St John’s Catholic College offers an Intensive English Unit (IEU) for International and New Arrival students. The IEU caters for learners in the Beginning, Emerging and Developing phases of English language acquisition, and supports students in the consolidating phase as they transition into mainstream classes. The IEU supports students in acquiring proficiency in the productive and receptive modes of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Students study in the IEU from one term up to four semesters depending on proficiency levels and visa conditions. The IEU is staffed by experienced teachers who hold further qualifications in TEFL and/or EALD pedagogies.

Students are given specific support to build the necessary skills and knowledge for mainstream classes such as:

• English vocabulary to interact effectively with students and teachers
• Strategies to support reading and communicating effectively in English
• Reading and creating different text types
• Subject specific vocabulary (Religion, Science, Maths, SOSE, Health & PE)
• Subject specific concepts to ensure students have the foundation to access to the Australian Curriculum
• Using information technology to research and create original texts