Whole School Language Policy
At Danube International School Vienna we believe that language plays a vital role in supporting the school’s Vision, Mission and fulfilling its aims. The school community is plurilingual: many languages co-exist within it, and students are encouraged to compare languages and the cultures associated with them. Providing quality education in English for children of all nationalities implies a commitment to providing support for students with weak English, recognition of the important role that mainstream teachers play in developing students’ language competence and a belief in the importance of mother tongue development.
Language lessons can make a significant contribution to whole child development, since students learn not only language skills, but also the cultures connected with the language: they tackle issues which are relevant to young people and important to their development and exploit appropriate links with other subject areas.
Finally, since the school accepts students with a wide variety of language backgrounds, it is important that language provision is as flexible as possible. The Immersion ESL, ESL, English as a Language B and Privately-Taught Languages programs help to provide this flexibility, in order to create the most appropriate course of study for each individual student.
Definition of Language Courses
Language A: indicates that the language is taught in a way appropriate for students for whom that language is their mother tongue, or one of their mother tongues, or who have reached an equivalent standard in that language.
Language B: indicates that the language is taught in a way appropriate for students for whom that language is not their mother tongue and who have not reached an equivalent standard in that language.
ESL (English as a Second Language): students are those who have limited competence in English, and difficulty coping with mainstream lessons in English. These students need extra support in English. Some students may need immersion classes when they first attend school.
EMT (English through Mother Tongue): is our term for the program in the
Primary class and Grade 1 in which students learn literacy skills and Mathematics in their own
Mother Tongue where possible (at the moment English and German are offered).
PTL (Privately Taught Language): is used to refer to a language course which is taught by a private tutor (paid directly by the parents) under school supervision.
Mother Tongue
Mother tongue development is central to the development of cognitive skills in children. Students with good mother tongue skills develop good general language skills and therefore skills in English, the school’s language of instruction. Recognition and appreciation of students’ mother tongues increases their self-esteem, teaching them to take pride in their own language and the culture associated with it. Students learn literacy skills best in their mother tongue and the mother tongue is the language in which they can think most easily. This philosophy is clearly seen in the EMT program in the Elementary School.
Mainstream teachers are encouraged to recognize students’ mother tongues and home cultures in lessons and school life. It may be appropriate to allow students to do research in their mother tongue or present information bilingually, in the mother tongue and English. Co-operation between a student’s private mother tongue teacher and mainstream teachers is strongly encouraged. Mainstream teachers are encouraged to contact the mother tongue teacher through the Privately Taught Languages Coordinator if a student would benefit from extra work on a particular matter in the mother tongue.
Mother Tongue Program
The Privately Taught Languages Coordinator is responsible for organising the mother tongue program for students throughout the school. The private language teachers are qualified and/or experienced teachers. Lessons have to be paid for separately by parents.
The school makes rooms available for private language lessons, and provides facilities such as a photocopy card which can be borrowed free of charge and audio equipment. An effort is made to integrate private language teachers into the school staff, e.g. by inviting them to staff social functions and inviting them to share staff room facilities.
Standard Forms of Language
At DIS we believe that students should be exposed to the language and culture of different countries where each of the languages taught at school is spoken - no one form is considered "standard". Whether a teacher uses, for example, British or American English, and which is taught to the students is likely to depend on where that teacher is from, although the teacher should point out differences in expression or spelling where appropriate. In foreign language class students should be made aware of the different forms of the language they are learning, and taught English/American, German/Austrian or Spanish/South American vocabulary side by side where appropriate.
For the sake of consistency, official school documents are produced in British
English.
English is the language of instruction at DISV, so competence in English is key to a students’ success in other subject areas. English lessons, in particular English B and
ESL classes, have a role to play in teaching and reinforcing language skills needed in other mainstream subjects. However, we believe that mainstream teachers are also language teachers, and should be developing students’ language skills, especially those required in their particular subject area, as well as adapting their materials and teaching style to take account of the needs of students who are not native speakers of English. Mainstream teachers are encouraged to correct the main mistakes in English as well as content of written work, and to provide missing vocabulary where feasible.
ESL
ESL support is provided by the school for students with insufficient command of English to successfully access the mainstream curriculum. Withdrawal of ESL students from mainstream lessons is limited, as they benefit from the modelling of English of their fellow students. Students may only be required to pay for additional ESL classes if deemed necessary by the school. The parents should be made aware of this possibility before the student starts the school.
Handwriting
German mother tongue students learn the German handwriting style and non-German mother tongue students learn the New Nelson style in Elementary. In the Secondary School any style of handwriting is acceptable, provided that it is neat and legible.
Dictionaries
The school provides monolingual English dictionaries for use in class at school, as well as bilingual English/German, English/French and English/Spanish dictionaries for use in language lessons. Students are expected to buy their own dictionaries for use at home, as well as appropriate mono and bi-lingual dictionaries in their mother tongue.
Staff Recruitment and Professional Development
Elementary School classroom teachers should be native speakers of English or equivalent, since they play an important role in modelling the language to their students. In the Secondary School the ability to teach the appropriate subject is considered of more importance, although teachers must still have a very good command of English.
All mainstream teachers are encouraged to complete the ESL in the Mainstream course that is offered on site.
Admissions Policy
In the Elementary School students’ level of English is assessed in an interview during the admissions process. In the Secondary School they are given a placement test to determine their proficiency in English/ German/ French/ Spanish. Students may be accepted with limited or no English, provided that the school can provide adequate ESL support.
Since it is school policy to offer courses in German B as the host country language at beginner’s level (sometimes in mixed-ability groups) throughout the school up to
Grade 10, previous knowledge of German is not a condition of admission.
Students admitted with no or limited knowledge of French or Spanish may need private lessons to gain Matura equivalence (if they join the school too late to benefit from the provision offered).
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