Case Study | IES Francisco Salinas

How Topical Talk can strengthen English language, vital critical thinking and knowledge skills

Key learnings

IES Francisco Salinas is an educational institution that blends the Spanish curriculum with English language instruction, with some students speaking English as their first language. Although the school operates under the Spanish government, it is part of the British Council's network, reinforcing its international connections and focus on high academic standards. 

The teacher, passionate about moving beyond traditional textbook-heavy methods of teaching, sought to create a dynamic learning experience for her students. By incorporating Topical Talk into her lessons, she was able to engage her class in critical thinking and problem-solving activities, which aligned with her goal of making English learning more relevant and practical for her students.

The key to Topical Talk’s success in their school, the teacher claims, is due to its ability to motivate students. They believe this is due to the relevance of the topics to real life. Likewise, students liked the variety of topics and felt it helped them to feel more mature and talk about things outside of their immediate interests. The students also responded well to activities that encouraged moving around the classroom for discussions, a shift from their typical, more passive classroom routine.

The class’s progress was clear: they made above-average improvements in their critical thinking skills, despite starting with lower-than-average communication skills. This was particularly valuable for students preparing for the IGCSE in critical thinking. More broadly, data from the 2023–24 Topical Talk impact report shows that students using the programme made nearly seven times more progress across key skills than those without any intervention – averaging 3.9% improvement, compared to just 0.57% in non-participating students.