English Language Support

The International School of Hyderabad acknowledges and celebrates the diversity of the student community and works to ensure equal access to education for all. We promote an atmosphere of integration and respect among students by enabling students with limited English proficiency to become competent in the skills of speaking, listening, reading and writing. ESL at ISH endeavors to help children with limited English proficiency to settle into school life as soon as possible, while at the same time exposing them to the structural demands of the language.

The focus remains on assisting the child to get as close to grade level as possible in the areas of listening, speaking, communicating, vocabulary, grammar, reading, and writing, as well as developing intercultural understanding as they settle into life in India.

In the Elementary, ESL is delivered in two ways:

Intensive – students attend ESL classes for an average of three sessions per week in order to consolidate their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Student numbers in these classes are kept to a maximum of three, in order for them to reach their full potential. Often the classes are one to one with the ESL teacher.


ESL in the mainstream – ESL teacher support is provided in class where clusters of ESL students benefit from language support.

The ESL teacher develops an Individualized Education Program (IEP) for high need ESL students, after the class teacher and the ESL teacher make an informal assessment.  This gives students a sense of confidence to tackle further learning. ESL support is provided until the child can participate in grade work through differentiated instruction. During this phase, ESL staff provide curriculum support within the classroom in terms of planning and implementing the program.

In the High School, ESL is also delivered in two ways:

Intensive – students attend an ESL English class in their year level for an average of Five lessons per week in order to consolidate their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Student numbers in these classes are kept to a minimum. There are usually less than five students per class.


ESL in the mainstream – ESL teacher support is provided in mainstream English classes and in subjects such as science, geography and history, where clusters of ESL students benefit from language support. This is organized according to students’ needs and teacher availability.

Students are identified for ESL support according to the following criteria:

 • The student or at least one parent was born in a non-English-speaking country,