English as an Additional Language

A large number of the students in the school do not have English as their mother tongue. Therefore, every EAL classroom contains a wide range of language capabilities in English. The EAL programme enables students to develop their language skills within a smaller group setting, which provides for a great deal of individual attention and support.

The programme is inquiry-based and skills-based and careful attention is paid to ensure that language is presented through active and meaningful contexts. Whenever possible, links are made to the curriculum and to the personal interests and experiences of the EAL students. Our aim is to provide a balance between fluency, accuracy and complexity and to develop happy, confident EAL students. We believe that in doing this we are enabling EAL students to reach their full potential.

The classroom environment, which is inquiry driven, is supported by a variety of materials and resources. Students are encouraged to ask questions, to explore and to solve problems. They use different resources according to their previous linguistic experiences and personal development. All students are encouraged to use their mother tongue wherever necessary to aid in comprehension, and to develop their mother tongue languages as a means to aid linguistic and cultural development.

Mother Tongue Classes

At present, there are 7 mother tongue language classes (Dutch, German, French, Spanish, Mandarin, & Swedish). These are private after-school lessons, which are overseen on a voluntary basis by the EAL Coordinator. It is recommended that students develop their mother tongue at the same time as learning English, as current research has shown that cognitive development in the mother tongue language will actually help the student to learn the second language(s) faster. Please contact jacqueline.newman@iszl.ch if you are interested.

Overview of the Framework for EAL Teaching in School

The school runs two EAL programmes. One in the Primary School for students aged 5-11 (Kindergarten - Grade 5) and the other in the Middle School for students aged 11-14years (Grade 6 - Grade 8).

Student Placement

The EAL programme provides a support system for students who enter classes in Kindergarten - Grade 8 with English skills that do not yet allow them to access their grade's curriculum effectively. When they enter the school, EAL students are given an English assessment. Information from this procedure in conjunction with past school records and initial feedback from the homeroom teacher is used to form the initial student EAL profile.

Depending on their profile, all EAL students are placed in one of three groups: Developers, Intermediate and Advanced. Middle School EAL students are placed in one of three groups: Developers, Intermediate & Advanced. Group sizes are kept small (1-10 students). A balance of withdrawal or in-class support is provided whenever possible according to student needs and teaching/learning targets. In addition to this, EAL students who are severely struggling to develop strong literacy can be offered additional structured withdrawal support. At all times, the learning environment is intended to be supportive, stimulating, meaningful and highly relevant to daily life.

Lesson Schedules

Developer and Intermediate level students in Kindergarten to Grade 5 receive EAL lessons four times a week. Developer and Intermediate students in Grade 6-8 receive EAL lessons six times a week and Advanced students receive EAL lessons two times a week. The EAL timetable parallels that of the German and French (Middle School only) departments, so that children attending EAL do not attend foreign language lessons until they no longer require EAL support or reach an Advanced level in the Middle School.

Interaction between EAL and Classroom Teachers

EAL staff liaise with class and subject teachers throughout the school to support differentiated instruction and assessment for EAL students. EAL teachers meet with the relevant class teachers on a regular basis. Opportunities are given for EAL and classroom teachers to plan and reflect on Units of Inquiry together. In this way, the EAL programme is aligned as far as possible with the mainstream programme.

Curriculum, Continuity and Progression

The EAL curriculum is an integrated growing curriculum that is directly influenced by the mainstream curriculum. Student achievements are recorded and put in the student portfolio. EAL students in all groups are tested twice a year with a norm-referenced English test. Their language proficiency is carefully monitored.

Communication with Parents

Informal discussions with parents may be held at any time. Home-school links are emphasised as well as the role of the parent in the development of the student's overall language acquisition. EAL teachers also participate in Parent-Teacher conferences and contribute to formal written reports to parents in December and June.

Student Exit from the EAL Programme

The EAL programme normally lasts for two years in the Primary School and three years in the Middle School. EAL students exit the programme as soon as their English is sufficient to participate in the classroom curriculum effectively. This is determined by their English progress in ESL lessons, the mainstream class and the results of the English assessment.