The Pelican
School of American English & Culture
Advanced ESL for International Professionals
Our Mission
The Pelican School of American English & Culture specializes in
advanced English language studies for international professionals living
in the United States and abroad. We use leading American newspapers as our instructional texts.
Curriculum
The Pelican School of American English & Culture offers ESL courses for global professionals who must communicate effectively in spoken and written English.
​​
Mastering the ability to speak English fluently is key to thriving in an international career.
​​
Our courses feature prominent American newspapers as source material for instruction: The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.
​​
Our students read, analyze, and discuss news stories in class, perfecting their command of the language while honing their ability to express complex and nuanced ideas in English.
​
Students may also enhance their English skills by writing
news stories, opinion pieces, and obituaries in English.
​
Students are expected to have a strong foundation in English before studying at The Pelican School of American English & Culture. Our courses are designed to bring you to fluency.
Is Reading News A Good Way To Achieve English Fluency?
Yes, reading newspapers is an excellent way to learn English!
​
Here’s why:
​
-
Current Language Use: Newspapers use contemporary language and reflect current usage, idioms, and slang. This helps you stay up-to-date with how the language is evolving.
-
Diverse Vocabulary: Newspapers cover a wide range of topics, from politics and business to culture and science. This exposure helps you learn new vocabulary and phrases related to different fields.
-
Improved Reading Comprehension: Regularly reading newspapers helps improve your reading comprehension skills, as you'll encounter different writing styles and formats, such as news reports, editorials, and feature articles.
-
Cultural Insights: Newspapers often include articles on current events, cultural trends, and societal issues, providing valuable insights into the culture and context of the English-speaking world.
-
Grammar and Structure: Observing sentence structures, punctuation, and overall writing style in newspapers can reinforce your understanding of grammar and syntax.
​
​​American News: Reading The Times and The Journal​
Schedule: This course meets once a week for five weeks. It is offered in two separate sections, on Mondays and Wednesdays. Monday classes meet at 6 pm Pacific Daylight Time. Wednesday classes meet at 10 am PDT. There are two fall sessions. The first session starts September 9 and ends October 7. The second session starts October 21 and ends November 20. ​
​
Course Profile: Immersion in American print journalism, with study of two preeminent newspapers: The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
​​
Course Goals: Improve reading comprehension and conversational fluency. Vocabulary acquisition. Practice expressing complex and nuanced ideas in speech and in writing. Perfect pronunciation and reduce accent. Deepen knowledge of contemporary American culture, with a focus on geography, history, politics, and the arts.
​​
Format: Each week students will read two or three news articles as homework. In class we will read and analyze one story in depth, and converse on the topic. We will also focus on mastering new vocabulary, and understanding word usage and meaning. If they wish, students may improve their writing skills by completing writing assignments, to be reviewed by the instructor.
​
History Component: Each class the instructor will introduce a key topic in American History.
​​​
Writing Assignments: Students may choose to write a news article, feature story, opinion piece, or obituary.
​
Course Materials: The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. The instructor will send students the news stories by email weekly.
​​
We will cover these topics: International news, art and music, politics, editorial and opinion, science and the environment, U.S. foreign relations, business, economics and finance, obituaries, crime and criminal justice, health and well-being.
​​​
Course Starts September 9!
All classes take place remotely on Zoom
Fall 2024 Schedule
All classes take place remotely on Zoom.
First Fall Session: Sept 9 to Oct 7
5-week courses, with one class per week.
Monday night classes are 90 minutes,
Wednesday morning classes are 60 minutes.
Second Fall Session: Oct 21 to Nov 18
​
Native Chinese speakers face unique challenges when learning to pronounce English due to differences between the two languages.
​
In this five-week course, students will improve English pronunciation and reduce Chinese accent through a series of instructor-lead exercises.
​
This course will tackle nine key areas:
1. Consonant clusters, such as "str" in street
2. Final consonants, such as those ending with p,t, or k
3. Vowel sounds, like bit, and beat
4. Tone and intonation, to express meaning and emotion
5. Th sounds, as in “think” and “this”
6. Stress and rhythm, with focus on syllables
7. Aspiration, such as “p” in “pat” vs. “sp” in “spot”
8. Linking and reduction, emphasis on natural speech patterns
9. Pronunciation of specific sounds, such as the “r” in “red” or the “l” in “light,”
Students who take this course can expect to see significant improvement in their ability to communicate effectively in professional and social situations.
Course starts September 10!
Pronunciation and Accent Reduction for Native Chinese Speakers
All classes take place remotely on Zoom.
Referrals
Refer a friend, family member, or colleague to The Pelican School and receive a 25% discount on your tuition.
Scholarships
Based on need, The Pelican School offers a variety of scholarships to students who are unable to afford our regular tuition. Please email us with your scholarship request.
Testimonials
​
​
I have particularly enjoyed studying in a small group setting with like-minded people from all over the world. Bret has created a friendly and open environment where we feel safe to learn and our thoughts and ideas are appreciated.
Eugenia Fujita, Taipei, Taiwan
​
​
Mr. Putnam's class has ... completely rekindled my interest in language learning. Surrounded by a community of kindred spirits, I have got to truly connect with the content of these news articles and meanwhile enhance my language skills.
​
The discussions that I have had during these classes have also made me more aware of the current social issues in the U.S. and around the world.
Richard Che, Tianjin, China
​
​
Each session's article was challenging and I loved it because in that way we could learn something new, which might be difficult to understand without a native American teacher who has the patience for explaining their culture in depth and willing to give extra information if it’s required, and that was the most distinguishing feature of this course!
​
Teacher Bret was brilliant and such a good hardworking teacher.
Layan Alrayes, Saudi Arabia
​
​
If you would like to learn more about American history, geography, political status, study with Mr. Putnam definitely will be the best choice for you.
​
After I took 10 classes with Mr. Putnam, I improved my pronunciation, intonation and reading in English.
​
Tracy Lam, Hong Kong
The best thing about classes with Bret is that they are always very exciting, engaging, often fun and never boring.
​
​Bret helped me solve several "stuck" problems with pronunciation. I definitely recommend Bret if you are looking for a creative approach to learning English.
Mikhail Shatilov, San Francisco, U.S.A.
The classes have offered me not only a chance to enhance my English but also fascinating insights into American culture to broaden my horizon.
​
On top of that, by reading a wide range of articles and engaging in optional assignments, I also could build my vocabulary as well as hone my writing skill.
​
Last but not least, Mr. Putnam is a supportive teacher, and he is always listening to our questions attentively to give us sensible answers in every class.
Charlotte Ng, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
I enjoyed this "Advanced American English: Reading the News" class!
We learn both academic and colloquial expressions and related synonyms by reading the latest important news.
While reading, intonation and punctuation are also improved by listening to and speaking with the native speaker.
Another thing I like is that the questions asked by the teacher during and after the reading stimulate my ability to think critically and speak spontaneously.
Chao Chu Chen, Taiwan
​
The materials range widely from sports to art to politics, which can broaden our horizons. The discussion after reading is usually connected to our background, including issues of homelessness, parenting attitudes, or women's leadership. The discussion led us to deeper thinking and helped us practice speaking.
Also Bret talked to each student and this was particularly important to me as I seldom talked in other ESL classes and therefore had a poor speaking skill.
Xiaomei Cai, Ontario, Canada
Bret Ivan Putnam
Director
Bret has lived and worked in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the United States. He has taught English at Changsha University in Hunan Province, China, and at private language institutes in Hong Kong, New York City, and Santiago, Chile.
​
Bret has worked as a photojournalist at Costa Rica's La Nación newspaper, and as a reporter for newspapers in the San Francisco Bay Area.
​
Bret has a B.A. in History from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Statement of Purpose
The Pelican School of American English & Culture was established to help international professionals succeed while living or working in America. Our unique curriculum enables students to master spoken and written English while deepening their understanding of American society through the study of journalism, geography, history, and art.
Contact Us
The Pelican School of American English & Culture
