Schools in Murcia to teach bilingual

TEFL and ESL is moving into mainstream teaching more and more on the continent. Murcia in Spain is the latest in a long line of places to put English alongside its native language in school lessons.

As of the next school year, 25 schools in Murcia will be given the opportunity to take lessons in English. Trinity College in London, known internationally as a leading body in TEFL English will be setting external exams in proficiency for the Murcia schools.

Spanish language, Maths and religion will not be included in the scheme; lessons in English will include Physical Education, Social and Natural studies, and Art. The programme was unveiled this month by the government’s regional councillor for education, Constantino Sotoca. According to Sotoca, teachers taking part in the scheme will first have to undergo a 200 hour intensive training course in teaching with English in a bilingual environment.

The government programme is set to benefit more than a thousand children, and its first phase, starts with the first year of primary teaching and will be rolled out gradually, over the other years at the schools involved in the region. Other schemes are planned for mixed English and French bilingual teaching in the secondary school system.