources and modern English authors, in Writing Workshop and AP English Language, supports building vocabulary and writing fluency.

The initial aim is learning to thoroughly understand the essay, article or literature piece. Reading for comprehension depth is the one of two core challenges most Chinese students face in preparing for American university. The second challenge is writing English well. Both Writing Workshop and AP English classes practice writing as much as possible; writing is corrected and re-written. Developing good college writing ability is the goal: being clear and concise; using excellent diction; and making every word count.