Study Programme of the Bilingual Department 

In the five-year Slovak–English bilingual programme we offer high-quality secondary education designed as preparation for university studies in a wide range of fields. Throughout the entire course of study, English serves as the second language of instruction. A prerequisite for studying in English is the successful completion of the first year at our grammar school, during which students have 12 English lessons per week..

The English language block in the first year consists of four subjects: English Language, English Grammar, English and American Literature, and English Conversation.

English Language (ANJ) – 6 lessons of general English

During the first year, students progress from language level A2 to level B1. This progress is significantly supported by the English Language subject, in which students systematically develop and strengthen all language skills and competences required to reach the expected level. The course also gradually prepares students for studying academic subjects such as geography, biology, and history, which from the second year onwards are taught using English. For this reason, already in the first-year students naturally become familiar with subject-specific English terminology through elements of CLIL instruction.

English Grammar (ANG) – 2 lessons per week

The English Grammar subject builds on the English Language course and helps students systematically strengthen their language foundations. The focus is on thorough practice of morphology and syntax, particularly through real communicative situations from everyday life. In the first year we devote increased attention to grammar, with two lessons per week. The aim is to build solid foundations so that students can gradually achieve a high level of grammatical accuracy in their further studies and use the language comprehensively and naturally, even when concentrating on other language skills.

English and American Literature (AAL) – 2 lessons per week

Through literature and the reading of literary works, students acquire basic literary concepts, naturally expand their vocabulary, develop communication skills, and gain insight into the culture of the countries whose language they are learning. The subject is included in the first two years with an emphasis on building strong foundations for the further development of language abilities. The teaching primarily uses methods of independent work, discussion, and joint text analysis. Students interpret literary works, compare them, and search for deeper connections, thereby developing both creative and critical thinking while also building a positive relationship with literature.

English Conversation (KAJ) – 2 lessons per week 

The main aim of English Conversation is to develop students’ spoken communication and build their confidence when communicating. Emphasis is placed on the systematic expansion of vocabulary and the acquisition of common phrases and language structures essential for everyday communication as well as for further academic study. Lessons are led by a foreign (native-speaker) instructor, allowing students to maintain regular contact with natural language use and authentic pronunciation.

 

Bilingual instruction from the second year is guaranteed in the following subjects: geography, history, biology, mathematics, informatics, and English and American literature. In the third and fourth years, the subjects Art and Culture and Catholic Religion are also taught in English. In the fourth and fifth years students further develop their communicative language skills in the subject Business English, which they will be able to use both in further study and in their professional lives.

The English language block in the fifth year is divided into three lessons of general English and three lessons of an English seminar (preparation for the English language school-leaving examination (Maturita). In the final two years, students may devote two optional lessons to subjects taught in English: Global Studies, Religious Studies, or English and American Literature. One of our unique subjects taught in English is 21st Century Competences, which is taught in the fourth and fifth years (one lesson per week).

The school educational programme is structured so that students can obtain:

• in the third year: knowledge and language skills required to successfully pass an international English examination at level B2 (e.g. FCE, IESOL),

• in the fourth year: the school-leaving examination (Maturita) in Slovak Language and Literature,

• in the fifth year:

  • the school-leaving examination (Maturita) in English at level C1,
  • knowledge and language skills required to successfully pass an international English examination at level C1 (e.g. CAE),
  • school-leaving examinations (Maturita) in two to four elective subjects, one of which must be bilingual.

 

When choosing a second foreign language, our students may select from three languages: German, Russian, or Spanish. In the first to third years, they have three lessons of the foreign language per week, and in the fourth year two lessons per week. In the fourth and fifth years they may choose a seminar in these languages as preparation for the school-leaving examination (Maturita). The allocation of these lessons is two per week in the fourth year and four per week in the fifth year. The school-leaving examination (Maturita) has only an oral form, and students may choose either level B1 or B2.