Overseas Family School helps its non-native English speakers dream, achieve and succeed
New to town with the family in tow? Worried about how your non-English speaking kids will adapt to a new country, school, teachers and language? We spoke to Camelia “Camee” Gergely, Overseas Family School (OFS)’s resident English language learning expert, on helping children make a successful transition.
With over 14 years of experience teaching in OFS’ acclaimed Study Preparation Program (SPP), Camee also serves as the English Language Learning Specialists in Asia (ELLSA) Chapter Coordinator in Singapore. Here’s how Overseas Family School nurtures its non-native English students’ language learning journey.
How is SPP different from other ESL programs offered at international schools?
What sets SPP apart is its incredible attention to care. The school has carefully designed a best-in-industry program over nearly two decades that, in my opinion, is like no other program offered at any other international school. For starters, students in our SPP benefit from small class sizes. At OFS, we also offer a unique, full immersion experience which helps with the acquisition of both social and academic language vocabulary.
Many foreign students come to the school with little to no English, and progress through the levels from SPP1 to mainstream classes in SPP3 in as little as 12 months — or sometimes even sooner. SPP students also benefit from our Mother Tongue teachers’ support. They rapidly acquire English skills by tapping into their native languages through a process called ‘translanguaging’.
How does SPP help students with limited English to join mainstream classes and graduate with their age peers?
At OFS, the children benefit from being fully immersed in the mainstream curriculum, including all activities, projects and assessment tasks. They follow the same learning goals in all the curriculum areas but in a modified and adapted way, carefully tailored to their language needs and abilities. Students will be able to experience the same concepts taught in mainstream classes with little to no loss of academic time, and meet the same academic standards as their English-speaking peers.
What is the most challenging aspect of your work with English language learners, and what are some strategies that you have found to be most effective in helping you face these challenges?
My first priority when an SPP student arrives at OFS is that he/she feels welcome, happy, safe and comfortable in the new school environment. It can be hard for them being away from their family and friends back home. It’s important for them to quickly acquire functional social language skills that will help them interact with their peers and teachers.
It is also important for me to form a strong partnership with their parents. I aim to build a positive rapport with parents to better understand their child’s background and what they enjoy doing so I can plan my lessons accordingly.
We also have a ‘buddy’ system in our homebase classes. We make use of their mother tongue skills to pair them up with friends from the same country or those who speak the same language. Every child is special to us and will, in time, build a memorable experience at OFS by feeling part of our community.
Thank you, Camee!
Think the Study Preparation Program could benefit your child? For more information about the SPP at OFS, click here.
This post is in partnership with OFS.