In Grade 1, students receive a total of 11 hours of English instruction per week: 7 hours with their main course teachers and 4 hours with skills teachers. Building on the foundations established in preschool and preparatory classes, students begin learning to read and write in English this year; this process progresses in parallel with Turkish literacy instruction.

Students explore familiar themes such as school, home and family, toys, sports, activities and abilities, pets and farm animals, physical appearance and clothing, as well as food and drinks in greater depth. Through cultural content, they continue to develop a global perspective by learning about different family lives, school meals, clothing styles, and housing around the world.

Interdisciplinary learning is an integral part of the program. Visual Arts, Science, Citizenship, and History content are integrated with English lessons to support holistic learning.

In the first term, our skills teachers continue phonics (sound-letter relationship) instruction, supporting students in distinguishing and reading different sounds in English. In the second term, the focus shifts to fluent reading practices, with the aim of developing confident and fluent readers.

Stories remain at the heart of the curriculum. Students engage with stories through big books, digital books, and a rich selection of fiction and non-fiction titles in classroom English libraries. Learning extends beyond the classroom as lesson content is reinforced at home through online learning management systems.

Students continue to expand their vocabulary and consolidate grammar structures through up to 12 hours of English lessons per week. By the time they graduate from primary school, they are expected to reach CEFR A2 level.

The curriculum is built around STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) and interdisciplinary learning. This approach strengthens scientific and algorithmic thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and academic transfer skills.

In skills lessons, students develop reading skills through stories that highlight key values. Vocabulary learning and grammar reinforcement are supported through engaging activities. In addition, listening, speaking, and writing skills are developed systematically, and students are prepared effectively for Cambridge English Assessment exams.

Students build presentation skills by delivering short presentations about completed projects or group work. From Grade 3 onwards, students begin giving 3 to 5-minute individual presentations on topics of interest, and they are encouraged to focus on communication elements such as eye contact, tone of voice, body language, and creativity.

Throughout primary school, students develop writing skills step by step:

Main Course: New vocabulary and language structures are taught in context, with balanced development of students’ reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills.

Skills Course: Delivered by our native English-speaking teachers, this course focuses on developing all language skills, with particular emphasis on speaking. In addition, students build essential life skills such as critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, teamwork, communication, and time management.

Academic Reading and Writing: In these classes, students learn reading and writing techniques required for future examinations and international academic studies.

Cambridge Examinations: At the end of the academic year, and upon teacher approval, students may take internationally recognized Cambridge examinations. Students who wish to participate are enrolled in our Cambridge preparation program.

Online Reading: Students read weekly assigned books on a designated digital platform and complete related activities. Regular reading directly contributes to their performance assessment.

Writing Program: Throughout the year, students learn to write different types of paragraphs and compositions accurately through a writing program specifically designed for each grade level.

Academic Monitoring and Process Evaluation (ATS): Based on the Ministry of National Education curriculum, assessments identify students’ learning gaps, followed by targeted study sessions. This process also serves as structured preparation for the high school entrance examination taken in Grade 8.

Survival English: İTK students learn practical English expressions for real-life situations such as banking transactions, doctor appointments, airport communication, and hotel reservations, and practice these scenarios through role-play activities.

Presentation Skills: Each student is expected to deliver at least one presentation during the academic year. The presentation grade is evaluated as the second-term project grade.

Designated Days and Weeks: National and international commemorative days such as Republic Day (October 29), Atatürk Memorial Day (November 10), and World Environment Day are integrated into course content to enhance students’ cultural awareness.

Main Course: In our classes, new vocabulary and language structures are always taught within context, with the primary aim of language acquisition. Our coursebooks are delivered using methods and techniques designed to develop reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills. To support the development of the skills students will need for international examinations, reading and listening strategies are explicitly taught. Speaking is given particular emphasis in lessons to help students express themselves confidently both orally and in writing, while writing skills are further reinforced through a dedicated writing program.

Online Reading: We use a digital platform that provides access to more than 12,000 English articles published in newspapers from around the world, tailored to each student’s individual reading level. Students’ English literacy development is monitored and reported through an artificial intelligence system. Upon first access, students complete a Lexile Level placement test, after which they are assigned two articles per week aligned with their proficiency level.
Reading in English is not solely an activity that develops reading skills. Research has shown that regular reading while learning a foreign language supports progress across all language skill areas. Through reading, students acquire stronger vocabulary and grammatical knowledge and further develop their writing skills. The more students read, the more effectively they are able to write.

Presentation Skills: In Grades 9 and 10, students prepare and deliver a 20-minute PowerPoint presentation once a year on a topic of their own choosing to develop their presentation skills. These presentations are expected to be both informative and creative. Grade 11 students prepare and deliver an 8–10 minute TED Talks–style presentation on topics connected to the source books used in class. During their presentations, students focus on maintaining eye contact with the audience, using body language effectively, ensuring grammatical accuracy, controlling voice tone, speaking fluently and clearly, and managing time efficiently. These activities build students’ confidence in speaking English in public and equip them with valuable communication skills that will support them in their future university studies and professional lives. In Grade 9, presentations selected by teachers as outstanding examples are delivered on stage at a year-end event for all Grade 9 students.

Debate: In Grade 10, debate activities are held on predetermined dates throughout the year. These debates aim to encourage students to conduct research on significant propositions, use the target language fluently, and strengthen their self-confidence. Debate tournaments provide an intellectual platform where students can develop leadership, persuasive speaking, and critical thinking skills, while also learning to view issues from multiple perspectives and adopt a global outlook. Grade 10 debate events are attended by all Grade 9 and 10 students.

İTK TALKS: Grade 11 students organize the İTK TALKS event, with Grade 9 and 10 students participating as the audience. İTK TALKS consists of TED Talk–style inspirational speeches prepared by students on a variety of topics. The event is held twice a year. In the first İTK TALKS event, a selected number of students chosen by their teachers share their ideas, experiences, and recommendations with their peers. The second İTK TALKS event is ticketed and open to parents. One student from each campus, selected by the Department Head and teachers from the first İTK TALKS event, takes the stage after the guest speaker’s talk to deliver their presentation.

Current Affairs: In our studies addressing significant events in Turkey and around the world, the key events of the week or month are introduced through PowerPoint presentations, newspaper links, or videos. These activities aim to help students learn news-related vocabulary, discuss current issues, develop critical thinking, and enhance problem-solving skills.

Designated Days and Weeks: National and international commemorative days such as Republic Day (October 29), Atatürk Memorial Day (November 10), National Sovereignty and Children’s Day (April 23), Atatürk Commemoration, Youth and Sports Day (May 19), World Water Day, World Environment Day, and World Disability Day are incorporated into our course content.

Academic Monitoring and Process Evaluation (ATS): Through assessments based on the implemented curriculum, students’ learning gaps are identified and supported with additional study sessions. These assessments also serve as structured preparation for the examinations students will take in the future.

Assessments are prepared and externally graded by Cambridge International.

Examinations are held twice a year — May/June and October/November — and a separate certificate is awarded for each subject.

On the same day, parallel conferences are also organized for teachers of German, French and Spanish.

In these lessons, students learn age-appropriate vocabulary and grammar structures through topics such as school life, toys and sports, parts of the body, animals and nature, activities, food, family, personal abilities, physical appearance, and clothing.

Each unit also includes a cultural dimension, allowing students to explore how these concepts are experienced in different parts of the world, such as Indian cuisine or school life in the United Kingdom.

These lessons support the main course and enable students to practice the language through interactive activities. In skills lessons, emphasis is placed on phonics (sound–letter relationships) and many of our CLIL lessons, particularly Mathematics, Culinary Arts, and Geography.

Through this approach, students continue to develop their language skills while also acquiring subject-specific academic vocabulary.

Students begin each day with energetic activities and breakfast together with their teachers. This process supports both language learning and the reinforcement of core values.

Activities may take place in the classroom or in the garden and encourage social interaction with different classes. During breakfast, students practice vocabulary revision, learn to use polite expressions, and engage in natural English speaking activities.

The English Department organizes debate activities every academic year at both lower secondary level (Grade 7) and high school level (Grade 10). These debates take place between two teams of three students each. The debates are entirely student-centered; a chairperson selected from among the students moderates the debate, and a student jury determines the winner based on predefined criteria.

During the debates, each student defends their own views on a predetermined topic. Afterwards, each team directs questions to the opposing team in order to challenge them. Once the mutual questioning process is completed, one representative from each team delivers a final speech. The jury then proceeds to voting, and the winning team is announced.

These debates, conducted in English, aim to enable students to research an important thesis, use the target language fluently, and gain self-confidence. Debate tournaments provide a platform for students to develop leadership, effective speaking, and persuasion skills. They also create an intellectual environment that allows students to evaluate issues from different perspectives and gain a global outlook.

Within the English main course instruction, “Quiz Shows” are organized with our Grade 6 middle school students. The aim of these competitions is to enhance students’ general knowledge, encourage the exchange of information within groups, and strengthen the sense of competition not only among participants but also among the audience.

Having students from different classes within the competing teams aims to strengthen communication among students who may not know each other. Questions are prepared in various formats such as multiple choice, question-and-answer, or word formation using given letters. These competitions test students’ knowledge while also developing their English reading comprehension and quick response skills. Therefore, each round is designed to assess a different competency.