Learning languages has been of the principle features of the philosophy of our school from the outset, and throughout our students’ time with us from Infant School until they enter university.
Studying English not only entails learning the English language for our students, it also means knowing about the English-speaking world, its culture, literature and traditions.
Furthermore, we enable our students to study English in a way that makes it practical and allows our students to use it in their studies every day.
English is also used to teach other subjects, so long as it does not interfere academically with Spanish.
Our students speak both English and Spanish, and when they reach a certain age it is satisfying for us to see that our students are able to cope very well in either language, in a natural and spontaneous way.
During the first years in Primary, the students learn to read and write in English.
The English conversation lessons are given in small groups of 10 or 12 students, which helps them to improve their spoken English.
OUR TOOLS FOR TEACHING:
• Our native and bilingual teachers are carefully selected, with the best qualifications, and years of experience in teaching, which is essential for the quality teaching that we require for the different age groups. At the same time, these teachers, who have their own specialities, periodically undergo refresher courses, which are carried out and supervised by the D.I.P. in our school.
• The pedagogic materials used by the teachers are the most efficient for teaching languages. To help them study English, our students enjoy facilities such as the Self-Access Centre, with Multimedia programmes designed to improve performance and accelerate learning. Through the interactive teaching systems, combined with the individualized tutorial classes, and the conversation classes in small groups, our students receive a high degree of individual attention and their progress is monitored closely. In this way we assure that each student develops well, at their own speed, and is not held back by the rest of the group.
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY EXAMS OFFERED
• YLE (Young Learners Exams – Starters, Movers, Fyers)
• KET (Key English Test)
• PET (Preliminary English Test)
• FCE (First Certifícate of English)
• CAE (Certificate of Advanced English)
• CPE (Certifícate of Proficiency in English)
These exams are held in our school in “La Moraleja”.
The possibility also exists of sitting the exams created for business English, which are called the BEC (Business English Certificate).
OTHER LANGUAGES
In the first year of Secondary education, known as 1st of ESO, our students begin to study a second foreing language, and they may choose between French or German, following the same system that we use for learning English.
Therefore, in Secondary and in “Bachillerato” the periods dedicated to languages will be divided between this second optional language and English.
