ENREACHTM Liberal Arts Courses
EnreachTM Liberal Arts courses are designed as a general preparation for higher education and for professional life (as opposed to a focus on examinations and university admission). In western universities, students can be faced with a myriad of challenges in reading and writing. These challenges begin with critical thinking and also include public speaking, group collaboration, advanced writing and reading techniques, cultural awareness, organization, and academic independence.
The backbone course of the program is Critical Reading and Writing. This is a rigorous and intensive course to train students in the writing process. We begin with analyzing, crafting and composing narrative essays and move through the expository forms, persuasion and research stages. Given that students are accustomed to the formulaic requirements of SAT and TOEFL essays, they require significant practice to be prepared for university standards for composition - particularly in regards to organization, clarity and citation. The class dynamic challenges students to find their own voice and build courage through Socratic seminars, writing workshops and critique.
This course is complemented by a series of other programs. Global Perspectives and American Social Studies coursework introduces students not only to the subject matter in international courses, but also builds research and collaboration skills through group projects and presentations. Public Speaking is designed in a similar way to a Speech Communication 101 course in the USA, providing a background in theory and daily oratory practice. English through Media uses film and other media to contextualize the English language in a fun and interesting way; intending to give students a cultural context and background along with useful expressions they can begin to use immediately. This results in tangible gains in vocabulary and in the practice of spoken English outside of a strictly academic context.
Most of all, this series of courses strives to provide students with both structured opportunities and a safe environment to pursue education in the spirit of free inquiry: to accrue knowledge in order to enrich their existence and heighten their awareness of the world, without concern for vocation and topical relevance; to encourage students to reflect more about their beliefs and become more self conscious about their choices; to develop individuals more creative in their approach to solve problems and more able to confront issues that come about in their lives academically, personally, socially and professionally.