The EAL (English as an Additional Language) program is language support for students who need to strengthen their English in order to understand lessons, participate and follow the curriculum. At International School of Navarra, this program supports students who need it to make learning more accessible and help them settle into the classroom.
When choosing a school where students learn in English, families often wonder what happens if their child still needs to improve their command of the language. EAL is designed precisely for these cases.
What does EAL mean?
EAL stands for English as an Additional Language. This term recognizes that English is added to the languages the student already knows.
EAL support links language development to students’ school needs. Learning in English means understanding instructions, reading texts, taking part in class and expressing what you know. That is why a language level assessment and tailored support are tools for making the curriculum accessible.
How does EAL help students with their learning?
The program aims to help students gradually become more independent in an English-language learning environment. Assessing their language skills makes it possible to identify what they need to reinforce and to set goals that suit their starting point. For example, a student may know how to solve a math problem and still need help understanding the wording of the problem in English.
Language support also helps students communicate with their classmates and take part in school life with greater confidence. This makes relationships easier, encourages friendships and helps them feel part of the group.
In this sense, the support does not consist of teaching the subject again, but of giving students the language tools they need to show what they already know.
How does the EAL program work at International School of Navarra?
At ISN, English skills are assessed during the admissions process in order to understand each student’s needs.
When a need for reinforcement is identified, the school offers targeted, specific support. This personalized attention, which can be given individually or in a group, helps students improve their command of the language and move forward in their transition to learning in English.
In short, the process includes:
- English level assessment during the admissions process.
- Targeted, specific support when a need for reinforcement is identified.
- Individual or group attention.
- Ongoing assessment to adjust the support.
How long does a student need to learn in English?
There is no single timeframe, as each student’s starting point and support needs are different. For this reason, it is best to measure progress through individual goals and to review how what has been learned is applied in schoolwork.
Ongoing assessment allows the support to be adjusted as language skills develop. Rather than setting the same timeframe for everyone, the aim is to understand what each student needs to access the curriculum and move forward in their learning.
With this approach, progress is understood as a process: every step forward in comprehension, reading, participation or expression counts.
English language support for families looking for an international school in Navarre
For families considering an English-language education in Navarre, knowing what support is available is an important part of choosing a school.
At International School of Navarra, EAL is part of the student support services. The school also offers a Spanish as a Foreign Language (SFL) program for students who need to develop their Spanish. Both respond to the language needs of an international community.
If you are considering ISN for your children and have questions about their level of English, you can visit our student support page and raise them during the admissions process.
