English is the first foreign language at Xaloc. Its learning is enhanced by the preparation of the students for the official Cambridge University exams and the cooperation of native conversation assistants, who converse with the students outside the classroom, in small groups and on a regular basis, to improve their oral proficiency.
Primary school
In all primary classes there are four hours of instrumental English per week and an additional hour per week for speaking practice in small groups outside the classroom. In addition, upper level students with the best performance in English have the possibility of a four-week language immersion stay in Ireland, in the home of an Irish family and attending classes in a local school, as part of the Ireland Language Immersion programme. This programme is continued in the first year of ESO.
In terms of official recognition, students sit for the University of Cambridge Young Learners exams:
● Third and fourth year students take the Starters exam.
● Fourth and fifth year students take the Movers exam.
● Fifth and sixth year students take the Flyers exam.
ESO (Compulsory Secondary Education)
During ESO there are three hours of English per week plus one hour of oral reinforcement in small groups with a native speaking assistant.
As for official recognition:
● First and second year students aim to reach level B1 of the European Framework for Languages of the European Union and they are prepared to sit for the Preliminary English Test (PET).
● Third and fourth year students aim to reach level B2 of the European Framework for Languages of the European Union and they are prepared to sit for the First Certificate (FCE).
Furthermore, first and second year students with the best performance in the subject take the optional course "Advanced English" where they are divided into two groups depending on their level. "Advanced English" has a teaching load of one hour per week in the first year and two hours per week in the second year.
In the same vein, third and fourth year students who perform well in English can take French as a second foreign language. In these two courses, students are prepared for the Diplôme d'études en langue française (DELF), which belongs to the CIEP, a body of the French Ministry of Education, which certifies them at level B1 of the European Framework for Languages of the European Union. French has a teaching load of two hours per week in the third year and three hours per week in the fourth year.
Baccalaureate
In Baccalaureate, students take three hours of instrumental English per week, followed by practice outside the classroom with the native English conversation assistant.
At this stage, the aim is for national Baccalaureate students to reach level B2 of the European Framework for Languages of the European Union. Students who did not obtain this level in ESO are prepared to sit for the First Certificate (FCE). International Baccalaureate students must reach level C1 of the European Framework for Languages of the European Union and they are prepared to sit for the Certificate in Advanced English (CAE).