ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)
At Otonga School Te Kura o Tihiōtonga, we celebrate and embrace the cultural diversity of our students, fostering an inclusive and respectful school environment.
We offer an ESOL (English Language) programme to support students who speak a second language and may need extra help with their learning.
This programme runs alongside class learning and is tailored to meet each student’s language needs. Sessions take place in a small, supportive, and welcoming group setting, helping students feel comfortable and confident as they develop new language skills. It also provides opportunities to connect with peers who are on a similar learning journey.
Our ESOL programme follows Ministry of Education guidelines for teaching English Language Learners, focusing on: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing.
We are proud to support our students as they develop their English skills while valuing and celebrating their home languages and cultures.
Activities in the programme may include:
- Learning the vocabulary needed to participate in the classroom programme with their peers.
- Learning curriculum language to assist with understanding instructions or teacher directions in the class program.
- Learning and practising social language so they can interact with others and make friendships.
- Learning some basic Te Reo (Māori Language), Tikanga Māori (cultural guidelines) and New Zealand culture.
- Participating in a variety of hands-on activities that extend the range of vocabulary they are exposed to, in a practical setting.
- Learning phonological and grapheme knowledge (letter sound and letter formation).
- Learning sentence structure and grammatical knowledge.
- Practising skills necessary for reading.