English as a Second Language Students at International and English Language Schools
Carola Keil specialized in language development. In 1992 she moved to Pakistan with her family (three children ages 5, 3, and 3 months), where she homeschooled her children (in English and German) initially. From third or fourth class, her children attended Murree Christian School, where Carola served on the board of directors for eight years. In 2002 she trained as a TEFL teacher. Since her family’s return to Germany in 2003, Carola has worked with MK Care Germany, supporting and advising parents on educational issues.
What Challenges Arise for Students?
I would like to take you on an imaginary journey. Imagine…It is the year 2017. You are a parent in a family with three young children (ages 9, 6, and 4), and you are preparing to go to a certain country. At the MK school that your children will be attending, the language of instruction (and the teachers) will be Korean. What concerns do you have? What would you ask the school to do?
Mother Tongue
Did you know that 21 February is the International Mother Language Day (proclaimed in 1999 by UNESCO)? Our world is getting more and more international, but “mother tongue education and multilingualism are increasingly accepted around the world, and speaking one’s own language is more and more a right” (UNESCO 2003).
Why is the mother tongue (MT) important for TCKs?
If children grow up outside the parents’ home country and they are educated at an international school, why not raise them to be global citizens (rather than Germans, for example)? Then the mother tongue is not so important, is it?
Identity—knowing where they belong. Language is a vital part of culture, and culture is a very important part of a person’s identity. Children need to learn the rules of their culture and the language. In their mother tongue, they can best express feelings and emotions. It is the parents’ responsibility to help children preserve their national identity, language, and culture. Preserving their national identity, language, and culture gives children a feeling of personal worth and self-esteem. According to UNESCO, the mother tongue is the foundation of building a person’s identity (2003).
Reentry. For many TCKs who go to their country of citizenship to stay either after graduation or during their school years, their passport country is not really home; they are “secret immigrants.” But most children do not want to stand out. They try hard to be like everyone else (especially at school), and they need to at least be fluent in their mother tongue. They have enough other transition stress to cope with (they still have to learn the youth language, clothes, behaviour, and so forth). The second language, English, suddenly loses its significance.
Further studies in their home country. Children might be fluent in their mother tongue in a social context (with family, friends, and so forth), but they might not have the vocabulary to acquire academic knowledge if they have not had formal teaching at their age level. One goal in TCK education should be to facilitate our children’s transition into the educational institutions of their country of citizenship.
Studies in a second language (at an international school). Research shows that “literacy in [the] mother tongue has a ‘crossover’ effect in improving literacy in English. And not keeping up literacy in [one’s] mother tongue may lead to slower progress in English, and poorer results” (Vienna International School ESL and MT Department 2006) A friend of mine is a teacher in Germany, and she has a high number of Turkish immigrant children in her class. She was surprised that none of them did well at school, so she had them tested by a Turkish teacher who found out that they hardly spoke any Turkish, just the basics for everyday life.
What challenges arise for international MK schools and their teachers?
The numbers of ESL students are growing in MK schools around the world. In Pakistan, Murree Christian School (MCS), which started out as an American school, presently has 68 percent ESL students (compared with 52 percent last year). A growing number of students are from non-Western countries (17 percent from Korea and only 15 percent from the United States). While this is a positive development from one perspective, teachers might face the challenge of teaching a class in which a number of students have a limited understanding of English and the school might fear a lower academic standard. What can the school do? It can either implement admission tests and turn down students who speak little English (a practice that might not be in line with the goal of serving the whole missions community) or implement, develop, and improve an ESL and MT programme.
Why ESL and Mother Tongue?
Why should children study ESL and their mother tongue? The Vienna International School ESL and MT Department, which is at the forefront of ESL and MT teaching, explains, “In order to assure that students will enjoy cognitive and academic success in their second language, English, a student’s first language system, oral and written, must be developed to a high cognitive level” (2006).
Preserving their national identity, language, and culture gives children a feeling of personal worth and self-esteem.
The International School of Amsterdam believes that “students...should be able to achieve all the benefits of additive bilingualism—acquiring a second language with no detriment to development in their first language. This can only be achieved if students maintain and develop their mother tongue in speaking, listening, reading and writing” (n.d.). Preserving their national identity, language, and culture gives children a feeling of personal worth and self-esteem.
Aspects of Language Proficiency
The diagram [in the PDF article] shows in schematic form the aspects of language proficiency. The model of the language acquisition process is based on the social and cultural processes that occur through everyday life in all contexts—home, school, community, and the broader society—and how these feed into the student’s language. The social and cultural processes provide a base for the “legs,” which are important for language proficiency:
Language development. Language development is the acquisition of the oral and written systems of the student’s first and second languages in all the language domains—grammar, vocabulary, phonology, semantics, and so forth.
Cognitive development. Cognitive development is the development of conceptual and analytic thought.
Academic development. Academic development includes all schoolwork in the various subjects. With each succeeding grade, academic work dramatically expands the vocabulary and language patterns to higher cognitive levels. This knowledge transfers from the first language to the second language.
The “legs” are interrelated:
Comprehensible input. Without language, thinking is impossible.
Meaningful communication. Academic knowledge must be processed in thinking. Cognitive abilities must be developed.
Low affective filter. An affective filter is a learning blockage that is due to a negative attitude such as anxiety, fear, frustration, or low self-esteem. For example, when we came to Germany, Tamara (grade 6) had the biggest problems with maths. She did not know the German terminology, the academic maths language. She felt frustrated, fearful, and so forth. This high affective filter blocked her from understanding and learning new maths concepts. So she failed her first test and thought, “I’m bad at maths.” But it was rather a language problem. The same happens with ESL children at international schools: They sit in science class, and if they do not know the vocabulary, they will just feel frustrated and not even make an effort to actively take part. So this affective filter has to be lowered for a child to develop academically.
All of these aspects are interrelated, and they promote one another. These aspects are the foundation for language proficiency, native and English. This is why we need ESL teachers at international schools. The ESL teacher and the content area teacher must cooperate as both plan their daily lessons. The content area teacher must inform the ESL teacher about the vocabulary that will be used during the content area lesson. With this vocabulary information, the ESL teacher can plan a lesson that provides opportunities for English language learners (ELLs) to listen, understand, speak, practice, read, and master the new words before they attend the content area lesson. If the ELLs are prepared during the ESL lessons, then they will actively participate in the content area lessons because they will have the academic language to do so.
Students studying at international schools need to read and learn in their MT as well. At MCS the teacher used ordinary German schoolbooks from the respective grade levels in her German classes. She included elements of science and maths in her lessons, especially before the children would return to their home country. Culture was covered in afternoon fun activities. She offered German club as an afternoon fun activity once a week, alternating for elementary and high school students. German club included singing, stories, cooking, movies, discussions, games, youth culture, and German holidays.
What are the benefits of an ESL and MT programme for a school?
- An ESL and MT programme enriches the cultural and linguistic diversity of a school.
- An ESL and MT programme provides a higher academic level of all students.
One goal in TCK education should be to facilitate our children’s transition into the educational institutions of their country of citizenship.
- The school can offer a wider variety of second languages. Most mother tongue teachers will be willing to teach their language as a second or third language to English MT students. Bilingual students—and adults—who have achieved high-level and well-balanced skills in two (or more) languages, are recognised to be more effective thinkers and problem solvers than monolinguals. MT teachers can also be very supportive as bilingual specialists interacting with the ESL Teacher.
- The school can be in line with other international schools and requirements around the world. In 2001, the ESL committee of the European Council of International Schools (ECIS) officially changed their name to ESL and Mother Tongue Committee to incorporate mother tongue learning as part of their mandate. The following is from their August 2001 newsletter: “ECIS is not the only organization that has acknowledged the importance of mother tongue development for children in international schools. The IB has now made provision for the mother tongue a requirement for authorisation for the Middle Years Programme” (Briginshaw).
In his book Bilingualism in International Schools, Maurice Carder says that “the second language programme should be at the centre of an International School curriculum, not on the periphery; all staff should be aware of the issues involved...In this way, an International School will be truly international, and can avoid being seen as an English-speaking school with an exotic influx of non-English speakers” (2007, 32).
Recommendations
Schools
- Increase awareness more generally in schools of the need for specialist personnel, training, programmes, and materials to support ESL learners.
- Implement, develop, and improve an English as a second language and mother tongue programme (example: the ESL and MT department at Vienna International School ).
- Include ESL and mother tongue study in the school and homework timetable.
- Raise awareness of the great importance and the benefits of mother tongue maintenance in teachers, school staff, parents, and students.
- Encourage families to take steps to keep the mother tongue and their home culture alive and well.
- Teach families how to prepare their children for an English medium school.
An ESL and MT programme provides a higher academic level of all students.
- For all school staff, insist on TCK pre-field orientation (PFO), with an emphasis on international education and including teaching ESL students, possibly in an international context.
- Aim to recruit MT teachers for MT lessons and cultural activities and as bilingual support staff. If no teachers are available, then allocate time to study in the mother tongue using a correspondence course or an online course.
- Take advantage of special courses for all school staff (as part of PFO or continuing professional teacher development), for example, by ECIS or Unlocking the World (see the Professional Teacher Development section below). Send your staff to the ESL and MT conference in Geneva next February. The European Council of International Schools also offers opportunities for professional development.
The Government of South Australia offers Unlocking the World, a professional development series for classroom teachers. Tutors go to host schools around the world and train teachers. “ESL in the mainstream is a professional development program which has proved outstandingly successful in enhancing the qualifications and classroom practice of teachers working with students from non-English speaking backgrounds for whom English is a second language (ESL). This includes students of all ages from a vast range of language and cultural backgrounds” (Department of Education and Children’s Services, South Australia 2007).
Sending Organisations
- Before their first assignment, and on furloughs, give educational advice to families on a proactive basis. Educate ESL parents on the importance of the mother tongue, and teach them how to keep it up in an international context.
- Teach ESL families how to prepare their children for an English medium school, and educate them on the advantages of additive bilingualism.
- Find MT teachers.
- All MK school personnel need TCKPFO and continuing professional teacher development training that includes teaching on bilingualism and mother tongue (see the Professional Teacher Development section below). Those preparing in the United States should receive some input from non-Anglophones from Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa.
Resources
- The book Bilingualism in International Schools: A Model for Enriching Language Education, written by Maurice Carder and published by Multilingual Matters in 2007, is a very informative read for ESL teachers, all school staff, parents, and administrators. To preview the book, visit Multilingualmatters.com and type the title in the Search box. Click on the appropriate link provided in the results of the search. Various other interesting books on the subject can be found on Multilingual Matter’s site as well.
- Krashen.com is a great website that has current news and views on ESL and bilingual education as well as numerous updates about what is happening in second language education around the world.
- The website of the ESL and MT Department of Vienna International School, has good general information as well as interesting pages for parents and teachers.
Professional Teacher Development
- The European Council of International Schools (ECIS) ESL and Mother Tongue Language Forum, Promoting Multilingual Student Identities Across the International School Curricula, is for all international school teachers as well as all teachers of second language learners. School administrators and officials are also welcome to attend. The conference was held in Geneva, Switzerland, from February 28 to March 1, 2008. Visit www.forumgeneva.info/ for more information.
- The European Council of International Schools (ECIS) is “a collaborative network promoting the ideals and best practice of international education.” ECIS “acts as a catalyst for the advancement of internationalism through education.” It provides and facilitates opportunities for professional development to enhance the effectiveness of international educators. Shortcuts, a free e-mail newsletter from ECIS, provides information and links on current education issues. It is available to teachers and administrators in international schools. To subscribe, visit the ECIS Shortcuts page. The ESL and Mother Tongue Committee of ECIS also publishes a newsletter.
- The Government of South Australia offers Unlocking the World, a series of professional development programmes for classroom teachers. Tutors go to host schools around the world and train teachers. Visit Unlocking the World for more information.
For instance, ESL In the Mainstream: Understanding and Meeting ESL Students’ Needs is a professional development programme comprising two interlinked components: tutor training and a teacher development course. For more information and an outline of the course, view the brochure.
References
Briginshaw, Jeanne Marie. 2001. ESL committee changes its name. ESL and Mother Tongue Committee Newsletter, August.
Carder, Maurice. 2007. Bilingualism in international schools. Clevedon, United Kingdom: Multilingual Matters.
Department of Education and Children’s Services, South Australia. 2007. Unlocking the world: Professional development for teachers. Adelaide, South Australia: DECS Publishing.
The International School of Amsterdam. n.d. Languages.
UNESCO. 2003. The mother-tongue dilemma. Education Today, July–September.
Vienna International School ESL and MT Department. 2006. VIS ESL and MT department: Mission statement.
ESL Students at International and English Language Schools Q1 2008