Language concept at Steinmühle International School

At the beginning of grade 5, the lower secondary education will take place mostly bilingually, i.e. the lesson content will be taught in German and English. Grades 5 and 6 particularly serve for language building in both languages, ensuring successful joint language teaching from grade 7 on. English as a working language will increasingly be implemented in all subjects to prepare pupils for the international final exams.

Mother tongue teaching and foreign language acquisition

Steinmühle International School focusses on intensive and individual language teaching to enable students to expand their vocabulary and language skills at their own pace.
In general, all subjects will be taught with the concept of bilingual teaching to ensure a secure technical vocabulary in both languages. The language concept will be extended by CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) as the language level increases. The didactic concept will be adapted individually to each learner group.

CLIL: Content and Learning Integrated Learning

CLIL is the idea of integrated language learning. This integrated language teaching is recommended by the European Commission even for very young learners. It combines content learning and language acquisition by using the foreign language as a working language. Thus, the foreign language is not the subject of the lesson, but is used as a medium to develop, repeat and deepen lesson content. In CLIL, language skills are particularly promoted in coordination with the content.

Accordingly, lessons will be taught by teachers who are fully proficient in both languages (German and English) and will use each language in accordance with the lesson content.

When teaching English, the language of instruction is of course English. Two separate courses at different language levels will be offered (when necessary) to ensure a targeted approach to the learning needs of native speakers as well as children whose first language is not English, using EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teaching methods.
Identical methods to the ones described above are applied in the teaching of German.
The languages of instruction in the subjects of Mathematics are English and German so that subject specific vocabulary can be developed in both languages.
All subsidiary subjects will be taught either in English, bilingually, or in German depending on the learning group and the teacher.

If additional language instruction seems necessary to meet international language standards, teachers will advise so. Support measures will have to be taken individually and are not included in the regular school setting and fees.

German as a Second Language – additional language instruction

We offer language crash courses in Grades 3-6. These courses are mandatory and aim to achieve the
required language level A1 (CEFR: https://www.eur.nl/en/education/language-training-centre/cefrlevels).
Teachers recommend participation in these courses.

The crash course for German takes place once or twice a week (as needed) as a double lesson during
regular school hours. Teachers conducting the courses are trained in German as a Second Language
with the required expertise to ensure rapid progress in learning German.

The course size is limited to 4 students, allowing for individual attention. If the course size exceeds five
people, the course will be divided into two small groups. The resulting costs (€70 per teacher per double
lesson) will be distributed among the participants. In the case of 5 participants in 2 courses, the costs
will also be divided among all participants (€140/5 participants = €28 per double lesson). Costs for
materials (such as workbooks) will be invoiced separately.

The course duration depends on the participants’ language level. The crash course offering always
starts at the beginning of a school quarter and lasts for at least one school quarter. Teachers make a
recommendation for (further) participation every quarter.

In addition to attending the crash course, achieving the A1 level is supported by completing homework
assigned in the course and working independently with recommended materials (such as reading).
Students who cannot participate must privately organize German tutoring and provide proof to the
school.