Find out how the impressive CIS Chinese-English Bilingual Programme gives students a huge boost when it comes to academic success
It’s a well-known fact that young minds soak up info like sponges. So, when it comes to learning languages, Canadian International School (CIS) has aced it with its ingenious Chinese – English Bilingual Programme.
We spent a happy afternoon saying ‘hello’ and “你好’ (‘hello there’ in Chinese) to the clever CIS students, who not only told us why they love their language programme, but also showed us their impressive bilingual skills.
Watch how kindergarten kiddos through to Grade 6 smarties are thriving in lessons that are taught in English one day, and Chinese the next – the perfect path for pupils to become not just bilingual, but biliterate and bicultural too.
Canadian International School Singapore Chinese-English Bilingual Programme
Bilingualism is cool. But learning to be bilingual, biliterate AND bicultural is, in our book, off-the-scale cool (and obviously pretty useful too). Students enrolled in the Canadian International School Chinese-English Bilingual Programme show us how their language successes are setting them up for a bright future as global citizens of tomorrow…#CanadianInternationalSchool #sponsoredpost
Posted by HoneyKids Asia on Sunday, April 1, 2018
Language lowdown: Why CIS puts bilingualism at the forefront
CIS recognises that in our ever-changing world – and for our children to become truly global citizens – languages are the future. Which is why it’s a pioneer when it comes to offering students an authentic Chinese-English bilingual programme that truly works. There are currently 30 classes available to keen learners from Junior Kindergarten, all the way through to Grade 6. Step forward a language programme that not only allows your child to become fluent communicators in both Chinese and English, but also fully aligns itself with the IB PYP model, proven for its learning success.
The nifty mechanics: 50:50, two-teacher rotation model
Exposure is key, and by teaching children languages at a young age, chances of them getting a good grasp is greatly enhanced. CIS offers the programme at both the Lakeside and Tanjong Katong campuses, so that all students have access to it. Once enrolled, children will learn from two qualified teachers per class – one who’s a native English speaker, and the other a native Chinese speaker. They will be taught using a 50:50 model. This means students learn subjects entirely in Chinese one day and then entirely in English the next day. Subjects and topics never overlap, while ensuring that equal exposure to both languages is achieved. By having this two-teacher rotation model, CIS students get to practice both languages without fail, and not just the language they are more comfortable with – a challenge most schools face when it comes to bilingual learning. It’s obviously working, because the programme has been going from strength-to-strength since its inception five years ago. As you can see from our adorable video, the students really know their language stuff!
Beyond the language: Immerse yourself in culture
Bilingualism is cool. But learning to be bilingual, biliterate AND bicultural is, in our book, off-the-scale cool (and obviously pretty useful too). Students enrolled in the CIS bilingual programme are not just learning how to speak in both languages, but are also being taught to read Chinese and English, and exposed to the colourful Chinese and English culture along the way. In a nutshell, these kids are not just able to help us useless adults order a coffee when we’re in China next, but they can also read the menu to us and give us a history lesson too! If only we had had such innovative language lessons back in our day…
For more information on the CIS English-Chinese Bilingual Programme, why not take a tour of the school to gain more insight into how it will work for your kids? Better still, join one of the CIS Open Days to get a feel of how the students work, play and learn.
This post is sponsored by Canadian International School (CIS).
