1 / 16

After-School Language Courses at WAB - Empowering Multilingual Learners

Explore the benefits of studying two additional languages alongside MT, challenges, solutions, and considerations for your child's language education. Pilot program details and key points for enrollment. Contact our educational team for more information.

kamal-arnold
Download Presentation

After-School Language Courses at WAB - Empowering Multilingual Learners

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. After-School/Noon Hour Language Coursesat WAB May 12, 2008

  2. Agenda Welcome A word from 1 of our students who currently studies 2 languages Goals Challenges Study of Two Additional Languages Pilot Program 2006-2009 Realities And Important Considerations For You And Your Child Student Characteristics MYP - IBDP Language Continuum The Importance of Students Having a Firmly Embedded MT Question and Answers

  3. A Word From Our Student • Fabienne Derks • Grade 7 • Studies MT Dutch and Mandarin Chinese • Is currently completing her 2nd year in additional language programme

  4. Goals • Allow students to study two languages (in addition to English) or to study an additional language while enrolled in our EAP or LSP programs • Assist our students in maintaining their MT • Connect our beliefs about languages with our course structure and language offerings • Seek a sustainable model

  5. Challenges • Developing programs that meet our students’ needs • Developing programs that match our philosophy/beliefs • Fitting programs within our MYP framework • Developing strategies for solutions • Curricular Balance • Timetable • Staffing • Costs • Critical Mass • Sustainability

  6. Study of Two Additional Languages Pilot Program 2006-2009 2007-2009 Timetable Solutions: • Courses offered through a combination of after-school/lunch hour lessons • Total of 150 Minutes per week (as opposed to 200 minutes) • Possible Course Timetable Structure: 80 minutes on Tuesday, 35 minutes on Monday & Thursday 75 minutes on Tuesday and Thursday • Key Points: Offered a minimum of twice per week • Flexibility of times offered can meet the needs of that student group

  7. Lunch and After-School Language Courses 2008/09 • Foundation Chinese • Standard 1 Chinese • Standard 2 Chinese • Advanced Chinese • Foundation 2 Spanish • Standard 1 Spanish • Beginner French or Beginner Spanish (only 1) • Foundation 2 French • Standard 1French • Mother Tongue French • Available depending upon enrollment of 4 or more students per class Priority for course enrollment will be given to students who are currently in this program

  8. MSHS Spanish/French Program Chart

  9. Important Considerations for You and Your Child • Noon Hour/After School Course is a Ninth Course with full curriculum, course demands and extra homework • Time constraints • Course times will be offered during some ASA times (thus conflict for some students) • One or two shortened lunch hours for students • Full year course • This course is much more rigorous, demanding than language ASAs • All Mother Tongue Language Courses are subject to an additional fee (approximately between 16,000 rmb - 21000 rmb per student) • The Noon Hour/After School is a PILOT program and could be discontinued, or come with extra fee for future years

  10. Characteristics of Successful Student Candidates to Study Two Additional Languages • Motivation • Commitment • Organization • Effort • Facility for language learning

  11. Importance of MaintainingMother Tongue Developing MT language and literacy: • Facilitates learning additional language(s) • Ensures continuous cognitive development • Enables intercultural awareness • Increases positive re-adjustment to home community

  12. Implications If Students Do Not Have Firmly Embedded Mother Tongue: • Vocabulary development becomes limited • Inferential comprehension is difficult • Abstract concepts are difficult to grasp • Grammar is simplistic • Sentence structure is basic • Written depth and detail is lacking

  13. Mother Tongue and the IB • Students can have their MT accredited by the IB – this can be applied for with help of the MYP Coordinator. • MT is recognized on MYP and IBDP certificates • Amount of student subject requirements are reduced when MT certification is noted • There is no set hour requirement for MT courses but it is the equivalent of Language A. Ideally you would be looking for an hour + per week. • The IB actively discourages IB schools from taking students out of any subject group as a whole for the purpose of mother tongue or additional language study.

  14. Questions? We are happy to answer any questions. For further information we can also be contacted at: Donna Connolly, MS Principal, dconnolly@wab.edu David Wood, HS Assistant Principal, dwood@wab.edu Brian Pretty, HOD French/Spanish/Dutch, bpretty@wab.edu Hui Xu, HOD Mandarin Chinese, hxu@wab.edu Wenjing Wang, Coordinator WS Mandarin Chinese, wjwang@wab.edu

More Related