Second Language Acquisition Instructional Models in English-Medium International Schools: Past, Present, and Future

The international school market continues to expand, and an increasing number of English language learners (ELLs) are enrolling in English-medium international schools. As new schools start and existing schools evaluate their second language acquisition model(s), care should be taken to implement a model that provides ELLs with the necessary support for English language acquisition. Understanding current practice and teacher preference can enable school leaders to make more informed decisions when implementing or revising an SLA instructional mode (IM). The purpose of this research study was to build upon previous research findings through further examination of the frequency of SLA IM used in English-medium international schools. Additionally, the researchers sought to compare the preferred SLA IMs between ELL, Primary, and English teachers. Findings from this quantitative survey-based study reinforce previous findings that the hybrid push-in and pull-out SLA IM is the most implemented SLA IM in English-medium international schools. Additionally, the hybrid SLA IM continues to be the preferred SLA IM in English-medium international schools.