Students applying to TISA who are non-native speakers of English may be candidates for the ELS programme. The aim of the programme is to equip incoming students with the conversational, social / cultural and academic language skills in order that they might integrate into the school as quickly as possible. The ELS programme is designed to enable students to:

• Use English confidently and effectively as a means of communication
• Develop the language skills required by each of the subjects in the curriculum
• Develop a critical approach to study, including strategies for dealing with unfamiliar texts and language
• Help students feel comfortable, confident and eager to learn in a healthy learning environment

Structure of the Programme

ELS pull-out classes back, or support, the mainstream English and Foreign Language classes and are scheduled at the same time as these classes. ELS English backs mainstream English and ELS Language backs Foreign Languages. ELS teachers work closely with mainstream teachers to provide an in-class support programme for ELS students in mainstream classes.

The rate at which students acquire English varies tremendously depending on a range of factors such as motivation and personality. The programme aims to equip these pupils with the skills in English to enable them to function to their potential in an English medium school. We aim to do this by:

• Providing instruction at three levels: Beginner (Foundation), Intermediate (Standard) and Advanced
• Offering a programme of communicative language learning, which includes teaching of core language skills (i.e. grammatical structures and vocabulary) and generic language skills (i.e. reading for information, report writing, oral presentations)
• Integrating the content area concepts and areas of interaction into the programme
• Collaborating with mainstream teachers in the planning of the school wide programme
• Differentiating materials to suit abilities

Teachers