The Project
BILINGUALISM
Our Bilingual Project is based on the CLIC Methodology (Content Language Integrated Learning). It is conceived as a 'language immersion', that is, students are in contact with the English Language in more than 50% of classes. This methodolgy is based on the use of English as a vehicular language, as a way to access other ways of learning those non-linguistic subjects involved in it. That way, the emphasis will be on communicative aspects, the students' active participation and the five Basic Skills: listening, reading, writing, speaking and conversation.
Our Bilingual Project binds together the Languages Departments (Spanish, English and French) and other five non-linguistic Areas: Mathematics, Geography and History, Physical Education, Music and Philosophy.
BRIEF HISTORY
Approved by the Educational Authorities in 2005, we had a year to prepare our school, our teachers and for the Project development. We began to implement it during 2006 and 2007 with one ESO line that gradually got to the upper levels. In 2011, we were allowed to set up a second line and the following year, once the Bachillerato was approved, it began with one Bilingual line. In 2014, we counted on three lines in ESO and from 2019 all groups in the compulsory stage were Bilingual, what represented new and important challenges. In 2021 all Post-Compulsory groups are also bilingual, so Bilingualism is 100% established in all the levels of our school.
RESOURCES
To develop this Project, we have the help of native Language Assistants, who cooperate, mainly in the non-linguistic areas, with teachers, students and the rest of the school community by participating in classes, preparing materials and activities, taking part in complementary activities and bringing us their own culture. Their main function is to encourage conversation with students and teachers, using English to improve their oral communication and fluency.
We also have a person that coordinates the Project, in order to unify criteria, serve teachers and students and collaborate with the Management Team in the organization and methodological tasks required. This person also promotes the participation of our school in European Edcuational Projects (Erasmus+) and international cultural and language exchanges.
ACHIEVEMENTS
Throughout these years, we have trained Bilingual students and we have participated in several European Projects with students (Comenius and Erasmus+ Programmes) in collaboration with many countries. We have also carried out language and cultural exchanges with schools from Brighton, London, Milan and Auray.
Besides, Savater School is both a Trinity College London and a DELF Examining Centre, and each year we prepare many candidates to obtain official titles to certify their B1 and B2 English Levels or DELF (in Bachillerato), according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, with the assistance of the English and French Departments, obtaining very satisfactory results.
Finally, we have taken part in an Erasmus+ KA1 Project, for teachers training and jobshadowing, and two Erasmus+ KA2 Projects (EUCHI with schools in Greece, Romania and Italy; SHARE CULTURES with schools in Czech Republic, Italy and Croatia), both tightly linked to culture and national heritage.