Bilingual school
Bilingual school in Tenerife
The bilingual Project that Colegio Virgen del Mar is carrying out is based on the European Framework of Reference for Languages and Atlántida Project – the Practice of Language Communication (MER European Proposal).
This Content and language integrated learning (CLIL) system consists of teaching subjects through a foreign language, English in our case. This bilingual project is developed throughout the stages of Primary Education and the first half of Secondary Education. The key here is to make our students focus on new concepts and knowledge while they make use of and develop a foreign language. The methodologies and focuses in use are always aimed at the obtaining and learning of said knowledge. Some of the many benefits of this system are:
Knowledge building and cross-cultural understanding.
It offers the chance to study through a different perspective.
It motivates students and fosters their trust in their language skills.
Cross-cultural communication skills are developed.
It allows for a deeper contact with language.
It enhances language competence and oral communication skills.
It complements other subjects and knowledge areas.
It develops interests and attitudes through other languages.
It diversifies teaching methodologies in the classroom.
Thus, language is used a means to achieve learning, and knowledge learning is likewise used as a different type of language learning source; in this sense, students are able to put the language they are currently learning into practice right away. This is an astounding motivational factor in itself, since they will have to be geared up with the required skills and learning strategies to help them tackle and access these new challenges.