New England School of English (NESE) Boston
THE DESTINATION | THE SCHOOL | MAP | RACHEL’S TAKE | WHY THIS SCHOOL? | FACILITIES | THE COURSES | FROM OUR CLIENTS | HOUSING | SOCIAL LIFE | INSURANCE AND PRICING | REQUEST AN ESTIMATE | OTHER PROGRAMS | SIMILAR PROGRAMS
The New England School of English is one of Boston’s finest language schools, right in the heart of Cambridge, Massachusetts, America’s most prestigious University area. The school is only 10 minutes’ walk from Harvard University and MIT, and 10 minutes by subway to the center of Boston. The school has its own impressive teaching method, residences close to the school, and assortment of extracurricular activities.
Boston is a fantastic city for students of all nationalities. In the countryside of New England, through historical locations and quaint towns, everyday life runs at a slower pace than that of other American cities, and its people are more relaxed and friendly. The student will quickly become familiar with the city, will socialize with both its residents and the students attending its more than 60 colleges and universities, and will appreciate a lifestyle that is typically American.
NEW ENGLAND SCHOOL OF ENGLISH AT A GLANCE
- Year of Foundation: 1989
- City: Cambridge, Massachusetts (Boston)
- School’s position in the city: University area
- Minimum age in adult school: 15
- Number of students in school: average 250, maximum 350
- Main type of public transportation in Cambridge: subway and buses
- Approximate number of nationalities in school each year:
New England School of English: 36 Jfk St #3, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, United States of America
“I visited this school in 2006, shortly after I met Anna Shine, and stayed in Lee Hall while I was there. I began to see very quickly that I would rarely need to “sell” this school. The following summer, I was approached by some parents who had heard of its good reputation and wanted a safe place to send their older teenagers in Boston while attending a very serious school at the same time. Over the years I have sent many students there, including older adults, and have never experienced anything but the most professional behavior on the part of the staff, from its teaching and assistance with accommodation down to the smallest details of the paperwork and correspondence. The school is one of the very few in Boston that offers its own residences to students (also with meals), ensuring its complete control over all aspects of the student’s stay. Its location in Cambridge, Massachusetts is perfect for those who want to be among some of the world’s most gifted university students, but only 15 minutes by direct bus from the center of one of America’s most historic and walkable cities. From all of the clients I have sent to this school, I have never heard anything less than how high-quality it is, and some of them have returned there for successive years.”
New England School of English
Why Study at this School?
There are many language schools in Boston, a city which is one of America’s top destinations for English language learning. NESE distinguishes itself in the following ways:
- NESE’s unique approach is based on educational research, the result of an analysis that NESE’s founder and president, Anna Shine, conducted while completing her graduate degree at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education.
- NESE has only one location, by choice, ensuring that its head of school (Anna) takes responsibility for NESE’s high standards on a daily basis.
- NESE’s teachers hold undergraduate and advanced degrees from prestigious universities, including Harvard, Yale, and Columbia, and provide training for teachers in other schools.
- NESE is one of the few language schools in the world that organizes its courses on a fixed cycle with the same start date and end date for all students. This ensures that students will have the same classmates, same teacher, and a structured course from start to finish.
- All classes at NESE are subdivided according to age and level. This means that a professional has classmates who are in positions similar to his or hers, and other students have classmates at the same age and level. Students are also taught by instructors who specialize in their age group.
- NESE provides a variety of activities and excursion for students to experience American culture along with their studies. Many of these are free and are similar to clubs and programs found in American high schools and universities. The school also offers activities that involve Harvard students.
- NESE has been consistently recognized as a leader in the field of ESL teaching and has won many awards.
- NESE is accredited by ACCET and maintains professional affiliations with TESOL, MATSOL, NAFSA, English USA, IIE, and the Southern Law Poverty Center.
- The courses are competitively priced and offer good value for money.
- In a city with a lot of language schools offering host family accommodation, the school is able to offer excellent homestays within 30 minutes’ travel time and its own student residences near the school
- NESE is an official TOEFL testing center, meaning that these tests can be taken on site.
The facilities
THE FACILITIES AT A GLANCE
- 31 classrooms
- Free Wi-Fi
- 2 student lounges
- 2 computer labs with printing facilities
MORE ABOUT THE FACILITIES AND SERVICES
Location
NESE is located in Harvard Square in Cambridge, adjacent to Harvard University and just a few minutes’ walk from the Charles River. The city of Cambridge is home to Harvard University and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), two of the world’s finest universities, and among America’s most prominent centers for students and professionals. During the academic year, from September to May, there are more than 300,000 students in this area. Few other places in the United States provide students with such an exciting blend of culture, tradition, and history – and English teachers – in the context of a dynamic, contemporary lifestyle.
Individualized Pace
NESE places a great emphasis on individual paces in order to maximize learning. Students can be placed into different levels for each separate skill (for example, level 6 in speaking and level 8 in writing) allowing them to move through NESE’s 10 levels at their own pace. NESE ’s ability to adapt its teaching and its curriculum to create an individualized program for each student is critical to the academic success of all NESE students, and one of the reasons that NESE has such a strong reputation.
Executive Area
NESE has a special professional-only area within their building, which includes a private lounge and computer lab for all professionals currently studying at NESE.
MIT Fitness Center
With a NESE student ID card, students can use the top quality Zesiger Sports & Fitness Center on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus for only a small daily charge. It is located only one subway stop from NESE and a short walk from Green Hall. The facilities at Zesiger include a 50 meter pool with 25 lanes, treadmills, elliptical trainers, cycles, stair climbers, rowers, and nautilus equipment, courts to play basketball, volleyball, soccer, in-line skating, squash, and floor hockey, group exercise classes for water workouts, step aerobics, cycling, yoga, and cardiovascular workouts, CPR and first aid classes, and Personal trainers.
Membership at Harvard Square Wellbridge Athletic Club
NESE’s professional students also have the additional option of joining the Wellbridge Athletic Club, adjacent to Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and just a 3-minute walk from NESE. The facilities at Wellbridge include a swimming pool, strength training equipment, free weights, cardiovascular training equipment, exercise class studio, cycling studio, full-service locker rooms, permanent lockers, whirlpool, steam room, towel service, nutritional consultations, weight management programs, massage therapy, personal training, physical therapy, and a computerized fitness assessment.
Free Institutional TOEFL Exam
NESE offers students the opportunity to take the Institutional (paper-based) TOEFL Exam every session free of charge to students in level 6 and up.
The courses
Key facts for all courses:
- Minimum age – 16 years
- Course duration: 1 – 12 sessions (1 session: 4 weeks)
- Length of each lesson: 90 minutes
- Start dates: Most Mondays
- Number of students in class: average 12
- The NESE intensive course requires an F-1 student visa
GENERAL ENGLISH AND EXAMINATION COURSES
Semi-Intensive and Intensive Courses
NESE’s Semi-Intensive and Intensive Courses are offered at 10 levels. Students may choose to follow a course for General English or TOEFL preparation. TOEFL students may choose to focus on Grammar, Listening and Speaking, or Reading and Writing (Intensive course only) for the TOEFL exam.
English levels: All levels (General English), 9 – 10 (TOEFL courses),
- Number of lessons per week: Intensive course, 15 lessons (22 hours 30 minutes), Semi-intensive course, 10 lessons (15 hours)
- Timetable: 9:00 – 15:15 Monday to Friday (Intensive Course), 9:00 – 12:30 Monday to Friday (Semi-intensive Course)
ENGLISH FOR PROFESSIONALS
Semi-Intensive and Intensive Courses
NESE’s courses for Business English are combined with General English in both the semi-intensive and intensive course formats outlined above. Students with a minimum NESE level of 9 may elect to study Business Communication Business Communication for Professionals in place of General English during the second lesson of the semi-intensive course. Business Reading and Writing or Business Reading and Writing for Professionals is available as an intensive course option. The courses designated “For Professionals” are for students with a minimum work experience of 5 years.
ADDITIONAL AFTERNOON COURSES
The following courses are available only as add-ons to the Semi-Intensive or Intensive Courses. They are only guaranteed to run in January, July and August, and require a minimum of 5 students in the other months.
Legal English, minimum NESE level 8 (6 hours per week, 15:30 – 17:00 Monday – Thursday)
In this course, students are introduced to the American judicial and legislative systems. They become familiar with legal terminology, learn how to analyze cases, and also understand how legal documents are composed. In addition, students may view actual court proceedings through sitting in real courtrooms and watching videos.
Pronunciation, all levels (3 hours per week, 15:30 – 17:00 Tuesday and Thursday)
University Preparation, minimum NESE level 8 (3 hours per week, 15:30 – 17:00 Tuesday and Thursday)
This course teaches students how to prepare research and technical papers, theses, and dissertations to a standard expected by American universities. Students learn how to use a university library for research purposes, and these skills will help them complete their class assignment: a research paper complete with footnotes and bibliography.
Workplace Communication, minimum NESE level 7 (3 hours per week, from 15:30 – 17:00 Monday and Wednesday)
University Students or experienced professionals in any sector will learn practical skills and techniques (and English) for conducting business in or with organizations in the United States. The course serves as an etiquette guide to the peculiarities of the American workplace. Some of the topics this course examines are:
- Professional etiquette
- The importance of “political correctness”
- Management strategies
- Issues of privacy and intellectual property
- Electronic and written communication
- Oral presentation
- How to succeed in the workplace
NESE University Placement Services (NUPS)
- NESE offers extensive educational counseling to students who want to apply to an American university
- NESE contains a university resource library
- NESE offers numerous workshops to help students plan their future studies in the United States
- NESE has special relationships with many universities, which accept qualified NESE students for admission without the often stressful requirement of an Official TOEFL score.
From our clients
When Rachel asked me to write a brief testimonial on the services of her agency, I was truly happy to do so! I believe that I was among the first clients for her junior programs, and since that time, in 2007, several years have gone by and dozens of my friends continue to ask me for her number.
I had been looking, without much success, for an agency in Rome that would help me select and book a good quality language course abroad for my sons, who were in middle school and high school at the time. Just by chance, in searching on the internet, I found her site and I did not hesitate to ask her for an appointment in which I could best let her know my needs. For that year, we booked NESE, a school that I had already heard of, for my older son.
Since then, Rachel has been my only point of reference for language courses abroad, and the fact that she has always performed her work with a high level of professionalism, and more importantly, responsibility, has allowed my sons to be able to learn English at a high enough level to take university courses in English without any difficulty whatsoever.”
–Teresa P., Messina
Do you have a positive experience to share? Write to Rachel.
HOST FAMILY
One of the best ways to learn more about the people of Boston is to choose homestay accommodation. NESE’s American homestay program is designed to provide cultural exposure to American family life in a warm and supportive environment. NESE carefully selects and regularly visits all homestay families to ensure consistently high standards, and all families have a great deal of experience hosting foreign students. Homestays are in fact the accommodation of choice for the majority of NESE students. The school and Marshall Language Services recommend this form of accommodation the most for language learning. Family life is informal and the people are welcoming, friendly and talkative, so students will have plenty of opportunities to practice their English with native speakers. By booking homestay accommodation, students will also not have to worry about shopping for food and preparing meals every day. Mealtimes are often the occasions in which families converse most with the students.
Additional homestay provisions and information:
- A private bedroom with a bed, desk, lamp, and clothing storage space
- A double bedroom is available upon request
- Breakfast and dinner 7 days a week plus lunch on weekends
- Homestay families provide all bed linens and towels. The school advises students to bring one extra towel.
- All homestays are located within an average travel time of 30 minutes to the school by public transportation (bus and subway).
- Access to the homestay’s laundry machines (if available)
- Access to a telephone (local calls at no charge) and answering machine
- Accommodation is from Sunday to Saturday. It is possible to book extra nights at an additional cost.
- Private bathrooms in host families cannot be guaranteed.
- Adults aged 18+ do not have curfews.
STUDENT RESIDENCES
NESE offers 3 student residences designed for different types of students. All residences are located only 15 minutes from NESE near the campuses of Harvard and MIT and offer students either single or double rooms, full linen and cleaning service, and breakfast and dinner every day of the week.
Green Hall
Green Hall is designed for students under the age of 30. Green Hall is conveniently located in Cambridge, near the campus of MIT. It is within walking distance of a supermarket and several high quality restaurants. It is also located near public transportation and is less than 15 minutes from Harvard Square by bus or subway. Green Hall offers single and double rooms for 85 students, in suites with a television, DVD player, microwave, and refrigerator.
Green Hall also offers:
- A fully-furnished room with study space, dresser, closet space, and storage area
- Bed linens provided
- 2 1/2 Bathrooms within a group of 3 Rooms and living room
- Two meals each day, breakfast and dinner
- A student common room
- Super-fast Wi-Fi
- Private telephone
- Laundry facilities
- Professional cleaning 3 times a week
Green Hall Executive Center
Green Hall Executive Center is a “Professionals Only” residence for professionals over 30 located within Green Hall. Green Hall Executive Center offers high quality single rooms for a total of 6 people, which have been arranged to encourage professional students to meet one another. Each room is fully equipped with a telephone, a microwave, a fridge, a TV and a DVD player. Green Hall Executive Center is spacious and comfortable, providing an ideal environment for professionals.
Green Hall Executive Center also offers:
- Common room
- Super-fast Wi-Fi
- Professional cleaning service
- 2 1/2 Bathrooms within a group of 3 rooms and living Room
- Two meals each day, breakfast and dinner
- Laundry facilities
Poppet Hall
Poppet Hall is a historic style residence for 14 students near the Harvard University Law School, a location which is popular with both students and families. Just 15 minutes from NESE by public transportation or 25 minutes on foot, Poppet Hall is conveniently located near Harvard Square, where students can enjoy cafés, restaurants, bookstores, bars, and cinemas. Poppet Hall is designed for mid-age students.
Poppet Hall also offers:
- A single or shared room with a bed, desk, dresser, closet, and safe
- All rooms equipped with TV, DVD, fridge and microwave
- Bed linens
- Abundant storage space
- Shared bathrooms
- Two meals each day, breakfast and dinner
- Free Wi-Fi
- Professional cleaning 3 times a week
- Laundry facilities
Lee Hall
Lee Hall is a “Professionals Only” residence for 18 students in a quiet, residential neighborhood, which is part of the Cambridge historic district. It is only a 12-minute walk to NESE and is easily accessible by public transportation.
Lee Hall also offers:
- A single or shared room with a bed, desk, dresser, closet, and safe
- All rooms equipped with TV, DVD, fridge and microwave
- Private bathrooms
- Bed linens
- Abundant storage space
- Two meals each day, breakfast and dinner
- Free Wi-Fi
- Professional Cleaning 3 times a week
- Laundry facilities
APARTMENTS
Professional Only Studio Apartments
NESE’s “Professionals Only” studio apartments (for students over the age of 30) are located in the heart of Boston’s most prestigious neighborhood, the Back Bay. Historic row-houses known as “Brownstones” are typical of this area, and NESE’s apartments are on the garden level of this type of building. The units are only a short walk to Newbury Street, Boston’s most fashionable shopping and café street and only a one-minute walk to the Charles River, with its spectacular sunsets. Further, just across the river is MIT, with its wealth of events open to the general community and its gym for NESE students’ use.
Studio Apartments also offers:
- Fully-furnished, air-conditioned apartments
- Bed linens and towels are provided
- Fully equipped kitchen
- TV, DVD and Blu-Ray player
- Free Wi-Fi
- Laundry facilities
- 24-hour concierge/security service
Insurance
Insurance covering medical and travel assistance, personal liability and trip cancellation is not included in the price of the program. Marshall Language Services has a policy available through Guard.Me that covers these elements, as well as an additional policy through CareMed that covers cancellation under a wider range of circumstances, including the need to repeat school exams. A summary of these policies may be downloaded below.
Dates and Fees
Calculate your own approximate quote
The following tool will help you to get a good idea of the cost of a language course and accommodation, if requested, at this school. It may not include all the courses and accommodation options available or take into account promotional offers or costs associated with student visas, insurance, study materials or exam fees. For these reasons, the availability of any course, accommodation option (especially in the high season) and the final price of a package will always have to be verified with Marshall Language Services prior to enrolment.
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