Language Program

Language Program of the European School Saarland

Course Schedule and Electives
The ESS offers a diverse language program with an English and a German section. It adheres to the language policy of the European Schools[1] and follows the European Curriculum, which requires students to study three languages:


L1: The mother tongue or dominant language from P1 to S7 (German/English)

L2: The first foreign language from P1 to S7 (En/Fr/De)

L3: The second foreign language from S1 to S5 (mandatory) or S7 (En/Fr/Sn/It)


Depending on previous choices, it is possible to study English, French, Spanish, or Italian as an elective subject (L4) starting in S4 or as a supplementary subject (L5) starting in S5. Additionally, Latin can be studied as an elective subject starting in S2. The following timetable should be taken into account:

 

 

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At the European School Saarland, L2 instruction begins either in the Early Course (starting in P1) or in the Late Course (starting in P5). Both courses are initially taught in a differentiated manner and can be combined starting in S4 (see diagram). This structure takes current research findings into account: While younger children acquire languages more naturally but more slowly (Grotjahn, Schlak & Berndt, 2010), older students, starting around age ten, learn more efficiently and analytically (Krashen, Long & Scarcella, 1979; Muñoz, 2006).

 

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The Early Course focuses on natural language development, while the Late Course emphasizes conscious, strategic language acquisition. This ensures that all students in S4 and above can be taught together at a comparable level.

 

Languages of Instruction and Approaches

Unterrichtssprachen S1-S3

Languages of Instruction and Approaches
Starting at the beginning of the first cycle of secondary school (S1–S3), students gain immersive experience with a foreign language by being taught together in mixed-section groups in the subjects of art, music, and physical education. In the S3 grade level, social studies and religion are taught entirely in the L2.

 

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In the second cycle (S4-S5), instruction in the second language becomes more intensive, as the social sciences are divided into the disciplines of history, geography, and economics.

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The third cycle (S6–S7) continues with the languages of instruction used in the second cycle. If the four-hour courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and philosophy cannot be taught in L1—for example, due to small class sizes or other internal school reasons—students may take the corresponding course in another language that they are sufficiently proficient in.
6-S7

 

At ESS, foreign language instruction is conducted according to the principle of enlightened monolingualism. A central element of this approach is Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). CLIL combines the study of subject-specific content with language learning, thereby promoting not only language comprehension but also students’ ability to discuss and understand complex topics in the foreign language. As a result, language learning becomes an integral part of the overall educational process, enabling students to expand their language proficiency in a natural and effective way.

The humanities, and later geography and history, are taught in the first foreign language using the CLIL approach. Assessing and correcting language errors in CLIL lessons requires a balanced approach, as the focus is on subject-specific content rather than language learning. For example, while language errors are corrected in assessments, they are not graded, as the focus is on the meaning of the content, provided it remains identifiable despite the language errors. A distinction is therefore made between formal errors (e.g., grammar, spelling) and misunderstandings of content.

This approach fosters a positive learning environment in which language errors are viewed as an integral part of the learning process. As a result, students develop not only subject-specific knowledge but also self-confidence and autonomy in language learning.