LANGUAGE POLICY

Purpose of Academic Integrity Policy

We, at Harvest International School, view linguistic diversity at our school as a rich resource for achieving the ideals of intercultural understanding and international – mindedness. We believe that the maintenance and development of a mother tongue is crucial to cognitive development and maintaining cultural identity. Language is central to inquiry, communication and self-expression in every area of the curriculum and all aspects of life. Thus, the development of language is viewed as a shared responsibility of all stakeholders of our learning community. We view every member of the teaching community as a facilitator of language development.

Our goal is to:

Learn the language, as students use it to communicate.

Learn about language, as students develop an understanding of how it works. Learn through language, as students use it as a tool to understand, think, and reflect.

Languages offered at Harvest International School

At Harvest, English is the medium of instruction and students study all their academic subjects in English. English is used in all school publications, on the website, on any

signage, for communication with students, parents as well as among staff members. English is the main language of instruction and coordination, Hindi is the national language, French is an international language and Kannada is the regional language that is part of the school curriculum.

At Harvest, Language and Literature, language is English from MYP 1 onwards as per IB Subject Groups and in PYP the language of instruction (English) is integrated to the units of inquiry .

From Grade 1, they are introduced to national language Hindi and regional language Kannada in accordance with the regulations of the Government. There is a choice between Hindi/ Kannada/French for students from Grade 3.

However, spoken Kannada is taught in PYP as part of promoting local language profiles for those students who have not opted Kannada as the second language. For students who have opted Kannada as their second language, a choice is given for spoken languages Hindi/French.

Learning these languages is mandatory as mandated by national and regional language initiatives. In parallel to the integration of the second language and state language instruction, the framework of the school leads to the needs of the individual and illustrates the values of the IB. (As per the MYP Program, Standards and Practices).

The second Language is Hindi/ French and it is termed as Language Acquisition from MYP 1 onwards as per IB Subject Groups. But in PYP it is only termed as a second language.

In PYP for grade 1 and 2 Kannada, Hindi and Spoken French are mandatory for all the students and from PYP 3 they have a choice of choosing their second language.

Language Pathways

The language pathway is implementation of our philosophy statement into action and exhibits how our school facilitates learners achieving mastery in language learning. The school brings on board qualified professional language teachers for both Language and Literature and Language Acquisition. We provide our administrators, teachers with annual professional development. Hence, all the languages are taught holistically. All the language programmes have detailed learning outcomes for the strands of all the criteria(listening, Reading, speaking and writing). We nurture an authentic inquiry based learning environment.

ENTRY AND EXIT POINTS FOR LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

PYP

The Programme of Inquiry provides an authentic context for learners to develop and use language. Wherever possible, language is taught through the relevant authentic contexts of the units of inquiry. The six skill areas in the PYP years include listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and presenting.

Entry point in MYP:

When moving from PYP, the school helps students to select a language at the time of admission based on their prior engagements and a pre assessment test.

Once a language is chosen in PYP3 as a second language the student must continue with the same language during the complete learning process until MYP 5. Any change of language in the middle of the academic years, the decision will be subject to the assessment given by the concerned language acquisition teachers and the existing Coordinators of PYP and MYP, according to all 4 criterias (listening, reading, speaking and writing) of IB framework.

• When moving from PYP, the students will have the option to choose between French and Hindi as their Language Acquisition subject.
• A Pre-assessment will be conducted for the chosen language at each grade level and the student will be placed in the appropriate phase based on the same. This process will also involve discussion with the Language teacher, Program Coordinator and the parent if deemed necessary.

Movement of Phases in MYP:

• Language skill needs to be developed through the years and hence we recommend that once the student opts for a certain language in MYP 1, they continue the same through MYP 5.
• In special cases, if the student wishes to opt for a different language in MYP 2/ MYP 3 the same will be considered provided the student has at least 2-3 years of exposure to the chosen language previously (in PYP or equivalents) or if it is their

• native language. However, a pre-assessment will be conducted for the same; This process will also involve discussion with the language teacher, program coordinator and the parent.
• The option for changing the language in MYP 4 or MYP 5 will not be provided unless the chosen language of the student in their previous academic year is not offered at Harvest . In such cases, the student needs to be provided with extra support to learn the chosen language.

Repetition of Phases:

Depending on the student’s readiness and achievement levels, it is possible that a student may repeat a phase for a consecutive year. However, this should not be considered as a failure as this is done only for the benefit of the student and to provide help and support in learning the language better. Also, the curriculum is designed in such a way that even if a student repeats a phase, they will not be learning the same content and will be introduced to different topics with more emphasis and assistance on language structure.

Teaching language in MYP

The ability to perceive and comprehend language is acquired through language acquisition.The Language Acquisition component of the Middle Year Program 1 through 5, accomplishes oral communication, visual interpretation, reading comprehension, and writing skills in another language while building on the experiences and knowledge gained in the Primary Years.

In collaboration with teachers, parents, counselors, and administration, students choose their language of study. In MYP Year 1, students begin learning their chosen language and continue throughout higher grades. Language acquisition study in middle school must be maintained in the same language for the entire five-year middle school period, and students who complete this requirement are well prepared to enter the post- secondary educational opportunities. New applicants are assessed for their language competency through reviewing previous reports, observation, entry assessments and interviews.

DP :

MYP Language Acquisition leads to smooth transition into Language Acquisition in Diploma Programme as per the pathways set up by IB.

Exit Point in MYP

In MYP, language acquisition is organized into six phases. However, currently based on the achievement level of the students, Harvest has up to Phase 2 in the two languages that have been offered. The phases 3, 4, 5 and 6 will be added progressively depending on the readiness, eligibility and achievement level of the students.

It is to be noted that according to the IB it is not mandatory that the student needs to complete all the 6 phases by the end of MYP and the students can exit MYP at any phase level as this will again depend on their achievement level during their progression through phases.

With more than 15 different mother tongues, the ethnic background of students fluctuates from the middle class to affluent families. The family network is a fusion of businessmen, professionals from a wide range of industries. Both organizational and teaching personnel communicate in English, who are most proficient in at at least one additional language. Harvest is deeply committed to and invests in competent, knowledgeable language teachers for all language programs.

The language curriculum at Harvest has unique, articulated learning outcomes illustrating the four strands of language that create and encourage

a rigorous academic standard:

• Listening and Speaking
• Viewing and Presenting
• Reading
• Writing

Principles and Practices of Teaching Language

In order to develop fluent communicators, we believe that:

• Language has an important role in affirming and expressing identity, impacting on self-efficacy and students’ beliefs in their ability to succeed.
• Language learning is an interplay between learning language, learning through language and learning about language
• English language teaching integrates and develops language skills in reading, writing, viewing, and presenting, listening and speaking.
• The Assessed curriculum, which is concerned with the assessment of the actual learning that takes place for each student, happens in the form of formative and summative assessments at different stages of the unit. The students are trained in school for taking up the MYP Onscreen Assessment in Year 5.
• Teachers apply differentiation as a central element of language teaching and learning. Teaching and assessments are thoughtfully applied to suit individual needs, abilities and learning styles.
• Every teacher in the school is responsible for language development. The school’s Support / Counseling Unit highlights areas for improvement, designs an action plan, and sets a schedule for meeting with the student on a need basis.
• Along with language differentiation within the classroom, language teachers support students with a Guided Reading Program which addresses reading skills, strategies and conceptual understandings necessary to become competent, motivated and independent readers.

• We at Harvest are dedicated to providing an equitable and unbiased environment for learning. Harvest International School acknowledges the ability of ATLs to develop language skills and uses these approaches to language learning. In teaching, training, and evaluation, the stages of language development, as indicated in the IB programme model, are being used to define the extent of learners and provide adequate support.
• The school enforces time, space, work, and people for those who require special assistance in English. Records from the Induction Program generated at the time of initiation can be used to provide adequate support for language acquisition. Formative assessment programs for different learning needs, tests to recognize strengths and limitations in linguistic sectors of language will be undertaken to provide appropriate support. Review papers will be examined in terms of planning experimental research. Interdisciplinary units are also targeted at building the joint responsibility of teachers to cultivate the language development among students.

Beliefs and Standards

The beliefs of teaching and learning of languages at Harvest International School are in alignment with the IB Standards and Practices

• The school places importance on language learning, including mother tongue, host country language, and other languages. (Standard A7)
• The school supports access for students to the IB programme(s) and philosophy.
• The school strongly encourages participation for all students. (Standard A9a)
• The school has developed and implements language policy that is consistent with IB expectations. (Standard B1.5a)
• Teaching and learning address the diversity of student language needs, including those for students learning in a language(s) other than their mother tongue. (Standard C3:7)
• Teaching and learning demonstrate that all teachers are responsible for language development of students. (Standard C3:8)

Developing International Mindedness

The Role of Mother Tongue and Student Language Profile

The role of Mother Tongue refers to the dialect most frequently and confidently used to socialize in a home and family scenario. At Harvest International School, we acknowledge the importance of establishing and maintaining student literacy in their mother tongue for their personal, social and scholastic growth. We assume that the growth of a student’s native language will accelerate the pace of language acquisition,

including English and non-English languages, as well as facilitate achievement in all subjects, enhance self-esteem and enhance intercultural awareness and international understanding. The mother tongue endorses learner learning by expediting access to and perceptual conceptions that drive the curriculum, and by subverting meaning as mandated. Students are therefore actively encouraged to use their mother tongue to authenticate the curriculum and to cultivate personal success.

Bhasha Sangam – Family language clubs has been introduced to IB with a belief of promoting intercultural understanding and respect and to promote mother tongue.