PYP Language Workshop for Parents (January 2013)

1. LANGUAGE IN THE PYP
Workshop for Parents
22 January 2013

2. INTRODUCTION: JOBS
 With a partner, make a list of jobs for which
language is important (2 minutes).
 In a group decide on the three jobs for which
language is most important (4 minutes).

3. VIEWS ABOUT LANGUAGE
 Quote from Caroline Kennedy: ‘Wanting to
express yourself is really the heart of
education.’
 The development of language is fundamental
to our instinctive need to communicate; it
supports and enhances our thinking and
understanding. (PYP Language Scope and
Sequence. 2009)

4. THINK PUZZLE EXPLORE:
VISIBLE THINKING ROUTINE
Language in the PYP:
 What do you think you know about this
topic?
What questions or puzzles do you have?
How can you explore this topic?
 (8 minutes altogether)

5. AIMS OF THIS WORKSHOP
 W.I.L.F: To be actively involved in this
workshop through you trying out activities
and asking and answering questions.
 T.I.B: The more you know about how
language is learnt and taught at our school,
the more able you are to help your children.

6. WORKSHOP AGENDA
 What do we believe about language and about
how language is learnt? What does the BIS
Language Policy say?
 What type of strategies and learning
engagements do our teachers use when
developing students’ language skills and
understandings?
 How is language broken down in the
curriculum?
 Why is mother tongue development so
important?
 Where can we get more information?

7. GET THE PICTURE
 Look at the picture and decide how it makes
you feel. In groups, take it in turns to pick
out a card and then analyse the picture using
that particular question.

9. WHY ASK STUDENTS TO WORK WITH IMAGES?
 encourages students to think about real-life
issues
 helps students critically analyse visual texts
 encourages important dialogue that can lead to
further inquiry, e.g. through reading
 helps teacher gain insight into students’ level of
understanding about the events/issues
illustrated
 develops oral skills and other aspects of
language
 leads realistically to other language work, e.g.

10. LANGUAGE STRANDS
 What are the language strands in the PYP
curriculum?

11. LANGUAGE STRANDS
 Oral language (listening & speaking)
 Visual language (viewing & presenting)
 Written language (reading & writing)
 Each strand is considered from both the
receptive aspect – receiving & constructing
meaning, and expressive aspect – creating &
sharing meaning.
 The strands of written, oral and visual language
are represented by four continuums: listening
& speaking; viewing & presenting; reading;
writing.

12. LANGUAGE STRANDS
Listen to some descriptions of each strand. Each
corner of the library represents one of the
following:
 listening and speaking
 viewing and presenting
 reading
 writing
Run to a corner depending on what you hear.
Making the PYP happen. p. 72-74

13. PYP LANGUAGE SCOPE AND SEQUENCE
 Each strand is summarised in a list of overall
expectations (see subject overview) Y:Teaching
Staff00 CurriculumApproved Curriculum
DocumentsEnglish Language and Literature2012-13
language overview EC1-G5.docx
 The four language continuums are organised into five
developmental phases.
 Conceptual understandings are developed at each
phase.
 Evidence of these understandings is described in the
learning outcomes for each phase.
PYP Language scope and sequence. p. 3-4

14. LANGUAGE GRADE LEVEL MAPS
 Look at the examples of language grade
level maps. The grade level is missing! Can
you work out the grades?
 The example visual text (‘Get the picture’)
could be used, for example, with the grade 2
‘Sharing the planet’ unit.

15. CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDINGS
 Read the following text from the BIS
language policy (extract only) and suggest a
suitable title.
 Find the relevant conceptual understanding
in the G2 language grade level map

16. WHAT’S THE TITLE?
At BIS we believe that language is integral to identity and the development of
language is fundamental to the need to communicate; it supports and enhances our
thinking and understanding. This learning process involves learning language,
learning about language and learning through language. Language supports
conceptual development and both critical and creative thinking, with children
learning to plan, evaluate and reason through social interaction. Language is the
primary instrument for acquiring essential knowledge and skills. A student’s first
language is important as a basis and tool to learn other languages. Mother tongue
development is therefore emphasised. Language development supports the
process of concept-driven inquiry that moves the student from his/her current level
of understanding to a new and deeper level of understanding. Inquiry can take
many forms, including:
 Exploring, wondering and questioning
 Making connections between prior learning and current learning
 Making predictions and deciding what to do in order to confirm or reject them
 Collecting, organising and evaluating data and reporting findings
 Solving problems.
From Bandung International School Language Policy (extract only)

17. EXAMPLE CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING
‘Identifying the main ideas in the
text helps us to understand what
is important.’
(Grade 2 ‘Sharing the planet’ unit of inquiry:
Reading conceptual understanding)

18. L1 ACQUISITION
‘When children are acquiring their first
language they hear phrases and understand
the general meaning before they understand
the individual words because the context - the
information, ideas and situations - is clear. The
child’s ability to interpret situations makes it
possible for him or her, through testing
hypotheses, and inferring, to learn language.’
BIS Language Policy

19. HERE’S THE ANSWER, WHAT’S THE QUESTION?
 Look at some different but related
statements.
 Can you work out the question?

20. HERE’S THE ANSWER…
Interaction is meaningful with the emphasis on communication rather than avoiding errors.
Students’ personal contributions, cultures and mother tongues are valued and respected.
Mother tongue language development is actively encouraged and supported. Discussions in a
language other than English enable ideas to be discussed and learning to be consolidated.
Students’ prior knowledge, experiences and beliefs are used as the starting point for language
development.
Students’ preferred learning styles are acknowledged and accommodated.
Language learning takes place in clear, meaningful and whenever possible authentic, contexts.
Students are provided with contextual support and other forms of scaffolding (e.g. questioning, use
of graphic organizers and concept mapping) to allow learners of different levels of cognitive and
linguistic ability to complete tasks.
Students are exposed to a range of activity types which develop thinking skills and help learners
work from the most basic use of language to more complex uses.
Attention is paid to functional language, for example the language used to make requests or to ask
for permission.
Language is recycled and students are given regular opportunities to work with others (e.g. group
and pair work) when they can discuss new ideas, solve problems and learn through doing.
Students are given opportunities to develop their background knowledge of different cultural and
social norms through extensive experience of spoken and written texts.
The strands of oral, written and visual communication are integrated across all areas of the
curriculum throughout the school.
The culture of the classroom is collaborative and inclusive, creating an environment where students
are motivated and self-confident and feel able to take risks in their language learning.
Students are helped to see patterns and regularities in language.
Purposeful, structured inquiry is seen as the ideal vehicle for language development.

21. WHAT’S THE QUESTION?
‘When do we believe that students
learn additional languages best?’

22. STRATEGIES THAT ARE INCLUSIVE AND SUPPORTIVE OF ESL STUDENTS.
(ADAPTED FROM DECS (2007). TEACHING ESL STUDENTS IN MAINSTREAM CLASSROOMS: LANGUAGE IN LEARNING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM. 2. ED.
HINDMARSH SOUTH AUSTRALIA: DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND CHILDREN'S SERVICES. P. 22.)
Look at the following list of strategies.
Choose 3 you think are very important,
2 you think are important, and 1 you
think is not important.
Classroom environment
 Allowing the use of the students’
Mother Tongue when appropriate
 Creating an environment of mutual
respect and openness to other
languages and cultures
 Creating a friendly atmosphere
which encourages risk-taking
 Seeing each student as an
individual, each with varied
experiences, learning styles,
interests and skills
Inclusive curriculum
 Having a variety of materials e.g.
texts, illustrations and examples that
reflect students’ backgrounds and
cultures
 Valuing students’ background
experience and prior knowledge and
encouraging them to build
connections with existing knowledge
 Moving students around the
classroom and having a variety of
groupings
 Monitoring ESL student progress and
providing support
 Modifying assessment by giving
student alternative ways to show their
learning (e.g. oral explanations rather
than written work)
 Allowing some of the learning to be
carried out in the mother tongue

23. MOTHER TONGUE DEVELOPMENT
The language profiles of students in PYP schools are often complex
and diverse and the influence of mother-tongue development is
significant for all learners. Development of mother tongue language
is crucial for cognitive development, and cultural identity. Success in
mother-tongue development is a strong predictor of long-term
academic achievement, including acquisition of other languages. –
MTPYPH p. 1
Educators need to understand the important potential role of
language in cultivating intercultural awareness and international-
mindedness. The pedagogical approach to language learning
should:
 be open and inclusive
 affirm each learner’s identity and autonomy
 promote critical thinking.
Language wraps itself around, in, through and between everything
that we teachers and learners do in the classroom. (Ritchhart 2002:
141)

24. THE IMPORTANCE OF MOTHER TONGUE
 Why is mother tongue important?
 What happens if mother tongue is not
maintained?

26. WHY IS MOTHER TONGUE IMPORTANT?
“BIS encourages the development of the mother tongue and first
languages of students through an ethos of acceptance and
celebration of linguistic diversity within the community. There is also
recognition that a strong level of competency in the mother tongue
or first language of students can be an important ingredient in their
success as learners of additional languages. Certainly, learners with
basic literacy skills in their mother tongue are able to transfer some
of these understandings and concepts when learning another
language.” From BIS Language Policy
The diverse multilingual, multicultural and multimodal attributes of
learners are resources for further learning and for the development
of critical literacy. Language learning, multilingualism and the
development of critical literacy are considered important factors in
promoting intercultural awareness and international-mindedness. –
Languages and learning in IB programmes page 9

27. HOW DO WE PROMOTE MOTHER TONGUE
DEVELOPMENT?
 Signage in different languages
 Acceptance of mother tongue use on
campus, provided that it does not exclude
anyone
 Allowing the use of mother tongue in class
and in displays when appropriate
 Variety of materials from different cultures
 Home Languages Fabulous Friday

32. IB STANDARDS AND PRACTICES
• The school places importance on language learning,
including mother tongue, host country language and other
languages. (“Section A: Philosophy”—standard A, 7).
• Collaborative planning and reflection recognizes that all
teachers are responsible for language development of
students. (“Section C: Curriculum”—standard C1, 8).
• Teaching and learning addresses the diversity of student
language needs, including those for students learning in a
language(s) other than mother tongue. (“Section C:
Curriculum”—standard C3, 7).
• Teaching and learning demonstrates that all teachers are
responsible for language development of students. (“Section
C: Curriculum”—standard C3, 8).

33. HOW ARE LANGUAGE PRACTICES CHANGING?
Classify the statements into two groups
 Increased emphasis on versus
 Decreased emphasis on.

34. How are language practices changing?
Increased emphasis on: Decreased emphasis on:
promoting integrated language development teaching language as isolated strands
language as a transdisciplinary element
throughout the curriculum
language as a separate discipline
additional-language teachers viewed (and viewing
themselves) as PYP teachers
additional-language teachers seen as solely single-
subject teachers
a literature-based approach to learning language using skill-drill texts and workbooks to learn
language
a teaching approach that sees making mistakes in
language as inevitable and necessary for learning
a teaching approach that focuses on encouraging
students not to make mistakes in language
reading for meaning decoding only for accuracy
reading selected according to interest level reading selected according to decoding level
student-selected reading materials teacher-directed reading materials
making world classics available for reading having only school classics available for reading
making culturally diverse reading material
available
having only monocultural reading materials
available
focusing on meaning when reading and writing focusing primarily on accuracy when reading and
writing
encouraging appropriate cooperative discussion in
the classroom
enforcing silent, individual work in the classroom
students engaged in spontaneous writing students carrying out teacher-imposed writing
a variety of scaffolded learning experiences—with
the teacher providing strategies for the student to
build on his or her own learning
activities where teachers simply model language
for students

35. REFLECTION
Think about today’s workshop and together
complete the sentences on the dice. One
person throws a dice and ask the others in the
group the questions, e.g. ‘What was the most
interesting part for you?’; ‘What is the most
puzzling?’; ‘The most challenging?

36. BELIEFS AND VALUES IN LANGUAGE
 Language stands at the center of the many
interdependent cognitive, affective, and social
factors that shape learning.
David Corson, Language Policy in Schools: A Resource for Teachers and
Administrators (1999)
Language is the major connecting element across
the curriculum. The focus is not only on language
for its own sake, but also on its application across
the subject areas and throughout the
transdisciplinary programme of inquiry. (See MTPYPH
p. 69)

37. HOW TO FIND OUT MORE
The Primary Years Programme
http://www.ibo.org/communications/publications/index.cfm
Towards a continuum of international education
http://occ.ibo.org/ibis/documents/general/g_0_iboxx_amo_0
809_1_e.pdf
 Class newsletters, blogs and iBIS
 BIS website http://www.bisedu.or.id
 for language policy - http://www.bisedu.or.id/site/download/category/6-
policy.html
 for language curriculum documents -
http://www.bisedu.or.id/site/download/category/1-language-arts-and-els.html
 PYP notice board and wall of fame
 Fabulous Friday class presentations, e.g. Viewing and Presenting
 Parent workshops
 Ask your child / your child’s teacher/me; or Look at your child’s portfolio

38. DID WE ACHIEVE OUR GOALS?
 What do we believe about language and about
how language is learnt? What does the BIS
Language Policy say?
 What type of strategies and learning
engagements do our teachers use when
developing students’ language skills and
understandings?
 How is language broken down in the
curriculum?
 Why is mother tongue development so
important?
 Where can we get more information?

39. THANK YOU FOR COMING!