In addition to taking English Language Acquisition courses, English language learners at Northbridge Secondary School are immersed in the different subject areas, providing a language rich learning environment and ensuring them equal access to the curriculum.
NISC classroom teachers and EAL specialists collaborate using the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol® (SIOP), “a research-based and validated instructional model that has proven effective in addressing the academic needs of English learners.” Developed by the Center for Applied Linguistics in Washington D.C., SIOP® aims to help English learners develop content knowledge, language proficiency, and academic skills at the same time. Research has found that SIOP-based teaching benefits all students, not just those who are learning English as an additional language.