English Skills Course
Colegio El Valle de Occidente cares and ensures that each of its students graduates with the best academic profile at each level, as well as in each area. Each area is fundamental to their development in life. Likewise, the institution works different strategies and provides a wide variety of useful tools in English as a second language. Starting from an early age since it is where each child can begin to function in the English language. Each of the sub-areas worked on in the English Skills course is presented in detail below. Forming a fundamental part of each skill in the development of children.
Here is a description of the skills and abilities each grade develops in each year.
2nd grade
Listening Skills
- Can understand letters of the English alphabet when heard.
- Can understand simple spoken instructions given in short, simple phrases.
- Can understand simple spoken questions about self, such as: name, age, favorite things, or daily routine.
- Can understand simple spoken descriptions of people, such as: name, gender, age, mood, appearance, or what they are doing.
- Can understand some simple spoken descriptions of everyday objects such as how many, color, size, or location.
- Can understand some short conversations that use familiar questions and answers
Speaking Skills
- Can name some familiar people or things such as family, animals, and school or household objects.
- Can give basic descriptions of some objects and animals such as how many, color, size, or location.
- Can respond to simple questions with single words or a ‘yes/no’ response.
Reading Skills
- Can read and understand simple sentences, including questions.
- Can follow some short stories written in simple language.
Writing Skills
- Can write the letters of the English alphabet.
- Can copy words, phrases, and short sentences.
- Can spell simple words correctly.
Pronunciation Skills
- Can repeat with a high level of accuracy.
- Can discriminate between the different phonemes: w or wh; z or zz; ck, tch, qu, ng, er, ar, y, rr, or r; ai or a_e; oa or o_e; ou or ow; ea or ee; th, TH; oi or oy; ie or i_e; j, g, or gh; oo or OO; ch or sh; ue or u_e, /yu/; ir or ur, or; ea, EA, x or cks; zh.
3rd grade
Listening Skills
- Can understand simple spoken dialogues about familiar topics with the help of pictures.
- Can understand simple spoken descriptions about people and objects.
Speaking Skills
- Can express agreement or disagreement with someone using short, simple phrases.
- Can respond to questions on familiar topics with simple phrases and sentences.
- Can give simple descriptions of objects, pictures, and actions.
- Can tell a simple story with the help of pictures.
- Can ask someone how they are and ask questions about habits and preferences.
Reading Skills
- Can understand some simple signs and notices.
- Can read and understand some short factual texts with the help of pictures.
- Can read and understand some short, simple stories about familiar topics with the help of pictures
Writing Skills
- Can write short, simple phrases and sentences about pictures and familiar topics.
- Can write simple sentences giving personal details.
- Can write short, simple sentences about likes and dislikes.
4th grade
Listening Skills
- Can understand simple spoken dialogues about familiar topics with the help of pictures.
- Can understand simple spoken descriptions about people and objects.
Speaking Skills
- Can express agreement or disagreement with someone using short phrases.
- Can respond to questions on familiar topics with simple phrases and sentences.
- Can give simple descriptions of objects, pictures, and actions.
- Can tell a simple story with the help of pictures.
- Can ask someone how they are and ask questions about habits and preferences
Reading Skills
- Can understand some simple signs and notices.
- Can read and understand some short factual texts with the help of pictures.
- Can read and understand some simple stories about familiar topics with the help of pictures.
Writing Skills
- Can write simple phrases and sentences about pictures and familiar topics.
- Can write simple sentences giving personal details.
- Can write simple sentences about likes and dislikes.
5th grade
Listening Skills
- Can understand instructions given in more than one sentence.
- Can understand spoken descriptions of objects, people, and events.
- Can understand conversations on everyday topics.
Speaking Skills
- Can ask questions about everyday topics.
- Can tell stories using pictures or own ideas.
- Can give descriptions of objects, pictures, and actions.
- Can talk briefly about activities done in the past.
Reading Skills
- Can understand written descriptions of objects, people, and events.
- Can understand short stories containing narrative tenses.
- Can read and understand short texts, even if some words are unknown.
Writing Skills
- Can link phrases or sentences with connectors like ‘and,’ ‘because,’ and ‘then.’
- Can write descriptions of objects, pictures, and actions.
- Can write a short story using pictures or his/her own ideas.
6th grade
Listening Skills
- Can understand instructions given in more than one sentence.
- Can understand spoken descriptions of objects, people, and events.
- Can understand conversations on everyday topics.
Speaking Skills
- Can ask questions about everyday topics.
- Can tell stories using pictures or own ideas.
- Can give descriptions of objects, pictures, and actions.
- Can talk about activities done in the past.
Reading Skills
- Can understand written descriptions of objects, people, and events.
- Can understand stories containing narrative tenses.
- Can read and understand texts, even if some words are unknown.
Writing Skills
- Can link phrases or sentences with connectors like ‘and,’ ‘because,’ and ‘then.’
- Can write simple descriptions of objects, pictures, and actions.
- Can write a story using pictures or his/her own ideas.
Writing Skills.
Likewise, in each grade the spelling ability is developed, thus developing verbal practice and phonology with sounds for a better intonation of the English language. Each one of the mentioned areas is worked on in the best way with the students, achieving a better pronunciation, grammar with each practice and spelling bee.
Reading skills and abilities 7th – 9th grades
It emphasizes strategies for reading a variety of texts, ways to improve reading vocabulary, and resources for increasing comprehension. This goal is accomplished through an individual diagnosis of the student´s present skills and subsequent individual work in appropriate areas.
Here is a description of the skills and abilities each grade developed in a year.
7th grade
- Previewing
- Skimming a text
- Reading charts, graphs and tables
- Identifying pronoun reference
- Identifying facts and opinions
In 7th grade, students deepen their ability to analyze the texts they read and provide evidence from the text to do so. Specifically, 7th graders learn to examine texts more closely and use details from the text in order to develop ideas, analyze and make inferences.
8th grade
- Identify main ideas
- Getting meaning from context
- Taking notes (Key words)
- Skimming a text
- Identify author’s purpose
In 8th grade, students understand, summarize and track the progress of the main idea of a text, using evidence from it. They analyze how elements such as specific dialogue, events, or word usage impacts the characters, the decisions they make and other events and actions in the text based on the author’s ideas.
9th grade
- Identify main ideas and supporting details
- Reviewing a text
- Taking notes (phrases)
- Scanning a text
- Using a timeline
In 9th grade, students develop the ability to comprehend difficult texts, use strategies to decode unfamiliar words. They understand and interpret the meaning of new words and anticipate how information in a text will need to be utilized. In addition, they will analyze literature.
Ethic skills and abilities 10th – 11th grades
This course introduces theories about the nature and foundations of moral judgments and applications to contemporary moral issues. Emphasis is placed on moral theories such as consequentialism, deontology, and virtue ethics. Students should be able to apply various ethical theories to moral issues such as abortion, capital punishment, poverty, war, terrorism, animal treatment, and issues arising from new technologies.
Here is a description of the skills and abilities each grade developed in a year.
10th - 11th grades
- Listening to each other
- Taking turns to speak
- Building on other´s ideas
- Respectfully disagreeing
- Evaluating evidence. Giving reasons for their opinions.
- Carefully considering views that are different to their own.
- Helping each other express ideas
- Articulating values and principles
- Putting a counter view and asking questions
- Using logic and reason.
- Debate and discussion.
- Research and investigate different topics.
- Presentations
In Ethics class, students become critical thinkers with a strong capacity for questioning and inquiry in a different language. The overall aim of ethics classes is not just to help students develop a lifelong capacity to make well-reasoned decisions about ethical issues but also to practice saying all of this in English as an extra practice of the language in general. Students learn that it’s ok to have a different opinion from their classmates and that it’s also ok to sometimes change your mind. They will give presentations that will develop their confidence in speaking English for topics that are related to the contents and situations they are living in right now.