School Guide

9 International Schools and the Foreign Language Options They Offer

Published by SchoolAdvisor | Jun 17, 2018

Do you sometimes tear up at an obscure few lines of French in an English song, whereas others in your social circle seem indifferent because they might not understand it the way you do? If yes, chances are your brain is working on a much more complicated level of cognitive functioning.

According to Ellen Bialystok, a psychologist at York University in Toronto, bilingual people are more efficient at higher-level brain functions such as identifying and ignoring irrelevant information in a reading text or conversation. 

This means that as a multilingual, a person is able to effortlessly switch from one language to another without much confusion.Young children are able to pick up languages easily as their brain plasticity for learning and memory retention is still high. 

Therefore, give your children a much needed boost by enabling them to immerse in a culture and language different from theirs in these international schools.

 

1. Alice Smith School

Foreign Language Options Available: Bahasa Malaysia, French, Mandarin and Spanish

The Alice Smith School has a Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) faculty that consists of experienced full-time language specialists from Malaysia, the UK and abroad. With class sizes ranging from 10 to 24 and a newly-refurbished modern teaching space, the faculty  has the resources to provide language classes from beginner to advanced, to enable each student to progress and fulfil their potential.

 

2. elc International School

Foreign Language Options Available: Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin and Spanish

elc places great importance on the learning of a second language and students will be required to study 2 foreign languages which are spread over beginner, intermediate and advanced group levels. In compliance with the Malaysian Ministry of Education requirements, all Malaysian nationals are required to take Bahasa Malaysia as one of their second languages. They are free to pursue another language which can be Mandarin or Spanish.

 

3. Garden International School

Foreign Language Options Available: Bahasa Malaysia, French, Mandarin and Spanish

The curriculum at GIS allows for their Key Stage 3 students to select two modern foreign languages chosen from Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, Spanish and French, in addition to core subjects of Maths, English and Science as well as compulsory courses in Drama, Art, Music, Design Technology, ICT, PE, History and Geography. This extensive curriculum is taught by highly qualified specialist teachers who make full use of the school’s wide-ranging specialist facilities.

 

4. Sri KDU International School

Foreign Language Options Available: Bahasa Malaysia, French, and Mandarin

At Sri KDU, each subject provided has a department of their own. Sri KDU's French Department's aim is to equip their students with the skills and the confidence to communicate in French. They gradually learn to understand written and spoken French and to communicate their own messages, in speech and in writing. Their approach is very interactive, using a wide variety of activities, including lots of pair work, games, role play and online practice. 

Although Bahasa Malaysia is a compulsory subject only for all Malaysian students in the school in line with the MOE's requirement, Sri KDU strongly encourage all students to learn the language. The aim of their department is to ensure that all the learners, regardless of their ethnicity, are able to embrace the wealth and richness of the language. Their curriculum offers a wide variety of topics that will provide the students with the skills to communicate in Bahasa Malaysia in both the workplace and their daily lives, as well as equipping them to take the Cambridge IGCSE Malay examination in Year 10. 

The main aim of their Mandarin Department is to provide a platform for the learners to acquire language proficiency, cultural awareness and critical thinking skills so that they can be global citizens and succeed in any chosen professional discipline anywhere in the world. In Key Stage 3, Sri KDU offers classes of 3 levels: advanced, intermediate and basic. The advanced level focus on reading, writing and summary skills whereas the speaking, listening, reading and writing skills are the main foci for both the intermediate and basic level. They use the Chinese Independent School book as our main teaching resource for the advanced level and the Easy Steps to Chinese, for both intermediate and basic levels.

 

5. Australian International School Malaysia

Foreign Language Options Available: Bahasa Malaysia, French, Mandarin and Spanish

At AISM, they believe that the aim of teaching languages is to enable students to develop communication skills, focus on languages as systems and gain insights into the relationship between language and culture, leading to lifelong personal, educational and vocational benefits. Students in the Junior School have the choice to study either Bahasa Malaysia or Mandarin. The Middle and Senior School students on the other hand must choose to study one language from the following four languages stated above.

 

6. The British International School of Kuala Lumpur

Foreign Language Options Available: Bahasa Malaysia, French, Mandarin and Spanish

The MFL (Modern Foreign Languages) Department at BSKL is passionate about enabling students to become competent communicators and to have the confidence and ability to communicate as global citizens. Their exciting communicative and interactive approach to language learning equips students with the desirable skills and language qualifications that are increasingly becoming essential to university and career opportunities. They focus on the skills of empathy and creativity as well as developing cultural insight, understanding, and the ability to communicate effectively with a high degree of fluency and accuracy.

 

7. Sayfol International School

Foreign Language Options Available: French, Mandarin and Hindi

At Sayfol International School, they encourage their learners to be confident communicators, to be creative, resourceful and inquisitive. Foreign languages such as French, Mandarin and Hindi which are taught by specialist teachers are incorporated in their curriculum for Key Stage 3 students (Primary 3 to 6). The foreign languages are also available to Year 7 to 9 students as optional subjects.

 

8. Kingsgate International School

Foreign Language Options Available: Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin

Kingsgate Primary School curriculum programmes include both homeroom teachers and a range of specialist learning programs to provide a holistic learning experience for all students. Specialist learning includes language classes for Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin.

 

9. HELP International School

Foreign Language Options Available: Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, French and Spanish

Active learning happens best when students are engaged with the topic. With this purpose in mind, HIS adopts the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) which ensures rigorous and participative learning using a comprehensive and thematic approach. Learning with IPC takes a global approach, embedded with a clear process of learning which covers 3 main goals – academic, personal and international-mindedness. The themes are chosen to cater to the needs of the child’s interest and age group, ensuring a balance in subjects and learning styles.

At HIS, Mandarin is available to all while Bahasa Malaysia is compulsory for Malaysian students. The Modern Foreign Languages available to students are Spanish and French.

 

See also: 6 Benefits of Learning a Foreign Language