The foreign language programme starts in Infants and continues to the end of Baccalaureate. English Immersion is introduced in the Infant School from three years of age with a predominantly communicative and natural approach, through songs, games, simulations, drama and natural classroom management activities. The children have fourteen sessions per week .
The school’s aim in Primary education is to increase the number of sessions given in English to consolidate the objective of a proper immersion. The first step has been to double the number of sessions in English (ten weekly), including the subject of Art and a syllabus related to Science- which is hold in English in conjunction with the content the children are studying in their own language. Apart from the English Language classes, which cover all the language skills- from oral comprehension and expression to reading and writing-, the children are stimulated to give their own oral presentations on different projects based on the books they read.
|
|
Given that the principal aim is to allow pupils to reach a high level in oral communication, the classes are given by native and bilingual teachers who focus predominantly on oral communication skills in classroom activities, creating a true immersion atmosphere with motivating activities and where all classroom management is undertaken in English, and a strong emphasis on cooperative learning.
The focal point of the courses is that of verbal communication skills, and the inclusion of Science and Art as content matters to engage students in hands-on experimentation in “real situations” where the need to communicate is paramount. ICT through the use of the interactive white boards is predominant in some classrooms settings in order to stimulate interest and interaction. The English syllabus is centred around important dates and events such as Halloween, Christmas, and highlights important days in the Anglo-Saxon calendar, . In this way pupils find the programme stimulating and interesting and develop a very positive attitude to other languages and cultures. The Immersion Courses benefit from a high degree of acceptance and support from pupils’ families who tend to make every effort to motivate and encourage their children in speaking English.
 
|
