Our Curriculum

What sets the IHT/IHC curriculum apart from others in its class? It’s ALIVE! Whereas many, if not most, ESL school curricula is textbook based, ours is theme based, broad enough to cover a much greater range of topics while offering teachers the opportunity to tailor language skills to students’ individual needs. The IHT/IHC curriculum is comprised of 29 different themes that are repeated roughly twice per calendar year. The themes coincide with events going on in our respective cities (Calgary Stampede, Toronto Winterlicious) and activities/sites that can be attended all year round (CN/Calgary Tower). Within each theme, teachers are free to explore a variety of sub-themes.

Grammar points are clearly outlined each week with some weeks being allotted to reviewing language that students struggled with. The reading and writing, listening and speaking language skills are segregated into 75 minute blocks. Within each block teachers address the sub-skills that a particular group of students needs to work on. This allows students to strengthen skill areas where they need improvement, not to work on something simply because it’s stipulated in 'the book’.

Finally, the way our curriculum is designed allows teachers to incorporate a wider range of authentic material into the classroom. As a result, students acquire real language that they can use outside the classroom. Both curricular and extra-curricular activities are planned around the weekly themes.