In childhood, language learning comes naturally. Gestures, accents and words are absorbed through dance, song and play.
Bilingual education enriches every child’s life, has significant cognitive benefits, and promotes a natural acceptance of difference. Bilingual partial immersion in a second language at IGS begins in Preschool and continues in Primary School through to Year 6.
In the bilingual partial immersion languages program, students’ skills develop by hearing and using their second language in songs, games and craft activities, integrated with selected units of core curriculum subjects taught directly in the target language.
Second languages taught from Kindergarten are Chinese, French, German, Italian and Japanese. Time allocation for languages classes is 40 minutes daily in Kindergarten and 80 minutes daily in Year 1 to Year 6.
Students in Year 4 and Year 6 attend annual Language Camps where they are immersed in activities in their language including craft, cooking, sport and drama. There is also an exchange program opportunity to Noumea for some Year 5 cohorts.
The second language is continued in High School through to Year 10, and can then be taken as an elective for the HSC.
Learn more about Languages in the High School.
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