Japanese Education
We supported our English program with a Japanese education considering the local needs. This program consists of Japanese as an Additional Language (JAL) and Japanese as Native Level (JNL). Students who have adequate Japanese background continue with JNL.
The objective of the JAL program is to enable the inclusion of students in Kokugo classes. With JAL, students are provided with lover tasks and aimed to learn basic conversational Japanese.
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
We have implemented English support program for those who are below the class level. The objective of the EAL program is to enable t
he inclusion of the EAL students in the mainstream class. Although students are required to have a certain level of English proficiency according to the year level they are applying to enter, we work with our EAL team in cooperation with the homeroom teachers to enable the EAL students’ transition into the mainstream class.
○ An assessment (AIS-Osaka Assessment Kit) and an interview is conducted by the
respective homeroom teacher before and/or after the application process
○ After collecting the data and feedback from the homeroom teacher, the
administration, the EAL specialist and the homeroom teacher decide what type of
EAL Support is appropriate for the student.
○ If the student is within the Level 1 or 2 benchmark(K-Alberta Education), (s)he will
participate in pull out EAL support.
○ The EAL specialist will have ongoing communication with the homeroom teacher
so that they can discuss and facilitate the progress of EAL learners.
○ If the student is within Level 3 or above, (s)he will receive in-class EAL
differentiation and support from the homeroom teacher as necessary. (Example
pre-teaching technical vocabulary, providing visual aid to help organize your
thoughts etc. We believe most strategies to help EAL learners are part of good
teaching practices and benefit everyone, not just EAL learners.)
● Exit Criteria
○ If a student who is receiving pull-out EAL support starts to move towards the
Level 3 benchmark(Alberta Education, Canada), (s)he will join the mainstream
classroom setting full time. There the homeroom teacher will differentiate the
*This document was created in 2018
**This document is to be revised as needed and reviewed every two years
learning environment according to the student’s language proficiency until (s)he
can fully participate in the mainstream classroom without that support.
Character Education (Moral Education)
We aim not only students’ academic but also their behaviour and social developments. Every morning primary students have a 30 min character education time. Teachers prepare activities to teach them certain topics that help students to develop a good personality and learn how to live in a society. Some of the topics are bullying, solving conflicts, manners, being kind to myself, diversity, communication etc.
Individualized Instruction
Thanks to the small class sizes at AIS, our students are given the benefit of having instruction geared towards their specific needs. In addition to the regular whole-class activities, our teachers frequently use small-group and individual instruction. This ensures not only that the grade level curriculum needs are met but that each individual student’s needs are met, whether the need is remediation or acceleration. This reinforces our belief that each child must be treated as an individual, taking into account his or her own strengths and needs.