Capstone English Mastery Center (EMC) is a unique school whose approach allows flexibility for learners of any level. There are two programs in which students can enroll, the Academic Program and the Fluency Program. Both are very flexible and allow students extensive interaction with teachers that is difficult to find in more traditional schools.

Academic program

The Academic Program is perfect for students who want to study with a private tutor. Students will have an opportunity to meet privately with their own supervising teacher, who will create a unique curriculum for each student, based upon individual interests and abilities and can answer questions they have about their areas of study. This program is recommended for students studying for college or university entrance and standardized tests such as TOEFL, IELTS, TOEIC, GMAT, GRE, SLEP, and GED.

Fluency Program

The Fluency Program is perfect for students who need to improve their spoken English. In small classes the students discuss topics such as American culture, slang, entertainment, and everyday life, while focusing on practical spoken English. This program, has a comfortable atmosphere for students to improve their English as an international language of communication. The Fluency lessons will include listening, reading, writing and pronunciation as well as speaking.

• Individualized Instruction ­ Work at your own pace with the materials best suited to your current ability and goals for the future. Students study independently and work privately with teachers, who have freedom to alter the curriculum to adapt to questions, problems, or special needs for each student.
• Small Conversation Groups ­ We try hard to keep Conversation and Study Groups to no more than 10 students per teacher.
• Qualified Staff ­ Several teachers have a Masters degree in Linguistics or TESOL (teaching English for ESL) and/or 15 years or more of experience. All teachers have lived and worked overseas extensively and most speak a foreign language.
• Low Cost ­ Much less than any other private ESL school in the Portland metropolitan area.
• Convenient Location ­ Capstone is located in downtown Portland. We are 4 blocks east of the PGE Park Metropolitan Area Express (MAX) light rail commuter train stop (5 blocks west of the Galleria stop) and just 7 blocks from the City of Portland (Tri-Met) bus transit mall. Portland International Airport (PDX) is US$1.50 from our location on MAX. Buses and MAX are free all over Downtown Portland in a "Fareless Square". Terminals for Amtrak intercity trains, and Greyhound Intercity Bus lines are inside Fareless Square.
• Begin Any Time ­ There are no terms (no quarters, semesters, or “sessions”), so students may start lessons on any convenient date.
• Student Visas -- Capstone is “Authorized under Federal Law to Enroll Non-immigrant Alien Students” who wish full-time instruction on a student visa. To learn what is necessary for us to issue an I-20 form that can be used to apply for a student visa, see here.
• Flexible Schedule ­ If you must interrupt your studies for a week or two . . . or a month or two, you resume exactly where you left off when you return, and don’t pay tuition while you’re gone.
• Additional Services ­ If you or someone you know would like to study for TOEFL, IELTS, TOEIC, GED, Eiken, GRE, GMAT, or vocational/business subjects, additional assistance is available.
• Diverse Student Body -- Although Capstone is a small school, where students can easily get to know all the teachers and fellow students, at the present time we have students from Japan, Korea, China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Tibet, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Angola, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Belarus, Ukraine, Switzerland, and Russia.

Days, Times, & Costs

• Time ­ Doors are open Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Immigration regulations require that students on student visas be in school at least 22 hours per week.
• Cost ­ Full-time tuition is $580 per month, plus books and materials

Individualized Instruction

No matter what school you attend, whether you succeed or not depends mainly upon the hard work of the individual student. At Capstone we understand this concept and try to give students the resources, materials and instruction they need to achieve their goals. By allowing students to study more on their own, it is possible for students to study at their own pace and at different ability levels.

During scheduled hours, highly qualified instructors are available to answer questions and assess students' progress. The result is flexibility with support and a highly personalized course of study.

There are also conversation and study groups, where students and teachers put into practice the vocabulary and grammar they have studied. Some groups are purely conversation, while others also focus on pronunciation and enunciation, and still others emphasize test preparation. These are structured classes using the latest methods in Teaching English as a Second Language.

Copyright © 2008 Capstone English Mastery Center