Bilingual Education
Toggle Language English to French
Bilingual education is an exceptional proposition for students’ communication and social skills development. Choosing a bilingual school is a personal choice for every family.
A truly bilingual programme
Our French and international families aspire for their children to have a bilingual learning experience for many reasons. Evidently they value fluency and literacy in French and English for their children, yet also for inter-personal skills, open-mindedness, and future secondary school and university pathways.
While learning two languages takes an investment of time, our students at our international preschool and elementary school benefit from true bilingual immersion with equal weighting in both languages.
Our culture of care
Teachers tailor the bilingual learning experience to the individual, and encourage students to express themselves with assurance at their own pace. They nurture each child through personalised attention to build their confidence as they navigate the bilingual classroom environment.
This caring environment ensures a sense of wellbeing where all children can feel safe, supported and ready to learn.
French and English days
At ICS Côte d’Azur, every child, from the early years to primary, benefits from having two classroom teachers: one who teaches in French and one who teaches in English.
Each class group is taught in French one day, the next in English, on a ten-day cycle.
Our teachers speak French on French days and English on English days irrespective of the subject matter. Children understand which of the two global languages we expect them to use on each assigned day.
Language support
Our bilingual primary school offers an intensive language support programme for French as a foreign language (FLE) learners and English as an additional language (EAL) learners, for students from PY3 and up.
These support lessons for beginners assist acquisition in either language, bringing them the linguistic competence required to access the curriculum and progress confidently.
Our FLE and EAL classes have dedicated learning spaces for tutoring small groups of students throughout the school day.
5 Reasons to Choose Bilingual Education in the Early Years and Primary
1. Cognitive Benefits – Learning two languages from a young age enhances problem-solving, creativity, and critical thinking skills, giving children a cognitive edge.
2. Stronger Communication Skills – Bilingual children develop greater linguistic awareness and adaptability, helping them express themselves confidently in different contexts.
3. Cultural Awareness and Empathy – Exposure to multiple languages fosters an appreciation for diverse cultures, encouraging open-mindedness and global citizenship.
4. Academic Advantages – Research shows that bilingual students often perform better in literacy and mathematics, as their brains are trained to switch between languages and process information efficiently.
5. Future Opportunities – Mastering two languages opens doors to more career prospects, travel opportunities, and connections in an increasingly globalized world.
Want to know more about our bilingual programme? Click here to download our school brochure.
How we teach English and French to beginners
From KG1 to PY2, children are fully immersed in our bilingual programme, as we believe this is the most natural and effective way for them to acquire both French and English. During these early years, students build a strong foundation in both languages through daily exposure, classroom activities, and meaningful interactions.
Students joining ICS from PY3 onwards are expected to have a strong foundation in either French or English and the academic ability to successfully engage with our curriculum. To support children who have never been exposed to, or are still developing skills in, one of the two languages, we offer two important programmes: FLE (French as a Foreign Language) and EAL (English as an Additional Language), which is an additional paying service for families.
FLE and EAL are designed for students who are non-native speakers. These programmes help students strengthen their proficiency in French or English so they can fully participate in lessons and classroom activities. Through tailored instruction and immersive experiences, FLE and EAL build both language skills and academic confidence.
During the admissions process, we gather information about each student—including formal and informal assessments—to determine their suitability for these programmes. Two levels of support are available:
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Level 1 (4 to 6 hours per week) for beginners with little or no prior knowledge of French or English.
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Level 2 (2 to 3 hours per week) for students beyond the beginner stage who still need support to access the curriculum in their target language.
Each week, sessions take place either in small groups outside the classroom or with the teacher joining the student in class to provide targeted support. Both FLE and EAL are integral to ensuring every child can thrive academically and socially at ICS.