Characteristics that define a quality bilingual school

Some parents consider it very important to enroll their children in a bilingual school. But how to select the school that offers the best quality and that meets our expectations?

In this article we want to mention the main aspects that define a quality Bilingual school. In this way, We will be able to evaluate the schools that have it and thus select the best institution, not only because of their popularity or results at the end of high school, but in a clear and concise way.

Characteristics of a Quality Bilingual School

• Hours Taught in Second Language

It is important to take into account the hours taught in both languages. In this way, we realize how many hours a day our children are in subjects in their native language or in their second language. All school, directors, teachers and parents, must be integrated into a bilingual educational project, so that the second language is a daily guideline both in classrooms and outside of them (home and in extracurricular activities).

• Teachers teaching classes in Second Language

This feature allows us to also analyze the subjects and the hours in which our children receive from a native teacher of that second language, and the quality of the content. The minimum level of teachers is C1 or advanced level for a bilingual school. It is important that the school meets this requirement when hiring new teachers.

• Second language start

The schools are mainly distinguished from when the bilingual hours begin. Some schools suggest that children should wait to learn a second language when their native language is fully strengthened.. But there are other schools that differ on this theory., and include a second language as soon as possible. Even from kindergarten.

For example, schools with emphasis in english (USA) they will have a traditional pyramid. That is, they will have more subjects in English at the beginning, and little by little this percentage will decrease when they enter the last years of high school. Conversely, a school with emphasis in german, will have the inverted pyramid, that is, as they progress in their studies, the % of German in their subjects will increase noticeably at the end of high school.

School commitment

It is very important that the school and the parents take part permanently in the education of the children. That's why, that an important characteristic of the school is the constancy in which the bilingual program is taught since it is a complex component for children to correctly learn the contents and also a second language.

Methodology to include other languages

It is important to emphasize to parents, that the bilingual school must be guided by the Common European Framework of Reference for languages. This is a common framework where it unifies methodological criteria for all bilingual schools in the world..

Taking into account these criteria, parents will be better guided when choosing a bilingual school for their children.