Bilingualism

Students who have been learning in a bilingual environment for many years perform at an above-average level in foreign languages, in their own mother tongue and in other subjects. Bilingualism promotes the cognitive development of children in such areas as awareness of language, creativity and flexible thinking.

Most of the teaching at our primary school takes place in English. Teachers deliver the lesson content at native speaker level in accordance with the immersion method. This means that teaching staff speak in the foreign language at all times, which pictures, gestures and symbols being used to support student understanding. This enables the children to learn a foreign language in a play-based manner and in a completely natural way within a wide range of contexts. Even our primary school students also able to discuss, write and give presentations in the English language. Beginning with grade 5, we aditionally teach history and geography in German.

At the same time, we also attach great importance to good quality teaching in German. Students begin by learning the German alphabet, for example. Our German teachers are often provided with specialist classrooms for this purpose.