This page is for parents who are non-native speakers of English and whose child(ren) will shortly be joining FIS Upper School.

All students whose native language is not English are interviewed by an ESL teacher before starting classes. The most frequently asked questions about the placement interview are answered below:

What is the purpose of the ESL placement interview?

The main purpose of the interview is to find out how much extra English help, if any, your child will need in order to settle quickly at our school and achieve academic success. The chart below shows the possible placements for your child, depending on his or her grade and level of English:

English proficiency	Grade 6-8	Grade 9-12
None or low	ESL1	Intermediate *
Medium	ESL2	Advanced **
High	ESL2 or No ESL	Transitional or No ESL

* Students with no or very low English proficiency are not usually accepted for enrollment at FIS in grades 9-12.

** Students who make excellent progress in the Advanced class may not need to take Transitional.

What does the interview consist of?

The interview, which is conducted by one of the school’s ESL teachers, will give your child the chance to show his or her level of proficiency in the skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. The interview usually lasts about one hour. However, the interview is often shorter if the child has very little English, or longer if the ESL teacher needs to have more information in order to make the correct placement.

Please do not worry if your child has no or very little English, or is very nervous. The interviewer is experienced in these situations and will make your child feel comfortable. Even if no conversation is possible in English, the interviewer will be able to find out some details about your child that will be useful for his or her other teachers to know, such as family members, hobbies, music and other interests.

Important: the interview is not an achievement test that can or should be studied for. There will be no formal testing of grammar or vocabulary. Students who have already learned some English will of course be able to understand and produce more during the interview than those who have had little or no English before. However, the interviewer will not judge the worth or potential of the student according to how much English they demonstrate at the interview.

Although students should not attempt to study directly for the ESL interview, they are of course encouraged to prepare for entry to our school. At beginning levels, this means that they should be able to say and write a few sentences about themselves, their families and interests; and that they know some basic vocabulary such as the numbers, times, colours, days and months etc. At higher levels it is good if they are able to talk more extensively about themselves and their previous education, and can talk and write about books they have read or experiences they have had. A good way to learn some of the necessary vocabulary for beginning at FIS is to do the vocabulary exercises elsewhere on this site.

Note: In most cases students will also take the Woodcock Johnson Language Proficiency Battery, a test to determine vocabulary/grammar knowledge and reading ability. [More information on the Woodcock test.]

When will I know the results of the interview?

In most cases, you and your child will be told the ESL placement when the interview has finished. Please understand, however, that test will usually take place during a normal school day. The interviewer will have a lesson to go to, so a long discussion with parents about the placement or other issues will not be possible immediately after the interview. However, the ESL teacher will be very happy to call you in the evening if there are matters of concern.

 In a few cases the ESL teacher may not be able to make the best placement without a further discussion with the counselor or with the principal. It may also be necessary to get some further information from you about your child, his or her previous education and future plans. If this is the case, the interviewer will arrange another time to meet or contact you by telephone later in the day.

What schedule will my child have?

Your child’s schedule will depend on his or her grade and ESL level. The counselor will be able to give you the detailed schedule, but a brief outline is on the scheduling webpage.

Where can I find out about how to help my child be successful at FIS?

There is a great deal of information for ESL parents on the other pages of this subsite. If you would like clarification of anything you read here please ask the ESL teacher at the time you bring your child to the placement interview. Alternatively, you can send me an email by clicking on my name at the foot of this page.

We look forward to welcoming your child to the school and wish him or her a very happy and successful stay at FIS!