International School of Paris

Language Policy
 International School of Paris Language Policy

International School of Paris – Philosophy of language teaching and learning

Language wraps itself around, in, through and between everything that we teachers and
learners do in the classroom.

(Ritchhart 2002: 141)

ISP is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. At ISP we create a challenging and
motivating multilingual environment where the language of instruction is English. We view
language as a tool for making meaning in the world. We believe that every student has an
individual and a cultural set of experiences, skills and interests, which must be considered
in the teaching and learning process. For ISP, multilingualism and the development of
critical literacy are considered important factors in fostering international-mindedness
through the promotion of cultural identity, intercultural awareness and global citizenship.

At ISP, all teachers are language teachers as language transcends curriculum areas.
Through the IB language programmes, we aim to develop confident, curious, highly
proficient and enthusiastic readers, writers, viewers, presenters, speakers and listeners.
Language is always taught meaningfully and in context . These contexts vary, but often
involve the use of real-life scenarios, native speakers, the local area and a wide variety of
text types. We advocate the learning of language through inquiry, allowing students to
make connections with context, to explore and investigate. The learning of any language is
developmental by nature, building constructively on what each individual student knows to
help move them forward.

As an international school situated in Paris, we are strongly committed to providing

students with access to French language learning and utilising the host country and
community for language and cultural experiences throughout the curriculum. Equally
important to the school is the belief that each student should have the opportunity to
maintain and develop their mother tongue(s). The acquisition of additional languages
allows students to further reflect upon and explore different cultural perspectives.

At ISP we are committed to providing an inclusive and equitable learning environment. We

aim to ensure access to the three IB programmes offered by the school for all students.

As an IB World School, we are committed to the following Practices:

• The school places importance on language learning, including mother tongue, host
country language and other languages (IB Standard A, Practice 7).

• Teaching and learning addresses the diversity of student language needs,

including those for students learning a language(s) other than their mother tongue
(IB Standard C3, Practice 7).

• Teaching and learning demonstrates that all teachers are responsible for language
development of students (IB Standard C3, Practice 8).

• Assessment at the school aligns with the requirements of the programme(s). (IB
Standard C4, Practice 1).

• Collaborative planning and reflection recognizes that all teachers are responsible
for language development of students (IB Standard C1, Practice 8).

• The school utilizes the resources and expertise of the community to enhance
learning within the programmes (IB Standard B2, Practice 11).

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 International School of Paris Language Policy

Language Pathways: Practices at ISP

These pathways collectively give an overview of the practices at ISP that are in place and
being implemented to bring our philosophy statement to life and exemplify how the School
brings about excellence in language learning.
The school places importance on language learning, including mother tongue, host
country language and other languages (IB Standard A, Practice 7).

At ISP, language is taught holistically. Each programme has specific learning outcomes for the
strands of speaking and listening, reading and writing, and viewing and presenting
appropriate to the students level. We promote inquiry-based authentic learning through an
investigative approach of different genres.

The School invests in qualified, professional language teachers for the language of instruction,
host language and other languages.

Students are allowed and encouraged to use their mother tongue to access the curriculum.
For instance they may complete class work and assessments in their mother tongue and they
are encouraged to share their learning and progress with their parents and other members of
the community using their mother tongue.

In the Primary School the language of instruction (English) is integrated into the units of
inquiry or organised into stand-alone language sessions.

French is taught to students in all grades from Nursery to Grade 5. Nursery, Pre-K and
Kindergarten have two 45-minute lessons of French each week, and students in Grades 1-5
have four 1-hour lessons each week.

ISP is an English medium school, but our students speak over 60 different languages.
Obviously, it is not possible to offer classes in all these languages. However, because
educational research makes clear that those students who maintain their mother tongue will
have better access to learning when working in a second or third language, it is important
that we provide the opportunity for students to access their first, or mother-tongue,
languages.

In the Primary School, we greatly value children continuing to learn in their mother tongue.
We aim to place children in classes with other children who speak the same languages they
do whenever possible. We prioritize those children who are new to learning English. We
encourage parents to talk, read and write with their children in their mother tongue, and we
also host a Mother Tongue and Other Languages Day each year at the Primary School. All
mother tongue classes in Primary need to be arranged and paid for by families via the Cross-
Cultural Coordinator. Ideally, these lessons should take place after school hours.

In the Secondary School, language is divided into studies in language and literature
(Language A) and language acquisition courses (Language B). A student is required to take at
least two languages. One of these has to be a language and literature course. ISP students
have the opportunity to study up to three languages. These courses are offered according to
the student’s level in the language of instruction, English, the host country language, French,
and in Spanish. Language acquisition courses are also offered in Chinese Mandarin; in special
circumstances students may have the option of following a different language acquisition
course in the Diploma Program. Japanese, Korean, Hindi and Malay language and literature
courses are offered at a Diploma level.

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If the Secondary School does not provide the student’s mother tongue or strongest language
(Language A) in its regular program, then the School strongly recommends that parents opt to
have this language be taught as an IB MYP course through external, private tuition with the
assistance of the School’s Coordinator of Externally-Taught Languages.

When the Secondary School receives a request for a mother tongue course, the Coordinator
of Externally Taught Languages will manage the following process:

• the School will commit to identifying a tutor, and will provide that tutor with the
materials and training to deliver a suitable course which will appear on student
transcripts.* Lessons will be scheduled during the regular school day.

• the parent(s) will commit to paying the tutor for his/her services. The Coordinator of
Externally-Taught Languages will place families with common language goals in
contact with each other, so that costs can be shared. This is private arrangement
between the tutor and the families for which the School has no responsibility.

*When external tuition is organized as a replacement of one of the Language A or B course

requirements for the IB MYP, tutors are required to provide evidence of student learning for
the IB MYP language requirements and IB MYP Diploma in Grades 9 and 10.
Each year, there might be mother-tongue languages that are sufficiently popular that the
Secondary School may consider contracting a tutor (‘autoentrepreneur’) for the academic
year. The Secondary School will consider a maximum of two additional school-supported
mother-tongue language classes each academic year. The decision to meet the costs of a
mother-tongue class is always at the discretion of the Head of School and is based on the
following criteria:

• the class needs to be sustainable, by which we mean it is of sufficient size and that the
families are committed to ISP for the academic year.

• the School must be able to source a tutor with appropriate teaching credentials and
professional references, and who has successfully passed a police background check.

Priority will be given to languages with high demand (class size) based on enrolled students
on September 1 of each year, and those that provide continuity of learning in the Secondary
School.

The Secondary School offers two French enrichment courses in addition to their MYP French
courses. For native and near-native speakers there is the opportunity to take a class on
Francophone cultures and societies (Cultures et sociétés). Students beginning their
acquisition of the French language may opt to take an extra class to focus on authentic oral
communication and interaction with the host country and culture (Initiation au français).

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Teaching and learning addresses the diversity of student language needs,

including those for students learning a language(s) other than their mother tongue
(IB Standard C3, Practice 7).

Differentiation in language lessons is based on best practice according to the standards and
practices of the IB. All teachers respond to students’ needs and may therefore provide
individualised instruction guided in some cases by specific learning goals and Individual
Learning Plans (ILPs). Teaching strategies may include working in small groups, using
different resources with different levels of language complexity, as well as changing the level
of questioning and tasks for individual students. Students may also have choices so they can
follow their own interests or use a preferred learning style. The School also follows the IB
recommendations on student placement. In addition to this, the School provides a range of
specialist support including profiling, individual support, speech and language specialists, etc.,
which is outlined in the Learning Support Policy.

All students’ language needs are determined through initial and ongoing assessments
throughout the year. Teachers differentiate for the range of students’ needs in different ways.
In the Primary School, students might for example be placed in flexible ability groups. In
homerooms, students may be grouped by ability for reading groups, but work in mixed ability
groups for other tasks. The Primary School also offers an ‘initiation to English’ program for
students in need of extra support.

In the Secondary School, students are placed in classes according to the IB’s continuum of
language learning phases. The School has a flexible placement policy that allows student
movement throughout the school year in relation to students’ progression along this
continuum.

In grades 6 to 9, beginners in English leave humanities lessons for further English language
classes. These students may also leave an additional subject so that they can focus on
acquiring the language necessary for success in Secondary School.

Teaching and learning demonstrates that all teachers are responsible for language
development of students (IB Standard C3, Practice 8).

ISP focuses on the transdisciplinary nature of language learning by recognising and modelling
the role of language in each subject as well as in the language of instruction, host country
language and in other languages, and by developing an understanding of the IB objectives
and pedagogical language of the programmes.

The basic skills for all types of communication - oral, written and visual - are explicitly planned
for using our scope and sequence. When students are acquiring a language, our teaching is
informed by incorporating four concepts: context, culture, reflection and fluency. Students are
encouraged to think for themselves, recognize patterns, develop theories and construct
meaning as they investigate language. As students progress, teachers enable them to see
language as a means of self-expression, exploration of self and others, as context driven,
having multiple meanings, and involving at all levels of discourse a personal stance, from
simple communication to the core of academic language.

Throughout the School there is an expectation that in order to foster an enjoyment and love
of reading, students will be encouraged to read at home – from packaging and emails to
quality literature – and will read a wide range of genres in school to understand their features.
In the Primary School students will be read to, read with or read every day at home. This may
be done in a student’s mother tongue. A variety of reading strategies will be introduced to
support students in the mechanics of reading and comprehending the meaning of what they
read. These include phonemic awareness, recognising patterns in text, decoding, making

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inferences, recognising a bank of sight words and etymological understanding. Teachers also
make use of guided reading and literature circles to develop students’ reading skills.

The writing process of drafting, revising and finalising will be modelled and explored in all
languages. The use of literature, games, role-play and multimedia will support students’
understanding of different genres as well as developing their vocabulary, sentence
construction, use of tense and punctuation. Using the text as a model, students and teachers
can begin to analyse the features of different genres before jointly and individually
constructing written or presented pieces. During the revision process, students will be
encouraged to develop their knowledge of grammatical and spelling conventions by self-
correcting. Finalising writing may involve students sharing writing with others, keeping it for
themselves or publishing it for a chosen audience.

In order to enable students to develop accurate language use and self-correct errors, they will
be introduced to different strategies to investigate words and groups of words. These include
spelling strategies such as syllabification, saying the word as it looks and mnemonics, to a
deeper understanding of language in context, such as collocation. Teachers encourage
students to make connections between words in different languages.

The secondary EAL specialist and the languages team work with the other Secondary School
departments and with the Secondary School librarian to:

• collaborate on vocabulary and concepts across the curriculum,

• spread use of a common language about language

• teach the conventions of referencing, citing and the principles of academic honesty

ISP is committed to promoting the idea that all teachers are teachers of language through
professional development opportunities. This includes outside speakers, in-school advanced
skills workshops and training workshops based on the literacy for learning professional
development programmes developed by the South Australian Department for Education and
Child Development.

Training on using the IB criteria, creating assessment tasks, developing unit questions and
writing task specific criteria is provided to external tutors when they begin working at the
Secondary School and throughout the school year.

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Assessment at the school aligns with the requirements of the programme(s) (IB
Standard C4, Practice 1).

Assessment is integral to teaching and learning at ISP. Using a range of tools and strategies,
teachers are able to determine students’ knowledge, skills, understanding and attitudes
towards language.

At the School, teachers use pre-assessment to determine what students already know, can do
and understand. Formative assessment is used to check in and to give constructive feedback
or praise on learning. Summative assessments are used to gather evidence about student’s
learning at the end of a unit. Various forms of both formative and summative assessment
may be used. Along with teacher assessment, students are often asked to peer or self-assess
as well.

Assessments are reported to parents in different ways. Students receive written report cards
about their language learning. Parents are also invited to attend parent-teacher, three-way
and student-led conferences.

At the Primary School, students are regularly assessed using the expectations from the
School’s language scope and sequence. Achievement of different learning outcomes will be
recorded and passed on throughout their schooling at ISP to facilitate each student’s learning.
At the beginning of tasks, criteria is shared or created by the students so that learning goals
are clear.

In the MYP, units are designed with a significant concept, a global context and a unit question
in mind. Assessment tasks are linked to these big ideas and allow students to show a
developing understanding of the global context; summative assessment is an opportunity for
students to discuss the unit question using what they have learned.

Assessment in the Secondary School is in line with the requirements of the IB programmes
and is comprehensively outlined in the Assessment Policy. In the MYP, level specific criteria
are used based on each phase outlined by the IB from students newly acquiring a language to
those at mother tongue level. In addition, ISP uses age appropriate modified criteria using
the interim objectives set out by the IB for grades 6-8 and using the end of program
objectives for grades 9-10. Task specific rubrics are also created for each assessment and are
shared with the students. In the DP, criteria are also level specific and based on the course
chosen and the level at which the course is taken.

Externally taught mother tongue courses in the MYP and self-taught courses in the DP follow
the above guidelines.

Students may be referred for further assessment within the School to enable teachers to gain
as much information as possible about a student’s strengths, interests and areas in need of
developing and to monitor their progress. In some circumstances, Individual Learning Plans
(ILPs) are developed for individual students depending on their individual learning needs. In
the Secondary School, this may include modified assessment criteria for the student. Any
such cases will be discussed with the student, parents, respective IB program coordinator and
the well-being team.

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 International School of Paris Language Policy

Collaborative planning and reflection recognizes that all teachers are responsible
for language development of students (IB Standard C1, Practice 8).

Since students learn about language and through language, we understand that all teachers
are responsible for the language development of students in the School. As a result,
collaborative planning and reflection is built into the regular schedule of staff as well as it
being the focus of staff meetings through the year. In this way, we are able to develop links
between different subject areas and departments across the School.

At the Primary School, all teachers review the language scope and sequence to ensure that it
is as relevant and comprehensive as possible. Teachers then plan collaboratively, during
grade level meetings, grade meetings, meetings with the PYP coordinator and with EAL and
learning support staff.

In the Secondary School, timetabled curriculum planning time (CPT) allows teachers to meet
together as a teaching faculty. This may be done as whole staff meetings or divided into
smaller meetings where teachers meet in department groups, language groups or
interdisciplinary groups. During these meetings, teachers plan what will be taught, reflect on
best practice and consider the needs of individual students. They also discuss articulation,
transitions and progression between all three IB programmes and ensure that delivery of the
programmes is consistent and current with developments in the IB. External mother tongue
tutors are encouraged to collaborate with their students’ subject teachers in order to develop
strategies to help students to better access the curriculum.

The school utilizes the resources and expertise of the community to enhance
learning within the programmes (IB Standard B2, Practice 11).

All language teachers are responsible for sourcing and purchasing a range of quality texts so
that students can explore different genres such as recounts, stories, explanations or
persuasive writing in different languages and at different levels. Students also have access to
a variety of dictionaries to assist them including picture dictionaries and mother tongue
dictionaries. The Cross-Cultural Coordinator (PYP) and the Externally Taught Languages
Coordinator (MYP, DP) collaborate with the librarians in ordering and cataloguing books in
different mother tongue languages for the library and as classroom resources.

Students have access to other resources such as newspapers and magazines –that they can
also subscribe to- in a variety of languages, which help them to be aware of current affairs, to
foster an interest in reading, and to develop confidence, fluency and comprehension. The use
of ICT is an integral language learning tool. Students are encouraged to use iPads or iPod
Touches to access programs or tools to support their language learning such as Google
Translate or voice-activated applications. The School also subscribes to Rosetta Stone, and all
students have free access to this program to facilitate language learning. Lastly, games, art,
music, maps and artefacts are used to help students make connections in their language
learning. Interactive Smartboards are also used to encourage a more interactive approach to
teaching and learning in order to accommodate the various learning styles of the students.

The community is considered a valuable resource to aid language learning. Students go on

numerous field trips such as to museums, libraries, theatres and cinemas where they have an
opportunity to use the host country language in context and gain an insight into the host
country culture. Guest speakers such as story tellers or representatives from different
organisations are frequently invited into school, and they may speak in English, in French or in
other students’ mother tongue languages. Throughout the year, students are exposed to
numerous celebrations linked to the diverse cultures within our community to promote
international mindedness and an appreciation of the host country’s culture.

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In order to source qualified external tutors for mother tongue and self-taught languages, the
Secondary School actively uses local resources such as embassies and libraries, as well as
through liaising with parents.

The involvement of parents is important in our School. They are able to expose students to
different mother tongue languages through visits to the library and classrooms and during
days such as Mother Tongue and Other Languages Day and International Day. Presentation
and communication skills in all languages are showcased to parents and other members of the
community through projects such as the grade 5 Exhibition, the grade 10 Personal Project,
Without Walls week, the art vernissage, the grade 8 Science Fair, and school productions
using local venues and associations.