A delegation from SCCL set off on a study trip to the Netherlands on 20th April. The Netherlands has always been well-known for their multilingual education. Under the arrangement of ICLON, Leiden University Graduate School of Teaching, the delegation comprising of Executive Director Dr Chin Chee Kuen, Lecturer Mr Ang Swee Choon and Project Officer Lea Shu-Hui spent one week visiting the local schools and institutions studying about second language education in Netherlands’ schools. We were warmly received in the Land of Tulips and gained much insight from the school teachers and ICLON’s professors who shared generously on their best practices in their bilingual classes and in-service teacher training.
 
The Dutch advocates Learning through Play. Students in Early Bird schools learn their target second/ foreign language naturally through games and activities.
After concluding our programme in the Netherlands, Chairman of SCCL’s Board of Directors Mr Robin Hu and MOE Senior Curriculum Specialist Dr Sim Seok Hwa joined the delegation in Finland, for the second leg of the study trip. Finland, renowned for her successes in consecutive PISA, attributed these successes to the high quality teacher training and programmes for continuing education. We visited several comprehensive schools in Finland and engaged in fruitful conversations with experts in Finnish education. We were also truly honoured to attend a full-day customised lecture where leading CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) expert David Marsh shared his knowledge and experience on the CLIL programmes in EU countries. His sharing on CLIL as an educational methodology provided us with aplenty takeaways and a wonderful conclusion to this fruitful trip.
 
Time for some output! Application of new knowledge in communicative ways. The delegation had a fruitful day of lecture and discussions with CLIL expert, David Marsh. |
