Intensive English Centre
The Programme
The Intensive English Centre offers an intensive English programme for school children between 12 and 18 years of age who are eligible for the New Arrivals Program. The programme provides students with the English they need for everyday life as well as the English they need in order to enter into the secondary school system in Australia. The programme can also offer assistance in English needed for further study.
The programme offers four language levels: Beginner, Elementary, Pre-Intermediate and Intermediate. Students are given a balance of General English and Academic English. Emphasis is placed on the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing as well as grammar and vocabulary. Greater emphasis is placed on academic writing at the Intermediate level.
Weekly excursions and a sports programme (which includes a two-week swimming course) supplement the main language programme.
Range of Nationalities
The IEC has students from many different backgrounds. Usually, there is no dominant nationality. Students are from many countries including Burma, Chile, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Indonesia, Italy, Poland, Sudan, Taiwan, Turkey, Vietnam and Yugoslavia.
Most of the students in the IEC are migrants or refugees who learn together in a very supportive, disciplined and Christian environment.
Entry Dates
Students who are suitable may enter the programme at any time after completing a placement test and interview.
Tuition Fees
New Arrivals are eligible for full Commonwealth funding. No fees apply.
Charges may apply to other visa holders.
IEC Pathways
The usual pathway for an ILC student is as follows:
Beginner |
1-2 |
-- |
-- |
Elementary |
2-3 |
-- |
-- |
Pre-Intermediate |
3-4 |
3 |
Year 7, Year 8 |
Intermediate |
4-5 |
4 |
Year 9, Year 10 |
Intermediate Plus |
5-6 |
5 |
Year 10 |
Upper Intermediate |
6+ |
5.5 |
Year 11-12, possible tertiary study |
** For institutions with an established ESL program only |
If no ESL programme is available at the receiving school then the Australian Education Council recommends the student be at least Level 7.
Enrolments
Students are enrolled at any time during the school year. There are two exit dates a year. They are at the end of Term 2 and Term 4.
To be eligible to enrol in the Intensive English Centre students must be permanent residents of Australia. Once enrolled, students are entitled to 12 months intensive language instruction.
Specialist Trained Teachers
All IEC teachers are trained teachers with English as a Second Language (ESL) qualifications.
Assessment and Reporting
Focussed Evaluation is used in the centre to monitor students' progress and report to parents. This assessment and reporting system is a three way process that involves the student, parent and teacher.
The student is also given the opportunity to comment about his/her own learning.
Parents are invited to the school to discuss their child's report with the teacher and an interpreter is provided if necessary.
All students are reported on at the end of every term during their stay at the centre. In addition to this, parents are invited (twice in a year) to view the teaching and learning program in their child's class. During this time, parents may discuss their child's Portfolio with their child.
Monitoring Student Progress
The centre uses the 'ESL Scales' which is a monitoring framework developed specifically for second language learners. This monitoring framework is used by teachers to monitor students’ progress in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. Students are given a level each time they are focussed on by the teacher and levels are recorded to show progress through the scales.
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