To what extend can EAL provision in international boarding schools be futher developed to better support it's stakeholders?

The international school market currently comprises 14,356 schools and approximately 7.2 million students in a globally dynamic and competitive sector which generates over $63 billion each year. Despite being an integral part of this market, boarding schools face sustainability challenges that reflect fluctuating enrollment trends and fierce competition. Nowhere is this more so than in Thailand where, with boarding and tuition fees of up to $42,510 per year, almost constant consideration is given to the financial stakes of maintaining and growing student numbers whilst continually providing high standards of pastoral care and academic development in fee paying schools. English language proficiency is extensively identified as a critical factor for academic success and future employability and while there has been much research in respective areas of both the importance and delivery of English Language development little has been done to understand the impact that living in a school-age, residential setting has on the development of English language. To evaluate the provision of English language development in a co-ed, British International boarding school in Thailand, a combination of online questionnaires and face to face interviews were conducted with students, staff and parents. Questions aimed to explore the current provision, benefits to stakeholders and the barriers to developing provision further. Key findings from the research identify barriers including staff numbers and training, the impact of large, low ability, same nationality groups and the current day school English as an additional language curriculum as key factors that can be developed to improve current provision. Suggestions include specialist evening lessons for residential students and the potential for a separate, immersive language programme as a replacement or parallel to current day school provision. Recommendations for further research are also presented.