We feel compelled to deliver the highest standards in language education.
“Language acquisition, with the ultimate goal of proficiency.”
German
We are experts in teaching German. Highly skilled and experienced teachers craft a balanced program, with increased instruction time in German when needed, and a fully bilingual approach, once students gain a higher level of German language proficiency.
All our German teachers are native speaking experts, with additional qualifications in teaching German as a Second Language. In Grades 1 to 4, German classes are taught by two teachers concurrently, ensuring that each student receives individual support. Unlike any other school in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), the GIST allows children to authentically learn German while students are immersed in a German environment. If you would like your child to grow up bilingual in Toronto, come and meet with us! We would love to set out the benefits of bilingualism and explain how our language program serves children best. We welcome students without any level of knowledge of the German language up to Grade 4. Learn more about our three-step German language program.
We use standardized language test to assess the language proficiency of our students. All students participate in German third party testing (VERA) and take their first steps towards the German Language Diploma (Deutsches Sprachdiplom – DSD). Competency test results offer valuable information to further enhance teaching strategies and to individualize the language support offer.
English
The English program at GIST follows the Ontario Ministry’s Canadian English program consisting of the core competences of oral communication, reading, writing and media literacy.
Our unique, state-of-the-art, curriculum is enriched with our competency-oriented focus on language development. Standardized third party testing ensures quality.
Our program assists all students in developing strong English skills. English native speaking children benefit from our program as much as children who may have very limited knowledge of English. From Grade 1 to Grade 9, all our English classes are delivered by two English teachers in the same room.
Following the Ontario Curriculum ensures that our advanced English speakers can continue to excel in English and develop in line with their respective peers in Canada. Our beginners catch up quickly and strongly benefit from our team-teaching strategy which assures individual support in the classroom. We use Canadian teaching and learning supplies for native speaking classes. Additionally, we use ESL resources from Ontario and from Germany.
Our students, including our German students, participate in Canadian standardized competency tests (Education Quality and Accountability Office – EQAO) in Grades 3 and 6.
French
The GIST French curriculum is based on highest German curricular standards for French. It is competency-orientated, clearly structured and directly linked to our excellent teaching and learning supplies.
French is one of Canada’s official languages we are naturally committed to promoting this language. Beyond this, the deep and historic friendship between France and Germany affords the French language considerable importance in the German educational system as well. The GIST’s curriculum for French is modern, competency-orientated and based on German standards for French as a Second Language. Since all our teaching and learning supplies are written in French and German, our students constantly face linguistic challenges, making them confident French speakers and creative problem solvers. French lessons begin as early as pre-kindergarten, where children learn simple phrases and words, sing songs, and play games once a week. The French instructions continue in grade 1 and are part of the schedule/timetable in all grades.
Your child needs German language support? – We got you covered!
