English is the common and primary language of instruction at UNIS. Close to 1,500 students, speaking seventy different languages may be represented at any one time. Consequently, some students arrive at UNIS with little or no knowledge of English. On a regular basis about ten percent of the student body requires additional instruction in English.
The UNIS English as a Second Language teachers (ESL) are responsible for the teaching and curriculum design of the (K-12) ESL program throughout the school. The goal is to ensure successful integration of ESL students into the UNIS community both academically and socially.
Upon entering UNIS, students who speak a language other than English at home and who are not fluent in English are assessed by the ESL teachers. Evaluation results place a student in beginning, intermediate or advanced ESL classes, or in a full mainstream program.
From the first day of school, the ESL students are assigned to a homeroom with their peers. The placement into homerooms ensures their constant exposure to English and allows for an early integration into the UNIS community. For a certain number of periods per day, depending of the level of the students' English, they are instructed by ESL specialists in classrooms equipped for that purpose.
For the complete ESL beginner, the focus is on verbal communication skills to enable the student to function in the new environment. Reading and writing are used to reinforce these structures and vocabulary. The intermediate ESL student works on expanding vocabulary, increasing reading comprehension and refining writing skills, facilitating participation in mainstream classes. The advanced ESL student moves towards fluency in spoken and written English to approximate grade level competency. Full integration into the UNIS mainstream curriculum takes place when a student masters the advanced level ESL materials for the appropriate grade and can comprehend content material used in the mainstream classroom.