At SJI International, we are very proud of our culturally and linguistically diverse community. We realise that it is very important for students to maintain ties to their home language and culture. In order to help our community with this hugely important task, we run a parent-funded Home Language Programme.
The aim of this programme is to help support the home language learning of students who are in our school community. Students will be encouraged to study their home language to a high proficiency and will be able to study this language through the IB Diploma, aiming to achieve a bilingual diploma (two groups 1 subjects: home language and English). There is a possibility of students studying their home language as a second language, depending on the language level of the student.
The Home Languages that we currently offer are Japanese, Korean, French, Thai, Vietnamese, German, Italian and Russian.
The importance of maintaining one's Home Language
Living away from the home language and culture means, for many of our expatriate families, that maintaining the language becomes increasingly difficult. The child could feel disconnected from the home culture, may not see the value in learning their home language and feel that English is more important. Research into language acquisition has discovered, however, that having a strong home language is crucial to the development of the child. The following has been proposed by Jim Cummins, a professor at the University of Toronto and an expert in the area of Home Language and First Language Acquisition. You can read the article about First Language Acquisition written by Jim Cummins here: the article also includes other links to First Language Acquisition research.
Reasons why students should maintain their Home Language:
- Students who are fully bilingual may have more flexibility in thinking as they are able to process information at a deeper level in more than one language.
- Students who have a strong first language are better learners of subsequent languages.
- Instruction in the Home Language helps students not only develop their mother tongue, but will help them become better at English.
- Schools should cultivate a culture of additive bilingualism (where languages are added to a child) rather than subtractive bilingualism (where languages are subtracted from a child). This leads to the child feeling a sense of acceptance and self-worth and increases self-esteem.
Cummins (2000)
The different types of bilingualism can be illustrated in the following diagrams: (Cummins, J. 1981, Bilingualism and minority language children, Toronto: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education)
This image shows Additive Bilingualism. This child has both a strong first and second language, which is fully supported by a developed, common underlying proficiency where the ability of abstract thought and deeper cognitive processes are common between two languages.
The goal of this programme
At SJI International we aim to create an environment in which students can experience Additive Bilingualism by maintaining and developing their Home Language in conjunction with developing their English skills.
The Home Language Programme is for students whose language is not currently taught as part of our school curriculum. The Home Language Programme is also for students who have a strong cultural connection to another language, perhaps through family members or spending an extended amount of time in another country. It also caters for students who are studying a MOE Mother Tongue-in-lieu language. The aim of this programme is to provide a pathway for students through to the IB Diploma, and in most cases, to study two first languages and therefore achieve a Bilingual Diploma.
These teachers come to the school, during the timetabled language periods, for two lessons per week. For the third lesson, students are given self-study work to be completed for the following week. Students, if they have been studying Chinese, Tamil, Malay, Indonesian, Hindi or Spanish as part of the normal school curriculum, are withdrawn from their current timetabled additional language once they join the Home Language Programme.
Depending on the level of the student, they will be able to study their home language at either a first or second language level. As these are two distinct courses with different objectives and curriculum goals, first language and second language students will not be taught together in the same class.
Whom this programme is for
In the first instance, this programme is for students studying on Dependent and Student passes whose home language that is not English or another language taught in school. On a case-by-case basis, this programme may also be extended to Singaporean Citizens or Singaporean Permanent residents who have been exempted from the MOE Language policy and who have a home language which is not English, Chinese, Malay or Tamil, or students who have MOE approval to study a Mother Tongue–in–lieu provided that they are of at least an intermediate level and not a beginner in that language.
Teachers of Home Languages
We endeavour to find Home Language teachers who are experienced with different levels of language ability in the classroom. Teachers are encouraged to use a variety of differentiation strategies, often engaging students in self- or group-directed project work or by utilising the abundant range of authentic Home Language resources found on the Internet. Our Home Language teachers also maintain student interest by engaging in active learning. Students will be encouraged to share their thoughts and opinions, and engage in learning activities that stretch them and encourage linguistic and cognitive growth. Students will also be encouraged to engage in cultural activities, to promote stronger connections to their home country. In addition, the Home Language teachers will use the material to interest the students and to motivate them to continue studying their Home Language.
If there are students who would like to study a language not currently offered as part of the Home Language Programme, the school will endeavour to find a qualified and experienced native speaker. We will place an advertisement and conduct interviews for the most suitable candidate.
The Home Language curriculum
Home Language teachers work with the Head of Home Languages to create a curriculum pathway for students to study their home language up through the IB Diploma. The curriculum mirrors, but is not limited to, the progression of skills which is taught in English class and both language and literature will be taught.
How learning is measured
At SJI International, students complete a variety of formative and summative assessments. At the end of Grade 10, students in the home language programme will be expected to sit an appropriately levelled examination. The appropriate examination (preferably externally accredited) is decided in consultation with the teacher and parent. Students are also able to continue the study of this language through the IB diploma, as either a first or a second language, depending on the language level of the child.
The cost will fluctuate depending on how many students are in the class. Over the course of your child’s school career, especially due to the transitional nature of expatriate families, the number of students in the class may fluctuate. Therefore, before committing to the Home Language Programme, we strongly recommend that you are comfortable with paying the full cost for one student, which is detailed below: Please note that salary increases for the Home Language Teachers are reviewed at the same time as the mainstream teachers.
No of students in a class assuming 2.5 hours teaching per week |
Cost (including 7% GST) per semester |
1 |
$3675 |
If there are more students in the class, then the costs will be as follows. Please take note that we are unable to guarantee the number of students in a class each semester.
No of students in a class assuming 2.5 hours teaching per week |
Cost (including 7% GST) per semester |
2 |
$2,144 |
3 |
$1,460 |
4 |
$1,212 |
6 or more |
$1,021 |
The cost depends on how many students there are in the class. Fees are payable a semester in advance.
Please contact the Head of Home Languages with any further questions/queries you may have about the Home Language Programme.
References:
Cummins, J. 1981, Bilingualism and minority language children, Toronto: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education)
Cummins, J, 2000. Language, Power and Pedagogy: Bilingual Children in the Crossfire. Multilingual Matters: United Kingdom