Departments

Khmer classes provide students with a deep understanding of the local culture and language, fostering a strong connection to Cambodia. In Early Years (EY), children focus on basic speaking, learning songs and stories, and learning vocabulary related to their interests or the themes of the EY setting. In terms of cultural awareness, children learn how to press their hands together when greeting others, saying thank you, sorry and goodbye. In primary, students begin the basic sounding of vowels and consonants as well as further developing their topic-based vocabulary. At this stage, children begin basic writing. As they grow and develop, understanding grammar and being able to answer comprehension questions becomes a bigger focus. Our senior school pupils are expected to read and write at a much deeper level. They learn to retell stories, understanding story structure, before using this knowledge to write their own stories. Through reading and poetry, they gain greater understanding of their Khmer history and culture. Developing cultural awareness through key festivals and celebrations is something we pride ourselves on here at TKSV. 

Mandarin instruction is designed to open doors to global opportunities, with a curriculum that emphasises both spoken and written proficiency. In EY and primary, children are taught lots of vocabulary, how to ask and answer basic questions so that they can engage in simple conversations. They learn lots of songs and stories in order to learn about Chinese culture and customs. This is further embedded through artwork and craft. Basic pinyin instruction supports children to understand the tones of Mandarin. At a senior level, they build on this and are prepared for exams with targeted topic vocabulary to ready them for speaking and listening examinations, together with extended reading, writing and grammar lessons so that they are set to confidently tackle written papers.

English as an Additional Language (EAL) is taught by native speakers, focusing on fostering strong oral communication skills and the highest standards of academic excellence across all domains of the language: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. At TKSV, the teaching of EAL is designed to inspire a lifelong love of learning and to ensure children are equipped with the confidence and articulacy to succeed in school, university and beyond. Our dedicated EAL programme is tailored to meet the diverse needs of our students, ensuring that each pupil receives personalised support and guidance. Our EAL curriculum is rich with interactive activities, multimedia resources, and culturally diverse materials that spark curiosity and enthusiasm. By integrating real-world contexts and hands-on experiences, we make learning English relevant and enjoyable. We emphasise the development of both verbal and written skills through a variety of collaborative projects, presentations, and discussions. Students are encouraged to express their ideas confidently and creatively. Our small class sizes allow for individualised attention, enabling teachers to provide constructive feedback and support.

All of our language teachers are passionate about their subjects and use innovative teaching methods to create dynamic, stimulating and supportive classroom environments. Digital literacy is fostered through all three languages. Our multilingual approach not only enhances cognitive abilities but also prepares students to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

Meanwhile, History at TKSV encourages students to think critically about the world today; how has our past affected modern society?  We aim to equip students by developing their knowledge and understanding of the past and helping them understand how and why things have changed. We want students to develop a love of learning as well as build their enquiry skills; learning to evaluate evidence so they can reach their own supported judgments and opinions about key historical events.

In both subjects, our pupils are encouraged to think and study independently through field work enquiry, decision making, debate and research in order to understand the complexity of the problems we face both today and as future leaders in our ever changing world.