It is generally known that people who speak more than one language have a stronger memory and are cognitively more creative than others.
When our students start to learn English they also learn how to think and express themselves differently in the oral and written form.
As soon as you change your language you also change your ideas. Learning a new language makes you look at the world differently.
Fun activities enhancing our curriculum
In the light of these thoughts, we have realized supporting activities at different levels besides our curriculum.
In grades Prep and 9 articles that widen the view of the world have been read. What’s more, within the framework of the analysis of the works of Orhan Pamuk being a part of the Turkish Language and Literature curriculum, we have realized “An English -Turkish Literature Project” through a visit to the Museum of Innocence and related classroom activities.
From this year onward, uniquely applied at the Prep School level, in order to give every student a chance to improve individually at his own pace, 1 lesson out of 3 is designated to a split class where a teacher deals with 12 students.
In grade 10 students improve with different activities all year long (Kahoot, contests on general knowledge, etc.)
In grade 11 students are prepared for the IELTS English level test and university. Furthermore, students make TED Talks kind of presentations in order to improve their speaking skills in front of an audience and to express themselves and share their ideas and knowledge with their friends.
In order to be able to prepare themselves better for the IELTS exam in spring, they are going to work with Oxford University Press’s coursebook called“IELTS Masterclass”.
In grade 12 presentations on universities in Europe and the US and preparation studies for language assessment exams continue. The students’ general knowledge and language skills are improved with the help of current articles.
In order to improve our senior students’ needs in a more efficient way there are going to be new approaches in the coming academic year:
For students who want to study at a university in the English language, the number of English lessons is increased by the addition of optional hours. During those two hours, students will be able to work on the platform called Actively Learn by doing activities that are customized according to their fields of interest and skill levels.
Our school is an official preparation and exam center for Cambridge English Assessment Exams.
Since 2006 our school has been an official preparation and exam center for the Cambridge English Assessment exams. Each year in the months of May and June our students have the chance on our premises to take FCE (B2), CAE (C1), and CPE (C2) exams that grant access to universities that offer studies in the English language. Students are given the opportunity to study additionally to better prepare themselves for these exams.
Our school is an official preparation and exam center for IELTS
During the university admission procedures traditionally our students have always preferred also universities of English-speaking countries besides those in the French-speaking world. Therefore, every year they apply for the certification of different language exams like IELTS.
Our school became an official exam center in the academic year of 2022 – 2023 and did not only offer exam preparation for IELTS but also the opportunity to take the exam within their own school. This opportunity offered to 11th and 12th-grade students is going to take place every year from now on.
Activities of our MUN Clubs in the French and English language to improve our students’ language skills
Another activity for our students to improve their foreign languages to B2-C1 level from Prep level onwards is the activities and national and international conferences held in the MUN clubs established separately in the English and French languages.
With the participation in the SBMUN held at school at the end of the year and international MUN conferences in Istanbul and abroad, our students find the chance to practise, reinforce and even further improve the foreign languages they have learned at our school.
Steps taken towards the future: Universities preferred by our students for their studies abroad in the English language
75 out of 151 students this year are preferring to study university in a department of their choice in countries like the US, Australia, The UK, Canada, Holland, and Italy with their English language skills acquired at our school. According to the feedback we got from our graduates they can adapt themselves easily abroad in these countries as far as their proficiency in the English language is concerned.
We, as the Saint Benoit community, wish our students good luck in the academic year of 2023 – 2024, as they set sail to new beginnings and successes!