OUR LANGUAGE PROGRAMMES
● English
English is the language of instruction at the school and all lessons are taught in English.
● Thai
All students must study Thai but the requirement of hours depends on the registered nationality.
● First Language
Students registered with Japanese, Korean, French, German or Mandarin-speaking nationalities (or students fluent in these languages) will have the opportunity to study their mother tongue as well as Thai.
● MFL (Modern Foreign Language)
Students choose one MFL subject, either French, Spanish or Mandarin (Year 3 to Year 9), as well as Thai and their First Language if they are French, German, Japanese, Korean or from a Mandarin-speaking country.
There are many language pathways available at St Andrews, so we wanted to break them down for you.
Languages at St Andrews Bangkok (A lesson is 1 hour long) | Student Native Languages | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Thai | Japanese, Korean, French, German or Mandarin | Any other native language | ||
EYFS (FS1,2,& 3) | Thai lessons per week | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Key Stage 1 (Year 1 to Year 2) | Thai lessons per week | 3 | 1 | 3 |
First language lessons per week | - | 2 | - | |
Key Stage 2 & 3 (Year 3 to Year 9) | Thai lessons per week | 3 | 1 | 1 |
First language lessons per week | - | 2 | - | |
MFL Lessons per week (French, Spanish or Mandarin) | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
First Language Programmes
At St Andrews Bangkok, we value the importance of developing a student’s first language. Research and professional experience indicate that competence in English is related to the level of competence in a student’s first language (including the level of literacy skills) which is critical for their cognitive development. The degree of proficiency that the student can achieve in the following languages is directly dependent on the literacy level in their first language.
The First Language Programme is offered to St Andrews students registered with Japanese, Korean, French, German, or a Mandarin-speaking nationality who have a certain level of proficiency in the language. Students who are not able to understand and speak the language will not be able to join the programme.
This programme is taught in small groups for two lessons each week from Year 1 up to Year 6. From Year 1 to Year 2 when our First Language children are studying their language, the other children in the year group will be studying Thai. In Year 3 to Year 6 First Language students will also have one MFL lesson and one Thai lesson in addition to the two First Language lessons.
• High School
French, German, Korean, Japanese, and Mandarin speakers have the possibility to study their 1st language 2 hours a week. Students new to the school will attend one lesson in their 1st language on taster day - this will allow the teacher to assess their level.
The First Language Programme at KS3 is designed to prepare the students for the IGCSE course and the IB Literature course and therefore some level of reading and writing is required. The students belonging to this group will have 1 hour of MFL or English support lessons as necessary.
Modern Foreign Languages
From Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 (Year 3 - Year 9 ) students choose one of the MFL on offer: Mandarin, French or Spanish. If they are registered as Thai or joining a First Language Programme they will have one MFL lesson per week. If they are registered with any other nationality different from Thai, Japanese, Korean, German, French or a Mandarin-speaking country, then they will have three MFL lessons per week.
New students will make their MFL choice during their registration with the school and will also be advised to continue with the language they have studied in their previous school.
English as an Additional Language ( EAL)
EAL students will have additional English support during MFL time. They will join MFL when they exit the EAL Programme.
Thai Programme
The Thai Ministry of Education requires that our school provides a Thai Language and Culture Programme to students. Thai lessons are offered based on the student’s nationality as registered by their parents. Students who have one Thai parent can choose whether to register as Thai or another nationality provided they also hold this country’s passport or national ID. However, they can choose to change the nationality designation at a future date.
• Students Registered as Thai Nationals
Thai first language lessons are offered to students studying in Foundation Stage 1 to Year 9.. There are three lessons of Thai each week. The students will have a good opportunity to develop language usage, communication skills and establish a strong foundation of Thai necessary for the completion of the IGCSE and IB Diploma Programme in High School.
• Students Registered as a Non-Thai Nationality
Thai language and culture lessons are offered to non-Thai national students from Foundation Stage 1 to Year 9. Basic Thai conversation integrated with cultural aspects is the focus of the Thai lessons.
Additional Information
Our Global Language Programme is taught by our native-speaking language teaching team and there is an additional fee for the First Language and EAL programme.
MFL (Modern Foreign Language) is part of the standard curriculum and there are no additional charges for this programme.
