The International School of Busan (ISB) serves a student population from a rich array of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Some of the students that come to ISB may not be proficient English speakers and so language support is provided through the ESL department for these students. ISB takes care to provide a welcoming and inclusive school environment for English Language Learners (ELL).

When a student whose first language is not English arrives at ISB an initial assessment is conducted. A variety of assessment tools and strategies are used to determine the skill level of the student in four specific areas of English proficiency: Listening, speaking, reading and writing. These initial assessment results are recorded on a continuum of second language acquisition which outlines four stages of development within each of the areas of English proficiency.   The four stages can be generalized as follows:

            Stage 1: Using English for Survival Purposes

            Stage 2: Using English in Supported and Familiar Contexts 

            Stage 3: Using English Independently in Most Contexts 

            Stage 4: Using English With a Proficiency to Success in an Academic Context

The information gathered from academic records, from parents and through the initial assessment will be used as a starting point to inform programming in the age-appropriate classroom and determines the amount and type of support the student will receive.

A stage 3 or 4 ELL will not participate in Korean or Spanish lessons, but will instead receive specific ESL tutorial support, usually in small groups to provide opportunities for practice and reinforcement of language skills studied in the classrooms. At times, integrated classroom support is provided where the classroom teacher and ESL teacher again collaborate in the planning, instruction and assessment to assist the ELL within the classroom environment. 

A stage 1 or 2 ELL will receive more intensive support. They will not participate in Korean and Spanish lessons, but will instead receive specific ESL tutorial support, usually in pairs or one-to-one. Also, additional intensive support may be provided depending on the specific needs of the child. These students benefit from targeted instruction (block-time with ESL teacher) and integration with age peers (ESL teacher providing assistance within the classroom). 

If intensive support is provided through a withdrawl program, the students will still be integrated for a portion of the day, and for activities that they can successfully accomplish with their current language proficiency (eg., physical education, music, art). This ensures that all curriculum areas are being addressed when an ELL is receiving intensive support for English language acquisition.

Once the program has been established students will be assessed on an ongoing basis and changes will be made to a students programme as required such as decreasing support or changing the type of support provided.

Further, it may be necessary to make modifications to the curriculum expectations and accommodations to assessment based on the level of English proficiency of the child so that meaningful success can be achieved. As language proficiency improves, these modifications and accommodations will lessen progressively until none are required.

It is important to strive for English proficiency. ELL’s must master both everyday English as well as academic English. Although many develop an oral fluency of everyday English quickly, students need opportunities to develop academic English language proficiency as well, so that subject-specific vocabulary and grammatical conventions that are rarely used in daily conversations are more easily acquired. This can take some time. When a student shows a proficiency in academic English they are released from the ESL programme.