Towards a common understanding

1. The role of the additional language teacher in the PYP community Global Language Convention, SingaporeFiona Davis, Diane Fisk

2. What is an ‘additional-language teacher’ in the context of the PYP? • What are the roles and responsibilities of these teachers and of allmembers of the PYP community? • In what ways do we expect our teachers to rise to the challenges of the PYP? • How can PYP schools support additional-language teachers to become an integral part of the community? Towards a common understanding Implications The next step (c) IBO 2006

3. Any languages which are not languages of instruction in a school. What does the PYP mean by ‘additional language’? (c) IBO 2006

4. B1.23 The school offers a language, in addition to the language of instruction, to students from the age of seven. IBO Standards and Practices : (c) IBO 2006

5. Number of schools Years (as of February 2006) 68 67 39 78 (c) IBO 2006

6. IBAP 168 authorized and candidate schools: • 10 dual language (offering 2 or more languages of instruction) • 158 additional language How many additional language teachers are there? (c) IBO 2006

7. A1.4 The beliefs and values that drive the programme are shared by all sections of the school community (including students, teachers, administrators etc) IBO Standards and Practices (c) IBO 2006

8. What are our beliefs and values about additional-language teachers? All additional-language teachers are PYP teachers (c) IBO 2006

9. The role of the additional-language teacher “How does the school ensure that the additional-language teachers view themselves as PYP teachers and are considered part of the PYP community?” PYP Guidelines for developing a school language policy (IBO 2006 –Online Curriculum Centre) (c) IBO 2006

10. What are the implications for additional-language teachers? that they should adhere to PYP philosophy ? that they should include the five essential elements in their teaching whenever possible ? that they should teach through inquiry whenever possible ? that they should plan collaboratively whenever possible ? (c) IBO 2006

11. China Daily State-sponsored teachers to teach Chinese overseas Minimum requirements include: a university degree; two years of teaching experience; Putonghua (Mandarin) level 2A or above; aged under 55; and a good command of the target country's language. Applicants will need to pass three exams organized by the office: a foreign language test; a general test (such as expression, psychology, speech, personality and appearance); a professional skills test (applicants will be required to fulfil a teaching task). More than 6,000 qualified applicants have enrolled in the office's reserve force of teachers. (c) IBO 2006

12. What does inquiry look like in our classrooms? (c) IBO 2006

13. Can we teach an additional language through inquiry? • Language is the main medium of inquiry • Literature is a vehicle for inquiry • Language is, by nature, transdisciplinary (c) IBO 2006

14. What do inquirers look like? • Exploring, wondering and questioning • Making connections between previous and current learning • Deepening understanding through the application of a concept • Researching and seeking information (c) IBO 2006

15. IBO Standards and Practices relating to planning: C2.2 Planning at the school takes place collaboratively. C2.10 Planning at the school makes effective use of the PYP planning process across the curriculum and by all teachers. (c) IBO 2006

16. Preparing for or following on from a unit within the programme of inquiry • Skills-based teaching: in any rote-learning, the same philosophy and pedagogy must underpin planning and teaching of the subject. • Independent inquiry: structure teaching and learning through the use of the learner profile, the transdisciplinary themes and central ideas. Additional-language teachers in the PYP programme of inquiry: • Integrating or supporting a unit within the programme of inquiry (c) IBO 2006

17. What is the PYP’s main tool for documenting: • teaching through inquiry? • teaching through central ideas? • collaborative planning? • reflection? The PYP planner (c) IBO 2006

18. Victoria Shanghai Academy, Hong Kong “There is an emphasis on teamwork. Chinese and English teachers plan together to ensure the integration of subject areas and a balanced education for students.” (From Victoria Educational Organisation website) (c) IBO 2006

19. 1. What is our purpose? An inquiry into:  Central idea: Transdisciplinary theme: Summative Assessment Task(s) What are the possible ways of assessing students’ understanding of the central idea? What evidence will we look for, including student-initiated actions that may take place? How can additional language teachers use the planner? We use different language to talk about habitual actions or events in the past. Where we are in space and time At the end of the four weeks, students will be asked to write about key events in their own lives, and things that they used to do when they were younger, but no longer do. They will explain why they no longer do these things. The teacher will compare the language written to oral language used to discuss these issues at the start of the inquiry (recorded on tape). (c) IBO 2006

20. Fiona Davis fiona.davis@ibo.orgDiane Fisk dfisk@victoria.edu.hk