The ESOL program at Brookwood High School is strong and growing in terms of both our student population and our staff of ESOL-certified teachers. See the long list of teachers in the directory on this page.

The program’s goal is to help students who are new to English and new to the United States to learn how to listen, speak, write, and read English in a school setting. Students learn how to communicate informally and academically through direct English instruction and through English instruction with mixed groups of English speakers and non-English speakers. In addition, students are encouraged to join school clubs to help make friends and to practice their English.

The ESOL program works with new students to help them through the stages of being in a new country:

• Euphoria: Students may experience an initial period of excitement about their new surroundings.

• Culture shock: Students may then experience anger, hostility, frustration, homesickness, or resentment towards the new culture.

• Acceptance: Students may gradually accept their different surroundings.

• Assimilation/adaptation: Students may embrace and adapt to their surroundings and their "new" culture.

• Entry into the ESOL program is controlled by testing at the International Newcomers Center, INC. All students new to the United States must be tested by the INC before they can be registered at Brookwood High School.

• Through INC, students new to the United States will have their English listening, speaking, writing, and reading skills levels evaluated by taking the ACCESS test.

• The ACCESS test is also given each February at Brookwood High School to all ESOL students to measure their English language learning over the course of the prior year.

To learn more about the GCPS INC program, visit https://www.gcpsk12.org/schools/enrichment-and-support-programs/about-the-international-newcomer-center or call 678-985-5200.