LANGUAGES AT OUR
Multilingual MONTESSORI SCHOOL
We offer a multilingual educational project, with linguistic immersion beyond English, which allows the student to master, in addition to Spanish or English, French. Our students live a deep immersion in English from the early years to acquire the language with the naturalness of a mother tongue, with 50% of the subjects and activities taught in English during the Infant, Primary and Secondary stages.
English
We are proud to be an international school with U.S. accreditation. This accreditation assures our students that English is not only the language of instruction but also an integral part of our school’s identity on many levels. Fifty percent of our curriculum is taught in English, and 100% of our faculty are bilingual in English and Spanish.
Schools accredited by NEASC-CIE ensure that English is the primary language of instruction, and students from NEASC-CIE-accredited schools are able to transfer successfully to similar schools worldwide and, after high school graduation, to enter colleges and universities where English is the primary medium of instruction.
His first contact with English
Starting at age 3, your child will spend their day immersed in the bilingual English/Spanish environment at Zaragoza SchoolHouse. At least50% of classroom instruction takes place in English, both in terms of the vocabulary used and the fun and educational activities conducted in this language.
Montessori pedagogy in language education
From the age of 3, the pupils of the Children's Home (from 3 to 6 years old) continue their day in an English-speaking environment, as it is the native language of the Assistant and the language of our teaching and work. They learn to read in English through Montessori pedagogy, which we complement with the Jolly Phonics system. The latter is a program based on the synthetic phonics method, fun and multisensory that gets children to read and write from an early age. This means that we teach letter sounds instead of the alphabet. In addition, writing and reading in Spanish are gradually introduced.
Learning English, more than just bilingual teaching
Starting at age 6, the classrooms at Taller have a teacher specialized in teaching English for 100% of the school day, and learning is reinforced with up to four specific English lessons per week. In addition, students benefit from our Reading at Home program . These intensive English classes are held in small groups, divided according to language proficiency level. This allows us to better address each child’s learning needs with activities tailored to their level.
Ready to prepare for the official Cambridge exams
Starting in 3rd grade (age 8), your child can prepare for and take the official Cambridge exams to certify their level of English. By the end of elementary school, they will have taken the Starters, Movers, and Flyers exams, and by the end of 4th year of ESO, your child can certify aB2/C1 level of English.
Cambridge Exam Preparation
- Starting in 3rd grade (age 8), your child can prepare for the official Cambridge exams at our school through specialized preparation classes taught by our faculty. The exam is administered in May or June at our school.
Reading at home, the reading plan to encourage healthy habits
- At Zaragoza SchoolHouse, we provide our pupils with a library managed by the school's families, which includes materials in English and French. In this way we offer children a way to continue learning and reading at home.
French
From Workshop IAt this level, which would be equivalent to the first year of primary school, the educational programme we have created for our pupils incorporates the learning of a second foreign language, French. From 6 to 9 years old, one hour a week in small groups allows children to begin to listen, identify and imitate the sounds of another language.
There are also nods to French culture with songs and other fun activities.
From the age of 9, the educational programme includes two hours of Frenchper week.. In this way, we can fulfil the objective of deepening the grammar, vocabulary and culture of the native language of our neighbouring country.
If you have any further questions regarding the general running of our nursery and primary school, you can consult our list of frequently asked questionsvisit the page dedicated to each level of education by following the menu of our educational programme or contact us directly.
Montessori Exchange
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To complete the linguistic program, our high school students go on cultural exchanges and stays in different destinations. In addition, Zaragoza SchoolHouse families have the opportunity to host students from the network of Montessori schools around the world.
We carry out exchanges and stays in schools in Europe and the United States such as Metro Montessori (Portland, USA), Ecli Montessori (Thonon, France), Collége Victor Hugo (France) and Collége La Providence (France).
Leading private international school in Zaragoza