English Time started in 2013, and it was aimed to create an immersion effect inside our classrooms; the project involves increasing the students’ exposure to English language using English once a week through all day. It has been framed inside a soft CLIL educational project. ET has become an incenter project implemented in more than 8 high schools in Alt Empordà. These schools work in coordination and exchange activities, cultural projects and events in English.
Once a week, Technology, Social Science, Natural Science, Mathematics, Arts and English are taught in a row in the target Language, English. The main goal is to create an intense immersion environment in order to increase the exposure of students to the English language. The idea is straightforward: once a week, students take as many lessons as possible in English.
The only requirement for teachers is a good knowledge of English language (B2 minimum) and action-oriented methodological principles to create a rich learning environment providing variety in English input. Teachers are encouraged to use current ESL teaching methods, namely cooperative and cross-curricular-based learning approaches, flipped classroom, PBL and portfolio/interactive notebooks. During the English Time "day", it is very important to avoid introducing new contents or concepts as they can overwhelm learners. Lessons must be practical and interactive to foster the use of language. English must be guaranteed as a vehicular language.
Learners need to make use of language in different situational environments using various grammatical structures and registers while absorbing the richness of the cultural dimension of language. Learning a language in an immersion environment is absolutely instrumental. Students listen, absorb and speak while they learn English naturally. Bearing in mind that learning English is a basic need for learners in a globalized world and a key issue of the EU defined in the CEFR. The project has been designed to improve oral skills and so the general knowledge of English language in schools.
We are a group of teachers who get together once a month and think, discuss and love to create new activities to enrich our lessons and offer our students situations of real communication inside of this English Time CLIL project.
We organize about 3 inter-school projects a year in which students exchange experiences and activities with each other and communicate in English.
We have also created 2 English events to boost the use of English, English Time Masterclass and the oral contest English Time in Use.
Big event in the Figueres sports centre
Three different tours: London, New York and Sydney
10 different workshops in each tour, with a duration of 20 minutes each one. From numerology
Collaboration of the people from Serveis Educatius de l’Alt Empordà and “Una comarca de museu”
Last week of May or the first one of June
The English Time worknet, in collaboration with CRP Alt Empordà is proud to present "English Time in Use".
The contest, opened to English Time students from 2nd and 3rd of ESO, was born with the goal of promoting language, releasing creativity and developing ICT skills.