Foreign Languages at School
Bienvenue! Welcome! Willkommen! to the foreign languages section of the school’s website.
Language Offerings
We offer English, French, and German. English is mandatory from P3 up to the second year of Baccalaureate, and from the first year of ESO, our students can choose between German or French.
We follow the six levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages for the development of our foreign language programmes:
| A1:Basic Level | B1: Intermediate Level | C1: Advanced Level |
| A2: Pre-intermediate Level | B2: Upper Intermediate Level | C2: Proficiency Level |
Active Methodology and the Team
The foreign language teachers believe that our students should acquire the ability to communicate in the foreign language through experience and active learning. With this in mind, the method is based on the students performing tasks and drawing on everyday experiences. The foreign language teaching team at IPSI, from Nursery to BTX, consists of native and non-native teachers. The vast majority of the team are either native speakers or have already achieved (or are in the process of achieving) a C2 level.
English
Small groups and timetables
From P3 to P5, they have two hours of English per week, and then three hours at all levels up to 2nd BTX. In the 4th, 5th, and 6th grades of primary and 2nd ESO, they have four hours per week.
From the 5th grade of primary to 2nd BTX, English groups are small so that teachers can accompany the students in a more personal and therefore effective way, in their effort to complete new challenges in English communication.
Excellent Results
This small number of students per class leads to learning that achieves excellence levels, as shown by the results of the basic skills tests in English from the Department of Education of the Generalitat of Catalonia in the 6th grade of primary, 4th ESO, and recently in PAU.
By working on all the basic skills, we equip our students with the tools to move from one level to the next, gaining confidence and skills.
| Levels | English |
| A1 | EP5-6 |
| A2 | EP6-ESO1 |
| B1 | ESO2-ESO3 |
| B2 | ESO4 |
| C1 | BTX1-BTX2 |
English in Early Childhood Education
The goal of this stage is to introduce children to the English language by working playfully with content from their immediate environment (classroom objects, body parts, home, transport, weather, etc.). They have music and English sessions with co-teaching, “Musenglish”. Movement, songs, sayings, stories, dance, and instrumental accompaniment are used.
English in Primary Education
This stage aims at using and acquiring the vocabulary of the student’s environment. The children are also introduced to oral and written texts and their production. Each year from EP1 to EP4, they read an adapted novel. In 5th and 6th grades, in addition to having access to an online tool called Oxford Reading Club, they also complete various writings for a Writing Portfolio. In 6th grade, they participate in a virtual exchange with a school in Brighton, England.
English in ESO
The goal at this stage is to improve global and detailed understanding, and to perfect both oral and written production. Students gain confidence in communicating in English, read adapted novels, and carry out a series of writings for their Writing Portfolio. Each year, students write a story that can be submitted to the Roald Dahl Creative Writing Competition. At the end of the cycle (4th ESO), students can take the Oxford Test of English exam (OTE) at B2 level of the Common European Framework.
ESO English project ESO stories in English The-bee-and-the-wasp
English in Baccalaureate
The goal of this stage is mastering the various aspects of the English language to understand and express oneself, both orally and in writing, in all possible situations, with an emphasis on language for specific purpose. We read novels in their original version and continue to work thoroughly on written expression in a range of formats. Just like in ESO, the Roald Dahl Creative Writing Competition takes place here as well. At the end of 2nd BTX, students can take the OTE exam to achieve the B2 level or even the new C1 level test of the Common European Framework (scheduled for May 2024).
Results abouts Oxford Test of English: OTE resultats
Oxford Test of English (OTE)
IPSI School is an accredited centre for the Oxford Test of English (OTE), an online test that certifies our students’ level of English. It is an official and internationally recognised exam, which is offered to students in 4th ESO and 2nd BTX and gives them accreditation for B1, B2 or C1 levels of oral expression and comprehension, and written expression and comprehension.
Dual ESO-BTX Diploma
In 2023, IPSI affiliated with the Dual Diploma programme with ACADEMICA International Studies. The Dual Diploma is a programme that allows students to obtain a double Baccalaureate degree: one from Catalonia and another equivalent to the American High School Certificate. This study can start in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th ESO and even in 1st Baccalaureate. For detailed information, click on the following link: eso-btx-dual
Extracurricular English
In 2019, we started a new extracurricular English project in collaboration with Cambridge University Press: the Cambridge After Schools Project. The classes provide a perfect opportunity to complement what our students have learned at school and go a bit further! The emphasis is on enjoying learning and practising English in a positive environment.
For detailed information, click on the following link: Escola d’idiomes
German
Optional in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ESO:
| Level | German |
| A1.2 | ESO2 |
| B1 | ESO4 |
Three hours per week.
Learning the German language is fast, competence-based, and tied to the realities of German-speaking countries. Students learn to communicate both orally and in writing from the beginning of the stage. While studying grammatical structures, and also carrying out a series of writings for their Portfolio, the focus is on mastering the language to successfully navigate everyday communicative situations. Furthermore, students learn first-hand about cultural, geographical, literary, or historical aspects that enrich the language learning experience.
At the end of ESO, German students can take the official Goethe Institut Fit 2 (A2) exam.
Here you can see a project done in 3rd ESO: German project ESO3
and a video of a project in 3rd ESO: making biscuits
Here you can see a project done in 4th ESO: German project ESO4
Link to an article written by our German teacher, Eulàlia Homs, and her love for the language: deutsch-alemany
Aquí podeu veure un treball fet a 3r d’ESO: projecte alemany ESO3
Francès
Optional in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th ESO:
| Level | French |
| A1 | ESO2 |
| A2 | ESO3 |
| B1 | ESO4 |
Three hours per week.
In French students start from scratch in 1st ESO and can finish in 4th ESO with the B1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. The groups are small, which prioritises oral expression and close monitoring of the students’ progress. The aim is to achieve basic competence in the expression and comprehension of the French language in real communication situations.
1st ESO students doing the Christmas decoration project.
3rd ESO students doing the Téléjournal project (News Programme).
You can see a sample video of the activity
