Running Start English Program:
Beginner English to Academic Ready
Providing Korea’s Premier ELL Education
TCIS offers Korea’s premier international school English Language Learning program for students with limited or no English-language ability. The Running Start Program provides access to world-class international school education – teaching foundational English-language skills while preparing students to study rigorous middle and high school instruction in English. Successful students will access the TCIS International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP).
The goal is to prepare Mandarin- and Korean-speaking English Language Learners to enter the TCIS MYP ELL Program within one year. This is a first step to offer access to the IB DP at TCIS by Grade 11.
Who Is This Program For?
The program is designed for Grade 6 and 7 Mandarin- and Korean-speaking students who are solid achievers in their first-language schooling. Students who have shown high academic ability in their first language will proceed through the language program while continuing their subject learning. To enter the Running Start Program, students must meet the following criteria:
- Students must be in Grade 6 or 7 to proceed at a pace to enter into the DP program.
- Students must show a solid performance (a minimum GPA of 3.0) in their first-language schooling.
- Students must meet the eligibility requirements to attend a foreign school in Korea.
* Subject to availability – Regardless of eligibility, this program represents a very small number of students in our school, and space is limited.
Boarding Students Welcome
This program also collaborates with our Boarding Care Program to welcome students from outside of Daejeon and Korea. Our boarding studnets traditionally come to us from all over the world, and we are happy to welcome Mandarin and Korean-speaking visitors from Seoul, Jeju, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and other locations around the world. Be sure to ask us how we can accommodate your family.
Pathways to Success:
Beginner English Language Learners who are successful in the Running Start and ELL Middle Years Programme can access the full IB Diploma Programme. Students who need more time to realize their success will follow a track toward the IB Diploma, the IB DP Certificate, or a TCIS Diploma.
There are three timeline "tracks" for students:
Track 1
TCIS Diploma and IB Diploma
- Enters "Newcomer" (beginner) ELL program in grade 6
- Exits TCIS ELL Program by grade 8/9
- Follows full MYP course requirements
- Follows DP course requirements for graduation with an IB Diploma
Track 2
TCIS Diploma and IB DP Certificate
- Enters "Newcomer" ELL program in grade 6/7
- Remains in TCIS ELL Language Acquisition course through grade 9/10
- Follows MYP course requirements for core classes
- Follows DP recommendations for graduation with an IB DP Certificate
Track 3
TCIS Diploma
- Enters "Newcomer" ELL program in grade 6/7
- Remains in TCIS ELL Language Acquisition course through grade 9/10
- Follows MYP Course requirements for core classes
- Follows TCIS high school graduation requirements for TCIS [Non-IB ]Diploma
*All TCIS diplomas, regardless of track, are issued as a fully-accredited certificate of learning. They all represent excellent preparation for university and are honored by institutions of higher learning worldwide.
Now Extending to Grade 9 Starters
We've recently been notified about high-achieving students in grades 8 and 9 who would like to begin learning English in this format. Our admin and academic coordinators are currently working on a success plan to begin admitting this group of students for the Fall semester (as space allows.)
Contact our Admissions Office for more information.
Coursework Outline:
All Newcomer English Language Learner courses are taught by highly-qualified educators with English, Korean, and Chinese speaking staff in every class. The courses offered for Newcomer English Language Learners include:
- Newcomer English Language Acquisition
(meets every day) - IB MYP Language and Literature
(Mandarin or Korean) - Newcomer Math
- Newcomer Science
- Newcomer Humanities
- Newcomer Physical Education
- Newcomer Learning Lab
- Newcomer Study Hall
- Newcomer Visual Arts
* Please note that TCIS curriculum uses the term "Newcomer" to refer to those students who enter the school at or near a level of zero English.
How Does This Fit the School Mission?
TCIS is a foreign school delivering an international IB curriculum. TCIS is also an English speaking school – English is the language of instruction, the community common language, and the target language for university matriculation. We traditionally allow a small percentage of students who need English language support in order to be successful in the DP program as they prepare for English-speaking university.
As we consider our mission to "cultivate internationally-minded learniers who lead in purposeful change," and the growing body of high-achieving foreign students who would engage in schooling on our campus , we created a program for helping these students to enter and succeed in our language context. As a qualiity academic institution with a focus toward English-speaking universities and international university programs, it must be understood that this is a small and selective program.
That having been said, we are genuinely happy about all that our "Newcomer" Language Learners bring to our community. They are academically-sound, and they add to the rich international culture on campus. Academic rigor, intensive language study, and deliberate community connection are all primary areas of focus in the program, and we do our best to make sure that students thrive.
