English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

Shanghai American School offers an ESOL program to students with developing proficiency in English.  All non-native English candidates from Grades One to Ten will be assessed to determine their eligibility to be enrolled in our ESOL program. We do not offer an ESOL program for students in Grades 11 and 12. 

The following guidelines will be used by the Admission Committee to determine a candidate’s readiness for our ESOL program:

• The primary language spoken by the child
• The language(s) spoken between parents and the child
• The child’s educational background—For candidates applying for the following grades, SAS recommends:

Grades 1-3: It is recommended that students are studying English in their current school (English as a subject or foreign language) and/or enrolled in an after-school English language learning program.

Grades 4-8:  It is recommended that students have at least one year in an English medium instruction school.

Grades 9-12: It is recommended that students have at least two years in an English medium instruction school.  Our college preparatory program requires all incoming ninth and tenth graders to have near-native English language proficiency.  We do not offer an ESOL program for students in Grades Eleven and Twelve.  Students applying for these grades must demonstrate enough proficiency in English to perform successfully in the regular program. 

• The primary language of both parents
• Standardized Test Scores (for Grades 4-12)

To ensure the academic and social success of our students, Shanghai American School maintains a maximum capacity of 25% per grade level of students whom receive ESOL support. 

Candidates who are eligible for the ESOL program will be given a language assessment prior to acceptance and enrollment.  When a seat is available, we will contact the candidate to be assessed by our Assessment Coordinator on the Shanghai American School premises.