The British Council provides information, training and support for schools that are planning to introduce CLIL or a bilingual curriculum at preschool, primary or higher levels.
Many schools are now recognising the benefits of offering a bilingual curriculum to their pupils. A bilingual education can bring many benefits.
For the children:
- an early start ensures a better chance of being fully operational in two languages by the end of compulsory schooling
- knowledge of two languages and cultures clearly increases the ability to communicate successfully in different contexts
- bilingualism has been shown to develop flexible thinking and bring cognitive benefits
- bilingual education in primary helps prepare students for the challenge of learning through a foreign language later in their education
- being bilingual will increase chances of finding employment in a multilingual, globalised society.
For the teachers and the school:
- an innovative curriculum can help provide protection against declining enrolments
- innovation can also boost staff motivation
- bilingualism provides added value for the children and their parents
- a whole school change brings about a greater sense of school community
- teachers benefit from on-going staff development
- teachers improve and expand their practical teaching techniques which impacts on all of their classroom practice.
The British Council has developed expertise in the area of bilingual education with well-established projects carried out in a number of countries in Europe and beyond.
We offer tailor made consultancy based on school needs. A typical consultancy includes:
- a mini feasibility study to establish whether your school is ready to introduce a bilingual curriculum; this includes observation of classes and meetings with staff, consultation with parents and the preparation of a written report
- advice on different models of implementation, help with curriculum, teaching resources and assessment
- advice on recruitment of teachers
- training courses for teachers (normally on a yearly basis)
- termly monitoring visits which include observation of teaching, personalised feedback, meetings with staff and a written evaluation report with recommendations
- advice on monitoring children’s’ progress and parental and staff satisfaction.
Please contact us if you would like us to prepare a proposal for your school. The total cost of the consultancy will depend on the number of hours involved.