ADVANTAGES School International (ASI) provides scaffolded support for our English learners with an English Language Learning Program. ASI implements quality programs that focus on student learning and success. Throughout each step, the ADVANTAGES School staff provides training and support to ensure program success.
The ASI model for English Language Learning includes an initial proficiency or placement test to help guide learners to language acquisition and academic knowledge.
English Fluency Placement Tests
Students in grades K-6 will take an English Certification Placement geared toward their age level. The Kids Placement test will score them in a range of 1-5.5. Students will be placed in the appropriate level of ELL courseware based on their placement test scores. Students in grades 7-12 will take the General Placement Test. The scores place students according to the Common European Framework for Reference (CEFR). Students will be placed accordingly in the Academic II courses based on their scores. For Dual Diploma Program entrance, students must be at a level A2+ to maximize their success with the Dual Diploma Course Content.
Grades K-6
Let’s Go
Kids placement test levels 1.0- 5.5
Let’s Go focuses on the basic framework of English. It follows the 4-skills path: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Designed specifically for English language learners, it develops the language base that is a prerequisite for effective literacy development. An early emphasis on oral skills, vocabulary, and phonemic awareness is followed up with spelling, sentence construction, and sentence reading exercises.
Let’s Go builds a strong foundation in both spoken and written English for pre-readers, early readers, and English language learners. Let’s Go integrates reading, listening and speaking skills by balancing alphabet and phonics work with word recognition and sentence-making activities. Children learn to sound out words and figure out meanings from grammar and context. Children follow Sam and Ginger, their feline guides, on a word-discovering journey around the house, the classroom, the schoolyard, and the neighborhood. Sam and Ginger’s animated world is ripe with words. Children learn new words while investigating games, food, the weather, animals, etc. As they tour the town on the school bus, they build sentences, sing songs, learn phonics with rhyming sounds, and play a variety of word games.
ELL Kids
Kids’ placement test level 4.0-5.5 / General Placement Test level 0.2 – 1.0
ELL Kids is a groundbreaking course using insights from neuroscience to build a strong language base for primary school students using both conversational and academic English. A wide variety of topics and exercises and a charming cast of characters make this an engaging course for students aged 7 – 10. Language items appropriate for young children are modeled, practiced, reviewed, and recycled in an expanding sequence so that students build on what they have learned step-by-step.
The ELL Kids course completes a series of courses that support English acquisition for grades K – 6. With an emphasis on expanding vocabulary and increasing sentence sophistication, the core content is presented and practiced through animation-based listening and comprehension lessons, vocabulary-building exercises, and three different types of games to build both listening and reading comprehension skills. The course introduces new learning techniques mixing audio, visual, and text prompts to develop working-memory skills required for language chunking and automaticity.
Research shows that a combination of independent study and face-to-face practice with a facilitator and fellow students creates the optimum environment for mastering a language. It is recommended that the K-6 program is taught in a blended environment where students work independently as well as with extension activities with fellow students and their facilitators.
In addition to the ELL package for grades K -6. Education City will be offered to schools. Education City is a dynamic and engaging supplemental curriculum for grades K-6. Offering content in the areas of ELL, mathematics, science, and English language arts. A variety of instructional and activity-based content for students can be delivered in a blended or online environment.
Grades 7-12
Academic II English Language Learner Program
The goal of ADVANTAGES’ ELL Program to is to create a strong English Language foundation so students can successfully enter a US High School Diploma Program. Through our strong and formative ELL program, students will be prepared to enter high school at a level of B1 or higher. Student success is at the forefront of all of our program offerings. Strong English skills and a high level of comfort inside an online learning environment ensures higher student success not only in a US high school diploma program, but also prepares then for entry into the university system where online and Blended Learning environments are the norm. At this level, the true blended learning environment comes into play. The teacher will facilitate classroom discussion and oversight, but students will work independently to foster digital citizenship and academic integrity in the online space. Beyond independent study in the ELL program, it is recommended that students in the Academic II ELL program meet with the teacher a minimum of 2x per week to increase fluency through extension activities and face-to-face practice.
First English is an award-winning English language course for beginners. It has been designed specifically to help young students succeed in a school setting. The course starts at a beginner level and systematically helps students comprehend, practice, build and internalize the core framework of English necessary for long-term academic success. The course’s innovative use of visuals and comprehension exercises engages the learner in ways that a text-based approach cannot.
English For Success is an award-winning, research-based English language course for students who need to use English in school. The course includes content areas such as math, science, geography, and history. This pioneering course prepares students for a full academic curriculum in English. When used in conjunction with Reading for Success, it becomes a powerful fluency accelerator that will quickly get your ELLs into mainstream classrooms.
Reading for Success is designed to develop academic reading skills and vocabulary for ELLs who have already developed basic oral fluency. The course challenges learners by increasing text difficulty as they advance through the course. Reading and chunking are reinforced through synchronized audio, and speech-recognition exercises help students develop their oral reading skills. Learners are motivated by the game-based strategies implemented throughout the course, including timed exercises that lead to rapid text decoding.
English by the Numbers guides learners to achieve fluency with mathematical concepts, giving them the confidence they need to talk about calculations, data, graphs, and other quantitative information essential to mainstream math and science courses.
New Dynamic English is a general English course that develops the conceptual and structural language skills necessary for English fluency. It focuses on language that is immediately useful and prepares learners to incorporate new vocabulary and phrases into their language base. New Dynamic English follows a syllabus that helps students acquire English as a skill they can use confidently in school and their careers.
Post Secondary
Neo Professional
Neo Professional is a comprehensive solution that combines online self-study and coaching in a way that perfectly aligns with your company’s English-fluency goals and adapts to the learning style of each and every learner. With neo Professional, your employees will not waste valuable time going to and from English classes. They can study at any time, in short sessions of no more than 30 to 45 minutes, a few times per week.
Whatever your company’s goals, Neo Professional will guide you in this journey. We start by using Neo’s leading-edge Placement Test to identify your staff’s current skill levels. The results then allow you to make educated decisions about how to get your team to your required English fluency goals.
