PHILOSOPHY

We, at Sanjay Ghodawat International School, believe that language is fundamental to learning. The development of language is a critical component of the education of students. Mastery one language automatically helps in building self-confidence and a charm or magnetism that draws people to what one speaks. We ensure that students learn at least two languages during their school years and strive to learn more languages. We also emphasise the maintenance of students’ mother tongues, since it plays a major role in their learning and inter-cultural awareness. We acknowledge the cultural identity and background of the students and provide opportunities to obtain the skills required for building a language. Our language philosophy is aligned with the mission statement of our school.

At SGIS, we believe that all teachers are language teachers and that language is an essential component of teaching and learning. The school recognizes that language, a major means of thinking and communicating, is fundamental to learning, underpinning and permeating the whole curriculum. It is not only about ‘learning the language’, but more about learning through language and learning about language. We believe that language should be nurtured and that students should develop an appreciation for the richness of language and a love for literature.

THE LANGUAGE PROFILE OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY

The learning community at SGIS is diverse, having students, parents, teachers, and staff from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds. An overwhelming majority of students are Indian from various regions of India, with each region having its own regional language. Hindi is the national language of India. All the students use English as the language for communication. Almost all Indian students and parents are bilingual or multilingual, fluent in English, Hindi, and their regional language.

LANGUAGE COURSES OFFERED BY SCHOOL

To cater to these diverse cultural and linguistic needs, the school has made the following provisions for teaching languages:

• English is used as the language of instruction and the language of communication for the entire school learning
• English is taught as a first language in the ‘Language and Literature’ group for Hindi is also offered as part of the ‘Language and Literature’ group.
• Hindi, French, Spanish, and English options are given as part of the Language Acquisition group in DP.
• The school also offers other languages as an extra-curricular activity through the Optional Language

• Support for the mother tongue is provided through resources and mother tongue
• Provision of resources through the library with the assistance of the parent
• The Mother Tongue Club is conducted by the Librarian, with a group of teachers, parents, and students, to give students an opportunity to develop their mother tongue.
• English language learners who are unable to fully access the academic curriculum delivered in English receive specialised instruction in English language acquisition from qualified staff on a regular
• The library and media centre will be equipped with resources to support language learning through books, reading programmes, dictionaries, magazines, journals, and newspapers (in English and mother tongue). The resources will cater to the diversity of the school

The DP can be taught in the working languages. Language courses are offered in two of the subject groups:

LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE – GROUP 1

Language and literature – English and Hindi

SGIS offers language and literature courses which aims to develop students’ skills in textual analysis and their understanding of the texts. Students who are proficient in Hindi can opt for the Hindi Language and Literature course in DP.

LANGUAGE ACQUISITION COURSE – GROUP 2

Language B is an additional language-learning course designed for students with some previous learning of that language. It may be studied at either SL or HL. The main focus of the course is on language acquisition and the development of language skills. These language skills should be developed through the study and use of a range of written and spoken material. SG offers the following as Language B in IBDP:

• Hindi – HL and SL Level
• English – HL and SL Level
• French -SL
• French -Ab initio
• Spanish -Ab initio

(Language Ab Initio: It is designed for students with little or no experience of the target language)

BILINGUAL DIPLOMA:

The IB places a strong emphasis on students’ mother tongue development. One’s cultural identity is a by-product of one’s interaction with one’s social environment. The school environment, hence, contributes heavily to shaping a student’s sense of self, stemming from deep-set cultural pride.

Due to huge parental demand and, English is offered as Language A. However, SGIS promotes bilingual diploma and offers DP students, Hindi as an option for Language A, as it is the host country’s language and the mother tongue of most of the students, thus enabling a student to have a bilingual Diploma. For bilingual Diploma the school offers Hindi and English languages in Group 1.

SELF-TAUGHT OPTION:

In order to further support mother-tongue entitlement, the school ensures provision for self-taught courses. This ensures that, even if the school is unable to provide a teacher for a language A subject, a carefully planned self-taught course can be followed, with the student’s work being accurately assessed to the same standard as students who have followed the course with a teacher.

Where a student’s mother tongue cannot be supported through a taught language A class, the school- supported self-taught option is available at language A: literature SL.

The term “school-supported self-taught student” is used to stress the vital role the school plays in supporting students who undertake the study of language A: literature at SL without the assistance of a teacher of that language.

MOTHER TONGUE CLUBS:

Maintenance of the mother tongue is central to our cognitive, affective, and cultural development. The school offers Mother Tongue Clubs to engage students in their mother tongue. To this end, the library builds resources to support the mother tongue. Parents and community members are invited to help the school in building activities and recognize and support each and every aspect of mother tongue development. Additional languages taught at SGIS, enrich our linguistic, intellectual, and social growth, thereby guiding the students towards higher confidence and self-respect.

INCLUSION / LEARNING DIFFERENCES / LANGUAGE SUPPORT PROGRAMME:

When a student has been identified with language difficulties, support is provided through the Language Support Programme. These students are given support and resources so that they can reach a certain level of proficiency in the English language.

The Learning Support department works with teachers to help them meet the needs of students identified with special language learning needs. This support can be formalised through an In-class Support Plan or an Individual Education Plan, and can include both short- and long-term interventions.

If the identified student speaks English as an additional language, the Language department works closely with the Learning Support department and other teachers to provide the best service for the individual student.

ESL SUPPORT:

The ESL (English as a Second Language) Department supports the needs of students from vernacular backgrounds or students who have limited skills in English.

Students are assessed at the time of admission for their English proficiency. Also, at the beginning of the academic year, teachers assess the English language skills of the existing students. In the Diploma Programme, students are assessed by the ESL department using standardized tests. Depending on the result, the student is given the opportunity to receive learning support from the ESL department. This includes reinforcement in grammar, vocabulary, writing, and reading.

ROLE OF TEACHERS IN DEVELOPING LANGUAGE:

All teachers at SGIS are language teachers and have a responsibility to develop student language through their curriculum. In their day-to-day teaching and learning, they develop the language of students through the scaffolding of command terms and terminology, connecting present knowledge with prior knowledge, developing self-affirmation in students, and through extended learning.

ROLE OF PARENTS IN STUDENT LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT:

Parents play a significant role in students’ language development. School involves parents in developing the language profile of the child. Parents are given the option to choose the languages that the student will learn at the time of admission and when graduating from 10^th grade to DP. Parents are also encouraged to help the school build up resources for mother tongue development. Parents who are proficient in their mother tongue are requested to help the school in the mother tongue clubs.

 THE ROLE OF THE LIBRARY

The library is fundamental to the language programme at SGIS. The library provides a learning space and an environment to promote a love for reading, and books, as well as a place for research. The school sees the library as a valuable resource to promote the international mindedness aspect of the IB programme. The library is also seen as a place that makes a strong statement that all languages are celebrated and supported. The library has a collection of bilingual books, and books in regional languages of India, and the school continues to add to this collection. The library also provides resources for collaborative planning, research, and teacher professional development. Our school management is aware of the need to expand these resources and there are plans to continually add to them. The librarian, as well as homeroom teachers, conduct book discussions, read aloud, help

conduct research and help students browse and pick up books. The library team also conducts various events throughout the year, like author’s week, poetry month, celebrating an author’s birthday, etc. To promote reading as a school culture. The librarian incorporates multilingual books for the students. Teachers collaboratively make decisions on what resources to purchase every year and submit the list to the librarian. Books in English, Gujarati, and Hindi, as well as books on culture and other resources, are also available in the library for the students and teachers.

THE steering committee and review cycle

All policies at Sanjay Ghodawat International School are reviewed every year. The Steering Committee, which includes Programme Coordinators, Heads of Departments, Librarians, Parent Representatives, Student Representatives, and Administrators, shares and discusses the progress of the policy implementation. The latest relevant IB publications and developments are taken into consideration. The school policies are then reviewed and changes or modifications are proposed. These changes and modifications are discussed within the steering committee and the Pedagogical leadership team. Their inputs are taken into consideration and the policies are concluded and sent to the school for approval. After the approval from the head of school. After the approval from the head of school the policy is finalized

Bibliography

IBO. Academic Honesty in the IB Educational Context. Geneva: International Baccalaureate Organization, Nov. 2016. PDF.

IBO. Diploma Programme General Regulations: Diploma Programme. Geneva: International Baccalaureate Organization, Sept. 2016. PDF.

IBO. Diploma Programme: From Principles into Practice for Use from August 2015. Geneva: International Baccalaureate Organization, Apr. 2015. PDF.

IBO. Effective Citing and Referencing. Geneva: International Baccalaureate Organization, Aug. 2014. PDF.