One of the outstanding features of our school is that all students receive one hour of Spanish lessons daily, to either improve upon or deepen their skill range. It is required in Spain by the government for primary school students to achieve 5 hours per week of Spanish language and culture lessons. For secondary students, the requirement of the hours in studying Spanish increases with a deeper look into the history of Spain. As a Our Spanish History and Language Teacher, Marta Jiménez, has more than 20 years of experience working with children in various contexts. Most recently prior to LIFE International she has worked as a primary school teacher, including 4 years teaching in a bilingual school in Charlotte, North Carolina in the United States.
Through teaching both the history of the country of Spain including its provinces and significant happenings and diving deeper into the culture, our Spanish-speaking students have been enriched with her knowledge. But what about students who are currently building up the skills to learn the Spanish language? That is where ELE, known as español como lengua extranjera, or Spanish as a foreign language, comes into play for those students who need a further resource.
LIFE International School has equipped non-native Spanish speakers with the additional resource of an ELE support professional whose role is to take those students aside and build on their skills in a small setting. In its current capacity, the ELE program is facilitated by Esther Wytsma, a professional hired by the school to make these non-native Spanish speakers learn at their pace. Focusing less on geography and history and more on the language itself, Esther is helping these students equip themselves with skills that will help them in Spain and onward.
Whether that is being able to order food, tell someone about their family, etc., the goal is to get them speaking Spanish in hopes that someday soon they will have enough basic Spanish to be able to be a part of the Spanish language and culture class. – Esther Wytsma
Although learning a language can have its difficulties and present frustrations, creating a smaller environment that fosters learning for these non-native speakers is equipping them for success. With staff available at both the primary and secondary levels for ELE, we are well equipped to provide this service. At LIFE International School, Spanish is for all students.
Meg James, Marketing Coordinator
