To meet the needs of non-native English-speaking students whose level of English does not allow them to fully access our curriculum independently, we provide English as a Second Language (ESL) support for students at all levels. Through this program, our qualified and experienced ESL staff work together with classroom teachers and members of the administration team to cater to the individual needs of students. The type of support varies for different areas of the school. For K1 and K2, ESL teachers support classroom teachers in understanding students’ language needs as well as providing appropriate experiences and teaching strategies for ESL learners. For K3 students, ESL teachers provide in-class support for students deemed as requiring assistance. In addition, all K3 students have the option to join after-school ESL classes as part of our After-School Activities Program. For students in Grades 1 through 12, ESL teachers support students identified as requiring ESL assistance with one or more language skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking, through both in-class and after-school support.

Inclusion in the ESL program (K3 to Grade 12) is determined from the results of an assessment test conducted at the time of initial application to enroll at KIST and also through recommendations by classroom and/or ESL teachers based on general observation of students throughout the year. If English is not spoken at home, parents should expect their child to be involved in the ESL program at some point during their enrolment. Often this involvement will begin in K3 when students are recommended for ESL testing for inclusion for in-class support. This includes students who may not have been involved in the ESL program upon initial enrolment but who may be required to join the program at any stage during their schooling if their English level is not meeting necessary standards.

In-class and after-school support

The ESL program for students in K3 through Grade 12 has two parts:

1. In-class support: ESL teachers work in the regular classroom with students from K3 and above who require ESL support in conjunction with class teachers for up to three hours per week. By remaining in the classroom, this enables students to use language in meaningful contexts, particularly in their interactions with fellow students, and to ensure that ESL students do not miss out on valuable lesson sequences. In-class support involves ESL teachers working with both individual students and small groups. At times they may also lead full class activities. On some occasions, pull-out support is also offered to meet the specific needs of students. Examples of this include: students with very little prior exposure to English or whose level is such that they are unable to follow daily routines.

2. After-school support: Both ESL and class teachers assist ESL students with their language skill development (reading, writing, listening and speaking) and with understanding the school curriculum twice a week after school as indicated below. Attendance at these classes is compulsory for all ESL students from Grade 1 and above. For all K3 students, participation is optional through the general after-school activities program. The After-School ESL Program allows the school to improve the quality and quantity of English language input that students receive (L2). In addition, it provides increased opportunities for output and meaningful interaction in the target language.

* Optional attendance through the After-School Activities Program.

Exiting the ESL program

ESL students are assessed during the year to determine whether they have reached exit level; that is, the point when they are able to demonstrate that they can work independently in the classroom without ESL support. The aim is for students to exit the ESL program with strong skills in all four language areas: reading, writing, listening and speaking so that they will not come back into the ESL program in the short term. The main testing period for all students is held at the end of the school year. If the results show that the students have reached exit level, they will be re-assessed in September after the summer vacation to check that their level has not declined over the vacation. If they have remained at exit level, a recommendation will be made for them to exit the ESL program. In addition, students who have proved themselves to be reasonably close to exit level will also be tested towards the end of the autumn and winter terms. If the results show that the students have reached exit level, a recommendation will be made for them to exit the ESL program at the end of that term.

After receiving an exit recommendation, the final decision to exit a student from the ESL program will be made at a meeting between the school administration, ESL staff and parents. Part of this meeting will involve parents discussing with the school about further plans for supporting their child’s language development both at school and at home.