Your child will enjoy the exciting activities and games, and unique teaching methods used in the English courses at the British Council. But, more importantly, they inspire a lifelong passion for the language.
Your child will enjoy the exciting activities and games, and unique teaching methods used in the English courses at the British Council. But, more importantly, they inspire a lifelong passion for the language.
The mid-year exams are over and it’s time for Junior to finally relax. But the monthlong school break is also the perfect opportunity for him to brush up on his English. The British Council’s holiday courses are designed to not only help primary schoolers become better readers, writers and speakers of the language, but also inspire them to continue honing these crucial skills for life.
Language skills for life
Duncan Rose, head of schools at British Council Singapore, says that its holiday courses help your little one develop life-long language skills in two ways. “First, we instil in our students a real love for English and a strong desire to learn the language,” Duncan explains.
“Pressure from parents, teachers and exams are good motivators, but it is not enough to inspire kids to study for themselves. “Our holiday courses take this pressure away and make learning English enjoyable, through exciting activities, creative learning material and fun teaching methods.
“In a nutshell, we let kids learn without them knowing that they’re learning. The more they enjoy the learning process, the more likely they are to want to know more, and this is what ignites and builds a passion for the language and helps them become independent learners. “A love of English is a skill in itself. Our courses are not just about doing worksheets. We want kids to play with the language, enjoy it and have fun with it.” Secondly, the holiday courses give students critical tools to help them use the English language – not just while they are in school, but for the rest of their lives. “These tools, such as how to use eye contact when giving a presentation, how to study for an English exam and how to organise a piece of writing – are built into our courses. Once our students understand how to use these tools, they will have them for life,” Duncan says.
Choosing the right course
The British Council offers a range of holiday courses for primary schoolers. To ensure that your little one gets the most out of his class, Duncan suggests getting some advice from British Council advisers first.
“Our advisers are all senior teachers who have plenty of experience working with children,” he says. “They will speak to you about your child’s learning style and his academic progress, and ask you where he is having problems. They will then recommend the ideal holiday course for him. These courses can also be tailored to your child, depending on his needs, strengths and weaknesses.” Duncan also suggests finding out what your child is interested in.
This knowledge can then be used to guide him towards the right English holiday course, one that you know will benefit him because it sparks his curiosity, and engages and excites him.Choosing the right course The British Council offers a range of holiday courses for primary schoolers. To ensure that your little one gets the most out of his class, Duncan suggests getting some advice from British Council advisers first. “Our advisers are all senior teachers who have plenty of experience working with children,” he says. “They will speak to you about your child’s learning style and his academic progress, and ask you where he is having problems. They will then recommend the ideal holiday course for him.
These courses can also be tailored to your child, depending on his needs, strengths and weaknesses.” Duncan also suggests finding out what your child is interested in. This knowledge can then be used to guide him towards the right English holiday course, one that you know will benefit him because it sparks his curiosity, and engages and excites him.
English holiday courses at the British Council Singapore
Find out how your litte one will benefit from these language courses.
IF YOUR CHILD IS IN PRIMARY 1 OR 2
• Creative Writing 1 This course lets students experiment with various text types, such as diaries, letters, poetry and posters, in creative and imaginative ways. Duncan says: “With every lesson, children become aware of the language contained in different text types. They will learn how to use adjectives to make text more interesting, how to form complex sentences, and so much more, through games and other activities. “Through the course, we hope to combine fun with education so that the kids develop a real love for the English language.”
• Narratives and Comprehension Practice 1 Reading is an essential life skill that goes beyond the classroom. This course teaches your kid reading sub-skills as well, such as skimming, scanning and comparing and contrasting. Using a variety of texts, it encourages and develops reading for comprehension, improved vocabulary and simply for pleasure. “Students get to recite poetry, act out plays and more, and in the process, improve their writing and speaking skills,” Duncan adds.
IF YOUR CHILD IS IN PRIMARY 3 OR 4
• Creative Writing 2 During this course, children intensively explore a range of text types, from letters and poetry to advertisements and non-fiction, and practise planning, writing and editing them, in line with the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) syllabus demands. With each lesson, they will understand the genre features of different types of writing and produce a piece of writing. By the end of the course, they will have a selection of writings in various styles. Duncan says that the course inspires a love of writing and motivates children to continue writing on their own, long after they have completed the sessions.
• Narratives and Comprehension Practice 2 Using narratives, poetry, plays and other text types, this course promotes the enjoyment of reading, and allows for the development of critical responses, as required by the MOE syllabus. Students will look at a writer’s choice of language and analyse how it affects the reader, and learn about literary devices presented in texts, such as rhythm and rhyme. It also teaches major reading sub-skills, such as decoding and inferring. “The kids will soon start to fall in love with reading and be eager to decipher different text types on their own,” says Duncan.
The courses above run for 20 hours each. Visit www.britishcouncil.sg for more details, or call any of its five centres:
• Napier Road: 6653-8046
• Marsiling: 6653-8049
• Tampines: 6653-8040
• Toa Payoh: 6653-8059
• Katong: 6653-6205
