Second Language Learners in International Schools

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Second Language Learners in International Schools

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Maurice Carder
With Patricia Mertin and Sarah Porter
Foreword by Virginia Collier

Paperback

January 2019

9781858568591

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$42.95

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By 2020 it is estimated that there will be more than ten thousand international schools educating five million students. Native speakers of English, the language of instruction in 90 per cent of these schools, will be in the minority.

The learning needs of second language learners in national education systems differ fundamentally from those of SLLs in the international community. This book argues that SLLs in international schools are better provided for within models of instruction that do not assimilate to any political system; where motivation can come from areas other than wanting to belong to a specific culture; and where students can develop all their languages equitably.

The authors trace the theories underpinning second language learning programs in international schools and delve into the complexities of teacher relationships and the influence of curriculum agencies on second language learning. Through case studies and vignettes, they argue for establishing a department of Professional English as a Second Language at the center of the academic life in each school, whose staff will build on the widely acknowledged potential of second language learners and enhance their capabilities in all their languages.

"As a former ESL teacher and workshop leader, I found myself nodding in agreement page after page of this important and well-researched book. The authors expose the truth that many international schools, unwittingly or even deliberately, disregard the crucial role that a strong, properly staffed ESL and mother tongue programme plays in promoting the language rights of all students and allowing access to the school’s curriculum to help nurture each student’s true potential. It is a compelling argument."
Victor Ferreira, IBDP Coordinator, American School of The Hague

"This straightforward and ferociously honest study provides vital and attainable suggestions for creating an effective, inclusive ESL programme for international schools. A must-read for teachers and leaders whose goal is to set students up for future academic success."
Melanie Sanchez, TheLanguageContinuum.com

"This is a great book, offering a clear vision. It gives international schools compelling ammunition to steer away from an ESL "support" model and create truly equitable multilingual schools in which ESL and MT centres of expertise provide complementary professional programmes for students, teachers and parents."
Joris van den Bosch, Secondary EAL teacher, The British School of Brussels, Belgium

Foreword, by Virginia Collier
PART 1: INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS AND INFLUENCES ON THEIR PROVISION FOR SECOND LANGUAGE STUDENTS
Chapter 1. What second language learners bring to international schools, by Patricia Mertin
Chapter 2. Characterization of the international school clientele in language matters
Chapter 3. ESL students and their requirements in international schools: The encroaching politicization of ESL and MT provision
PART 2: BILINGUALISM AND SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION
Chapter 4. How the fields of bilingualism and SLA can guide good practice for viable SL models in international schools
PART 3: THE HUMAN FACTOR
Chapter 5. The reality of teacher relationships, their implications for teachers and pedagogy, and the consequences of a deficit model for SLLs
PART 4: THE ROLE OF EXTERNAL CURRICULUM AND ACCREDITATION BODIES
Chapter 6. The role of external bodies, such as the Council of International Schools and the International Baccalaureate, in international schools: The erosion of the acknowledgement of SLL needs and potential
PART 5: THE CURRENT SITUATION IN AN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
Chapter 7. How one international school is implementing the model proposed in this book, by Sarah Porter
PART 6: CONSTRUCTIVE SOLUTIONS THAT BUILD CONSISTENTLY ON INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ LANGUAGE TRAJECTORIES
Chapter 8. Establishing a department in the secondary school as a ‘centre of expertise’ for all matters ESL and mother tongue
Chapter 9. The need for continuing professional development (CPD), by Patricia Mertin
Chapter 10. The importance of maintaining mother tongue development, by Patricia Mertin
Chapter 11. Advice and guidance for school leaders, teachers and parents
Chapter 12. The challenges ahead, by Maurice Carder and Patricia Mertin
Appendix: Websites for SLLs in international schools
References
Index