Box Hill School
...The importance of languages
transport and modern communication technologies, the world is a smaller place in which the acquisition of foreign languages is now more crucial than ever.” Says Tim Jones, deputy head (academic) at Sevenoaks
School, “We think that there are huge benefits to learning alongside students from other countries and cultures. Many of the world’s problems stem from xenophobia or miscommunication, and solutions tend to come from familiarity and shared ground. It is important to us that everyone can celebrate their cultural identity and their languages.”
MAINTAINING TRADITION
Several international schools in England give English as an Additional Language (EAL) students the chance to develop and extend their first language as part of their international education. ISL offers a mother-tongue language and literacy programme that is part of the school curriculum and helps students develop literacy and fluency in both English and their first language. According to the school, this helps them to learn more quickly, as the transfer of concepts and skills in two languages strengthens both.
“While it is important that relocating children find their feet in their new country, they must be given opportunities to express themselves and maintain a sense of their own national identity. Our Native Language Enrichment (NLE), English as an Additional Language and Language Skills classes support students’ own cultural roots whilst they are learning about others as part of their curriculum,” explains Mark London, head of marketing at ACS, which has three international schools in London and one in Qatar. Says his colleague Jane Fox, “Unlike language acquisition classes, such as French or Spanish lessons, our
NLE programme encourages interaction across languages and cultures. Sessions encourage all students to use their home languages to access learning, while exposing them to the cross-pollination of perspectives from different cultures and diverse ways of thinking and knowing.” TASIS’s Edward Spencer says, “Our languages and cultural traditions are the cornerstone of who we are. We believe that celebrating world cultures and supporting mother-tongue development are fundamental to an international education.”
SUPPORT FOR RELOCATING PARENTS “At ACS International Schools, we also take every opportunity to celebrate our schools’ diversity and embrace our differences, organising a host of international themed events and activities throughout the year,” says Mark London. “School activities can help families put down roots to thrive in the new location, with opportunities for parents, as well as children, to meet new people, make friends and get involved with activities they enjoyed in their home country. “Our Parent Teacher Organisation multicultural teams, for example, organise international events throughout the year. Their main event is the annual international fair, which sees families of the same nationality create a stall with food, activities and music, giving our community a taste of their culture.” ISL Surrey also offers regular workshops on raising bilingual children. These are aimed at parents interested in preserving the family’s home language in an English-speaking environment, and offer tips on how to cope with issues that can arise in multilingual families.
The workshops, which have been running for five years, encourage parents not to switch to English at home, as this can be detrimental to both languages.
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relocateglobal.com | Keep Informed
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