A crucial aspect of preparing children for the modern globalized world is giving them the tools to communicate within and across cultural and linguistic barriers. For this reason, language learning is of paramount importance at European Schools. 

Our language curriculums focus on the four main aspects of language communication: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Each student will receive instruction in two or three languages depending on their language section.  

Language 1 (L1)  

The first language (L1) of most of our students is either English or Slovene, which is also the language of the section in which they are enrolled. However, some children, whose parents are employed by the institutions of the European Union, are entitled to mother tongue instruction (L1) (SWALS) if the language of the section is not their mother tongue. In this case, the language of the section gets the status of the first foreign language (L2).

Language 2 (L2) 

This is additional language that your child will learn. If they are enrolled in the Slovene language section, their L2 language can be English, German or French. However, if children are enrolled in the English language section, they can choose between French and German.

Language 3 (L3)

Pupils start learning a second foreign language (L3) in the first year of secondary school. They can choose between German, French, Spanish, Italian and Slovene. Of course, this should not be the language they have chosen as L2.

Student Without A Language Section (SWALS)

Some students at our school have the status of SWALS (Student Without a Language Section). This means that: 1. one of their parents works in one of the European institutions, e.g. ACER, and 2. their mother tongue / dominant language is neither English nor Slovene, but is the official language of an EU Member State (with the exception of Celtic and Maltese). In this case, parents can choose to enroll their child as SWALS. This practically means that the student learns his mother tongue instead of L2 and the language of the section becomes his L2. For example: a Portuguese SWALS student in the English language section would have English in his or her school report as his or her L2, and Portuguese would be listed as their L1.

Slovene  

As we are in Slovenia, students in the English section on Primary level also receive two lessons of Slovene a week.