The ESL (English as a Second Language) Department supports the needs of non-native students who have limited skills in English.
The aims of our ESL programme in Grades 5 – 10, include those outlined by the IBMYP programme. They enable the students to access the curriculum of the school, to develop broad communication and interaction skills, and to acquire strategies for learning in all subject areas.
Specific aims enable the students to:
-
Use the language confidently and effectively as a means of communication within the social, cultural and academic life of the school;
-
Develop the specific communicative skills required by each of the MYP subjects in the curriculum, including the language of critical thinking and problem solving, and the use of creative language for self expression;
-
Develop a critical approach to study, including strategies for dealing with unfamiliar texts and language;
-
Develop and understanding of the nature of language and the process of language learning;
-
To build on students’ linguistic and cultural identities to motivate their learning and raise self esteem; and
-
Develop intercultural awareness, that is, an understanding of the cultural patterns that affect the thinking, feeling and behaviour in societies.
ESL Grade 5
The Grade 5 ESL programme in the Middle School uses a content integrated approach. ESL teachers meet with students in small groups and teach the English language skills required for social and academic success in the mainstream class. Generally speaking, beginning level ESL students have one to two lessons of ESL pull out per day. Intermediate level students will generally have three to five lessons of ESL per week. Sometimes ESL teachers go into the homeroom class to deliver instruction to ESL students with the homeroom teacher. The Grade 5 ESL curriculum is the same as that of the mainstream class in the sense that the ESL student is expected, ultimately, to achieve the same goals as the fluent English speakers in the school. Grammar instruction, vocabulary building and other language work is integrated with PYP units of inquiry. Language skills are also developed through the independent reading programme and group reading activities. ESL teachers support ESL students in the completion of the PYP Exhibition Project at the end of the year. More detailed information is included in our parent handbooks.
ESL Grades 6-8
ESL in Grades 6-8 uses the framework of the MYP Language B programme. Students are taught in small group classes using the objectives and assessment criteria for the Language B Foundation (Beginning Level) course and Standard (Intermediate Level) course. Students proceed through the levels at their own pace and once they reach an advanced level they move into the English Language A programme. Through their learning activities in ESL, students acquire the oral communication skills needed for social interaction as well as the literacy skills required for academic success. English language instruction is integrated with content from academic subject areas, enabling students to participate fully in the learning opportunities available at MIS. ESL teachers often provide further support for the development of students’ academic language skills by teaming with subject teachers to deliver language instruction in the mainstream class.