The DIS language policy outlines that English is the primary language of instruction with Filipino taught as a second language. It recognizes that all teachers have a role in facilitating language development and describes supports for developing students' mother tongues. It also notes the need to improve provisions for students whose mother tongue is not English or Filipino.
The DIS language policy outlines that English is the primary language of instruction with Filipino taught as a second language. It recognizes that all teachers have a role in facilitating language development and describes supports for developing students' mother tongues. It also notes the need to improve provisions for students whose mother tongue is not English or Filipino.
The DIS language policy outlines that English is the primary language of instruction with Filipino taught as a second language. It recognizes that all teachers have a role in facilitating language development and describes supports for developing students' mother tongues. It also notes the need to improve provisions for students whose mother tongue is not English or Filipino.
The DIS language policy outlines that English is the primary language of instruction with Filipino taught as a second language. It recognizes that all teachers have a role in facilitating language development and describes supports for developing students' mother tongues. It also notes the need to improve provisions for students whose mother tongue is not English or Filipino.
The language of instruction at DIS is English, and Filipino, being the language of the host country is taught as a second language. The aim is that students work successfully in both languages.
Philosophy
Language is a major means of communicating, fundamental to learning, and is developed
across curriculum areas therefore; all teachers are teachers of language. The acquisition of language is a dynamic, life-long process that permeates all learning and is a key factor in intellectual growth and promotes the development of personal and international understanding. Learning language, learning about language, and learning through language is the most effective approach to teaching students. Language learning meets and is relevant to student needs within our environment. Effective teaching practice arises from a constructivist approach to learning, allowing students to build on prior knowledge and construct personal meaning. This should allow for differentiation to support students with varying abilities. Through meaningful interactions, we communicate with and understand others, the world and ourselves to develop intercultural awareness. The school community is a resource to foster language learning. The acceptance of additional languages enriches personal growth, enhances first language development, and promotes internationalism. The development of mother tongue is crucial for maintaining cultural identity.
Language Practices Reading Instruction at all levels in the school focus on the major teaching emphases: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Environment and Attitude
Use of Texts Contextual Understanding Conventions Processes and Strategies
Teaching Practices:
Explicitly teach students a range of reading strategies;
Encourage students to be aware of, apply, monitor and adjust reading strategies; Encourage students to apply reading strategies across the curriculum; Plan opportunities that involve students in problem solving to discover how text works; Plan opportunities to engage students in authentic reading events that build upon existing foundations
Provide time and support for students to reflect, represent and report on their reading, e.g. use of strategies; Model the process of reflection; Support students reading with a range of scaffolding; Provide specific and targeted feedback to guide students to independence; Devise plans to meet the needs of all students; Use a balance of small group, whole class and individual instruction; Create an environment where students feel free to take risks; Use a range of research-based reading procedures; Use a range of effective teaching and learning practices; Embed experiences in texts to build students knowledge Create reading experiences that are engaging, authentic, culturally and developmentally appropriate; Help students make connections between their current understanding and new learning; Plan experiences across subject areas to allow students to consolidate and integrate new understandings and skills; Work together to support students with different language learning needs.
Genres of Reading Students at appropriate developmental stages will be taught strategies and be encouraged to read broadly in a range of reading genres, including both fiction and nonfiction.
Assessment of Reading include:
Processes and strategies students apply in order to comprehend texts
Criteria and scope and sequence for reading
Writing Instruction at all levels in the school focus on the major teaching emphases: 1. Environment and Attitude 2. Use of Texts 3. Contextual Understanding 4. Conventions 5. Processes and Strategies
Teaching Practices:
Create a supportive environment that nurtures a community of writers;
Encourage students to experiment with difficult facets of writing; Expose students to a variety of text forms, and discuss features of each; Provide opportunities for students to craft a range of texts for authentic purposes and audiences; Encourage students to experiment with the manipulation of elements to compose a text; Foster students sense of personal voice and individual writing style; Teach students meta-language associated with writing and encourage its use Provide opportunities for students to explain their choice of text, information and ideas included or omitted and device used; Encourage students to represent characters, events, people, ideas to create special effects in literary or informational texts;
Encourage students to use writing to influence change;
Discuss how writers and readers knowledge, experiences and perspectives affect the composition and interpretation of the texts; Provide opportunities for students to develop, refine and use new vocabulary; Teach strategies, and help student build a bank of words they can automatically spell and use; Build and extend students knowledge about words and word parts, punctuation, parts of speech and their relationships; Teach students to construct and manipulate a variety of sentences and text forms; Build students semantic, graphophonic and syntactic knowledge, e.g. orthographic knowledge, cultural knowledge; Teach strategies used throughout the writing process; Teach and consolidate spelling strategies; Teach planning for writing; Encourage students to select and use publishing formats that best suit purpose and audience, e.g. website, video, portfolio; Model how to reflect on the writing process and products, and encourage students to do the same.
Purposes of writing Students at appropriate developmental stages will be taught and be given chances to apply in authentic contexts the following purposes of writing. Describe Recount Instruct Report Entertain Inquire Persuade Socialize
Assessment of Writing include:
Processes and strategies students apply in order to compose text
Criteria and scope and sequence for writing
Speaking and Listening
Teaching Practice
Create a supportive environment that nurtures students to become confident speakers and receptive listeners in English, Filipino and in other languages spoken Encourage students to experiment with difficult forms of speaking Plan for constructing and refining understanding of language through purposeful talk Encourage and practice active listening and discussion Teach and encourage the use of the language of social interaction Teach and encourage the use of the language of literacy and literary analysis Teach and encourage the use of the language of thinking Teach and encourage the use of formal language in oral presentations
Mother Tongue Support and Development
Actively encourage and educate parents about the reasons for mother tongue development Parents are encouraged to maintain the students mother tongue at home, and to try to maintain age appropriate academic language. This is a regular message given out at parent presentations. Parents are encouraged to use school premises to hold mother tongue appreciation or language learning classes.
Result of review conducted last January 2015:
Recommendations
The DIS language policy:
recognizes that, since language is central to learning, all teachers are, in practice, language teachers with responsibilities in facilitating communication
outlines how students are to learn at least one language in
addition to their mother tongue
describes how the development and maintenance of the
mother tongue for all learners is to be supported
ensures that there are practices in place to provide
inclusion and equity of access to the IB programme(s) offered by the school for all learners, including those who are learning in a language other than their mother tongue
improve provisions/support for foreign students
whose mother tongue is other than the English or Filipino language
describes how the language of the host country is to be
promoted
be more specific and explicit
recognizes that administrators, teachers, librarians and
other school staff will require professional development in the fields of language learning and teaching, and on how to make sure the language policy becomes a working document
indicate provisions for professional development
considers what resources and practices are to be used to
involve parents in planning their childrens language profile and development
explicitly indicate in the next revision
includes a comprehensive language profile of the school
community in order to take into consideration the particular socio cultural circumstances of each school community
indicate profile of students as each year there are
increasing number of foreign students enrolling
includes a school language philosophy that reflects the
interests of the whole school community
explicitly indicate the review process of the language
policy
stipulates the timing and responsibilities associated with a
review process, including roles and responsibilities for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the language policy as a working document is explicitly linked to other working documents such as assessment, admissions and special educational needs (SEN) policies
is communicated to the whole school community
(need further review and improvement)
(for PYP) considers how to...
-
promote inquiry based authentic language
learning
focus on the transdisciplinary nature of
language learning
incorporate the teaching and learning of
language into the programme of inquiry
develop the skills of listening, speaking, reading,
writing and media literacy
interrelate the skills of listening, speaking,
reading, writing and media literacy
provide for the teaching of additional languages
explicitly indicate in the next revision
promote consistency of practice in the teaching
and learning of all languages where more than one language of instruction is use
