ESL Specialist Team

Sitting (left to right) - Kimiko Fuji (Grade 2), Paulo Cohen Myers (Grade 1) and Dongna Lin (Grade 5).  Standing (left to right) - Hilary Kristal (Grade 4), Lee Preston (Grade 3 ESL Specialist and Grade 3 Coordinator), Lauren Spector (Grade 1, 2 and 3), Carla Limmer (Grade 1, 2 and 3 ESL Specialist and Elementary ESL Coordinator) and Catherine Whiter (Grade 4 and 5)

 

This year we have eight ESL Specialists in our team and currently we provide support for Grades 1-5.  Five of our specialists are attached to each grade level and three work across grade levels.  Our experienced team comes from China, Japan, America, Canada, and New Zealand.  They support all of the students inside the homeroom (In-Class Support) and they also take small groups of Beginner English language learners and Intermediate English language learners out of the homeroom (Pull-Out).

 
During Pull-Out lessons, the students practice the skills needed to participate fully in the homeroom.  The Pull-Out lessons are planned from the student’s grade level language planner to ensure authentic links to the homeroom and the Unit of Inquiry.  The Beginner students do not attend Chinese Language lessons until they move into the Intermediate programme.  Each ESL teacher works closely with two or three homeroom teachers as a ‘pod team’ and together they all plan and prepare differentiated lessons for In-Class Support sessions.

 

	G1: Learning language through real- life experiences		G2: Building vocabulary with a memory game

What is a Beginner English language learner? 
This level is for children who are new to English or have limited English. 

What is an Intermediate language learner? 
This level is for children who have learnt some English but are not yet advanced English language learners.

How do you know if my child is a Beginner or Intermediate English language learner? 
After you enroll your child at SSIS, you will be asked to bring them in for a Placement Test.  This is an informal test where we talk to your child to gain an understanding of their listening and speaking skills in English.  After they start school, we do more assessment to ensure we have placed them in the correct language level.  If they enter the Beginner or Intermediate Pull-Out programme, we will send home a letter to notify you of their level.  If you have any further questions, the ESL Specialists and Homeroom Teacher are able to meet with you to discuss your child’s placement.

We aim to assist students in gaining access to the curriculum within the homeroom.  Therefore our goals is to help them attain an academic level of English. It can be challenging to move to a new country and learn a new language, or two new languages.  Our department hopes to assist your child in the settling-in process.  We look forward to working closely with you and with your child to continue their language learning journey. If your child is new to English, you may have some questions about how they will cope in an English school environment and how they will learn English.  Below is some information about stages children go through when they are acquiring a new language.

Click on the link to learn a more about our ESL programme.

	G3: Developing the ability to give instructions and listen to instructions through barrier games		G5: Practicing speaking in English through a puppet show

 

Stages of Second Language Acquisition
(ESL in the PYP workshop, Beth Queeny and Bernadette Dowling, 9-11 March 2007)

1. First stage is “pre-production” or the “silent phase” The student listens to the new language but is not yet ready to speak.  The student begins to be able to understand and respond to instructions. (This can last 10 minutes to 10 months).
2. Second Stage is “early production”.  The student might speak one or two words and can answer yes/no questions.  The student may mix languages, which is normal and to be expected.
3. Third Stage is “speech emergence”.  BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) or playground language is when the student can communicate their needs during informal situations and out in the playground.  They still struggle with academic English.
4. Fourth Stage is “intermediate fluency”.  The student can communicate informally with very little problem but has difficulty with the language needed for academic tasks. 
5. Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP).  Learning an additional language is a long process.  Research shows that it can take between 4-10 years for an ESL learner to reach the same level as a native speaker of the same age.  The length of time depends on many factors, including the age at which a child begins learning English.

 

Children in international schools learn English more quickly and effectively if they maintain and develop their proficiency in their mother tongue.

 

SSIS Language Policy
Further information about English as a Second Language at SSIS is available in the SSIS Language Policy.