English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

The ESOL Department at Rangitoto College offers courses that align with both the English learning area of the New Zealand Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate. Students studying English through ESOL have clear pathways to English literacy for NCEA and university entrance. ESOL is not a learning support service—it is a full curriculum subject that leads to Level 2 NCEA English and the IB Diploma Programme

The ESOL Department offers ten distinct courses designed to support English language development across a range of academic pathways.

Eight courses align with the New Zealand Curriculum and prepare students for the optional IB pathway.
One course is part of the International Baccalaureate programme.
One course prepares international students for the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) examination.

Some ESOL courses are not part of the mainstream English curriculum. These are tailored to support students who are new to New Zealand’s high school environment and whose first language is not English. They focus on building everyday and foundational academic language skills, along with cultural understanding of New Zealand schooling.

Most ESOL courses replace English department courses in a student’s timetable and ensure that key objectives in the English learning area of the New Zealand Curriculum are met.

Course placement and progression are based on English language proficiency—not year level. Students and parents should note that timetable codes may include year level numbers, but these are administrative only and do not reflect the academic level or name of the course.

At Rangitoto College, English is a compulsory subject, except for students in Year 13.

Courses offered by the ESOL Department

Download a copy of the courses our department provides by clicking here.

ESOL, UEL and UER have helped me to improve my vocabulary and grammar. They have also helped me to think outside the square when reading a book or watching a movie.

- Emily Wong, alumna

Glenn Murphy

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Graduate Diploma in Teaching (Secondary), Graduate Diploma in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (all University of Auckland)

I have been teaching since the end of 1994, starting in Malaysia. I took up my first New Zealand appointment in 1995 at Rangitoto College, with a long-term relieving role in the English and Social Sciences departments. I spent thirteen and a half years at Orewa College, including five years as the head of the languages department there, being a dean at year 9 and year 10, and a short intermission of one and a half years living and teaching in England, where I trained to be an ESOL teacher in London.
In 2009, I returned to Rangitoto College as head of the ESOL department. From 2019 to 2021, I studied part-time at the University of Auckland so I could upgrade my ESOL knowledge in a brilliant GradDip. TESSOL course. The knowledge I gained reinvigorated me and stoked my passion for the field of language teaching. Language and culture are intrinsically intertwined. One cannot learn a language without ‘learning’ the culture(s) to which that language belongs. Culture is the filter for our perspectives on the worlds we engage with and I am constantly fascinated by the way our students deal with the challenges of growing their linguistic and cultural knowledge.
My experiences learning, travelling, teaching English, geography, social studies, religious studies (in England), and even a little bit of Spanish, building my knowledge of English language learning, and now leading an ESOL department with over 400 students, have provided me with a wide perspective on teaching and learning.

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Academic • Academic Departments

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)

Courses offered by the ESOL Department

- Emily Wong, alumna

Glenn Murphy