News and Events

In our previous column, we talked about choosing international schools and the preparation involved.

When we talk to parents, they are often excited about the new changes after their children enter international schools. However, they also worry about the children's adaptation to new schools.

Can they adapt and make a good transition, especially in terms of English ability and different teaching modes?

Today we would like to share one of our students' stories and how he adapted.

Tom (nickname) was a Form 4 student. When we first met him, we found that his English level was quite weak. He had not read a single English book in the past few years, and he mainly communicated in Cantonese and Putonghua in daily life.

Under our guidance, Tom worked hard for the entrance examination for several months - and finally he was admitted to the international school of his choice.

While we were happy for him, we also encouraged him to maintain the habit of boosting his English every day before entering the international school.

There were still several months between being admitted by the school and actually entering the school, and he could make good use of these months to improve his English proficiency so as to make learning easier and boost his confidence in the new school.

When Tom received the official admission notice from the school, his English vocabulary and writing skills still needed to be improved.

Also, students at the same year group as him in international schools would have learned literary analysis, which he had never been exposed to.

So before he entered an international school, we coached Tom on the structure of writing a literary analysis, such as specific devices and techniques.

The structure of this type of analytical essay is very different from other creative and argumentative writing that Tom had done in the past. Learning specific technical knowledge in advance made him better prepared to study at the new school in the future.

In addition, we provided him with a detailed list of vocabulary, including many words that Form 4 students in international schools should be familiar with. On top of understanding the meaning of words, Tom also needed to understand synonyms related to each word, the hidden meaning (connotation), and related idioms.

After Tom started in the international school, he had to take the IGCSE public exam. We estimated that based on his English level at that time, his IGCSE English score should be around a C grade.

Working hard towards his goal, he picked up vocabulary and literary analysis skills that he had not learned at the local school. As a result, his two IGCSE English papers were graded A and B respectively, which was higher than he had expected.

Throughout the years, we have guided many students who are enrolled in international schools, and accompanied them through the first one or two years of transfer period in the new school.

While walking with the students, we do realize the many challenges that those students face during the transition period. Fortunately, with proper guidance, most of the students we have accompanied adapted to the new learning environment faster and better than we imagined.

In addition to preparing academically, mental preparation should not be ignored. Setting goals together with the students is crucial so they can catch up in the first few months before entering the new school and can adapt faster when they enter the new environment.

Finally, the students' journeys also show how challenges can also be turned into opportunities; difficulties are exactly what allow students to improve themselves, experience breakthroughs, and reach greater potential in their studies.