FAMILY SUPPORT
SUMMER PROGRAMMES Many schools
run holiday
courses,
often
in
the
summer, which are also designed for international students, combining language teaching and/or academic study with other social, sporting and cultural activities. Courses such as these can provide children with a taste of school life ahead of enrolment, and can help to get their developing language skills off the ground.
MOTHER-TONGUE PROGRAMMES It is important to bear in mind that, while acclimatisation to a new country and language will be a top priority for any family relocating internationally, maintaining a sense of their own national identity is also of great value to children. Good schools used to dealing with international students from across the globe will allow children to celebrate their differences, and will continue to support the child’s first language.
The International School of London (ISL) schools in London, Surrey and Qatar have a strong commitment to helping children deepen their understanding of their own culture whilst maintaining literacy in their home language. The school runs a mother-tongue programme, which continues language and literacy training in the family’s first language throughout the child’s time in the school. According to Susan Stewart, head of languages at ISL,
“We recognise that schools are looking for skillsets that international students do not always show, on paper or in interview,” he says. We have identified the skills and knowledge required for an international student to be successful, and deliver courses that enable these students to adapt and excel in British schools. “At the end of their course, Bishopstrow students are much more prepared to begin studying in an English- language environment, having been equipped with the expertise required to be an effective student, as well as the language used to deliver subject content. Combine this with six hours a week of coaching in traditional English sports, a broad programme of art-based activities and cultural excursions, and the experience of living the life of a boarding school student. The result is an independent learner with a well-balanced range of interests, knowledge and experience of a new routine and set of rules.”
Above: Bishopstrow College Left: ACS Hillington International School
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this is important on an emotional level, because it is a chance for students to express themselves. “One of the challenges facing an EAL [English as an Additional Language] learner is that they may have been top of the class in their home school, but, in a new language, they are not able, initially, to excel in the same way,” says Ms Stewart. “The mother-tongue teacher helps to explain the topics and vocabulary currently being explored in the main classroom, which aids in the learning. As English becomes the dominant language, the mother-tongue lessons maintain the home language, literacy, identity and culture. This helps the transference of skills and knowledge, so that students then bring the mother-tongue learning back to the main classroom, fostering a wider world view.” Children of internationally-relocating families have a unique opportunity to foster this wider worldview as they work hard to acquire their new language skills and develop their understanding of a new culture. While international relocation can be a challenging experience, it can also be overwhelmingly positive, offering rich cultural experiences and helping to equip children with the skills needed to compete in our increasingly globalised economy.
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