Broadcast: February 6, 2003
This is the VOA Special English Education Report.
Today we continue our series for foreign students who want
to study in the United States. We tell about an American college
for students with learning problems.
It is Landmark College in the northeastern state of Vermont.
It was started in nineteen-eighty-four by an expert in educating
people who suffer learning disabilities.
People with learning disabilities often cannot think about
just one thing for any period of time. Nor can they sit without
moving for more than a few minutes. These and other problems
interfere with their learning in school. It is difficult for
them to complete their education. Many experts believe that
learning disabilities are caused by chemical problems in the
brain. Whatever the cause, officials at Landmark College say
they can help.
Landmark College prepares students to continue their education
successfully at other colleges. Officials say ninety percent
of the students go on to other schools after they finish at
Landmark. Students may study at Landmark for one, two or three
years. Or they may take summer classes only.
The teaching at Landmark is different from teaching at other
colleges. Teachers use methods planned especially for the students.
For example, they may divide a large task into many small ones.
Students learn each one, then put them together as a whole.
Classes at Landmark are small. There are between eight and
twelve students in each class. The college develops an education
plan for each student. And each student has one special teacher
who helps him or her study.
This individual supervision is costly. A student pays almost
forty-thousand dollars a year to attend Landmark College. This
includes the cost of food and living at the school. Students
may ask to be considered for financial help.
Three-hundred-sixty students attend Landmark College. This
includes students from about twelve foreign countries. The college
offers English classes and other services for international
students. You can get more information about Landmark College
by using a computer. The Internet address is w-w-w dot l-a-n-d-m-a-r-k-c-o-l-l-e-g-e
dot o-r-g. (www.landmarkcollege.org)
Or you can write to the Admissions Office, Landmark College,
River Road South, Putney, Vermont, zero-five-three-four-six,
U-S-A.
-----
This V-O-A Special English Education Report
was written by Nancy Steinbach, courtesy of VOAnews.com
