LANGUAGE POLICY

Philosophy

The language of instruction at Pathways School is English, and the School aims at students
working successfully within the English medium. The school is aware of the multi-lingual nature
of most students applying to the school and offers a range of levels in English courses to support
students who do not have a proficiency level in English and stretch those who do. The school is
committed to supporting at least one Indian language spoken by the majority of students, which
currently is Hindi.

The School’s philosophy aims to understand and respect the languages and cultures of other
communities and offers students the opportunity to study a range of foreign languages in the
overall curriculum. The school believes that the acquisition of language is dynamic and permeates
all learning; that language as a communication tool promotes personal and international
understanding, intellectual growth and self-confidence; that through meaningful communication,
we are able to understand each other, the world around us and ourselves.

The school also recognizes that its students represent varying communities and that the acquisition
of the English language requires support. In order to achieve this, the school offers an ES (English
Support) Programme. As the school offers admission to children from a wide range of linguistic
backgrounds, its language policy is flexible and allows for individual needs to be catered to. This
not only allows the individual student an opportunity to pursue a mother-tongue language, where
possible but is in keeping with the school’s commitment to internationalism and multicultural
awareness.

The purpose of learning a language is not only to learn to express oneself, but also to learn the
culture of the target languages and to support this, Pathways recruits, where possible, native
speakers to teach the languages offered . The school also believes that every subject teacher is a
language teacher and each one has a responsibility in the development of languages in school.

Language Profile

The school is committed to ensuring that students are best supported by the
English Programme they have been assigned to. Approximately 90% of our student body speaks
English with reasonable proficiency. We are a culturally diverse school with a community of
students and parents from different cultural backgrounds boasting a variety of mother tongues. All
of our administrative and teaching staff speaks English; most are fluent in at least one other
language. The language of instruction and the primary language of communication in the
school is English. While English is the most common language within the school, the use of other
languages in appropriate circumstances is welcomed and celebrated.

Admission
Pathways has a policy of inclusion and invites students from diverse cultures, within and outside
India to seek admission to the school. In recognition of the importance of this area of inclusion
there is a dedicated Coordinator appointed for English Support (ES). The ES programme supports
students with little or no English and aims at these students to acquire a proficiency level that will
help them to progress to mainstream English.

All students applying for admission to secondary school take an English entrance placement
assessment to ascertain the level of English a student may be admitted to and also for the ES
programme. Students applying from abroad are also required to submit proof of their English
ability via a transcript and subject teacher reports.

In Primary school, students are met at the time of admission and the English language levels are
reviewed by the Principal or Coordinator. Where required, ES department conducts a baseline test
to assess English language skills and accordingly, students are given the required support.
Similarly for Hindi, non-native speakers are supported through Hindi ab-initio programme until
they gain the required level of proficiency.

English Support (ES)

Students with limited proficiency in English are tested at the time of admission and placed at
defined levels. There is an additional fee levied for the English support programme. Students
receive ES support during time-tabled lessons both with in-class support and pull-out from
lessons.

In the IB DP, ES students have the option to study English as their language B course. This course
develops students’ language and literacy competence in English as well as intercultural
competence.

Depending on students’ ability, age and rate of language acquisition, the ES department strives to
transition students to the mainstream English programme as soon as appropriate and as outlined in
the ES Department Handbook. Subject teachers and ES teachers collaborate on a regular basis to
take the learning forward.

Additional Learning Support (ALS)

The school is committed to matching the continuum of individual and special educational needs
and acknowledges that ALS students may require language support, following the belief that
language acquisition is dynamic and permeates all learning. This support is carried out in
accordance with the school’s Inclusive Education and Special Education Needs policy guidelines.
This is to be read in conjunction with the school’s Inclusion Policy.

MOTHER TONGUE SUPPORT:

The term ‘mother tongue’ may denote the language learned first and/or the language identified
with, as a “native” speaker. For the school, the “mother tongue” includes both these definitions
and describes the language that the student uses at home. Home language is supported through
various programmes in the school, such as language days, special assemblies, and dramatic
productions in languages other than English. The school library makes available reading material
in different languages. Teachers encourage students to recognise and appreciate each other's home
language in different ways, such as exchanging greetings, sharing stories, etc. In the PYP, some
of the displays, such as essential agreements and learner profile attributes, are represented both in
English and Hindi.
To develop language skills, all students are encouraged to participate in school assemblies
and events that enable them to write, speak, and present in English and other languages.

Languages Offered

PYP:

English is the language of instruction and the primary language taught across the School. It
is offered as a course of study at different levels to cater to different student needs.

In keeping with the school’s commitment to ensuring that students are exposed to the formal
learning of the host country’s working language, all students have the opportunity of studying
Hindi in Primary School. Hindi language instruction begins from Nursery. Differentiated approach
to language instruction is integral to Hindi teaching. Grade 2 onwards, if the student is not fluent
in Hindi, then they are offered support through ab-initio programme. The support through ab-initio
programme is continued till the student is ready to transition to the standard level.

Modern languages at Pathways are introduced on entry to Middle School as part of Language
acquisition course, from Grade 6. The languages on offer are Spanish, French and Hindi.

MYP Language and Literature

English is the Language of Instruction. As part of the planned curriculum, students will read a
variety of texts. Students will identify, evaluate, and synthesize information with the purpose of
communicating, learning holistically and promoting intercultural awareness.

Placement of students in the MYP for Language Acquisition course:

New students will fill a language portfolio at the time of their admission with information about
their mother tongue, other languages spoken and any previous experience with the language
chosen in MYP. Students with previous knowledge of Spanish/French or Hindi will give a
placement test of criteria - Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing. This is in order to determine
in which phase they will continue with language acquisition. The assessment tools specified for
each phase in this document will be used in this placement test. A “language profile” is available
on school LMS platform and is updated by the teacher every semester, with information about
their current level. This will help teachers to assess students’ needs based on previous experiences
and provide them with support if needed.

Planning a progression of learning in the MYP for Language Acquisition Course-

Teaching and learning in the language acquisition subject group is organized into three levels of
proficiency. Students are required to take a diagnostic test to determine at which level they will
continue with language acquisition from a previous educational experience. Students are given the
opportunity to develop their language skills to their full potential, as well as the possibility of
progressing through the levels over the course of the MYP

Language Acquisition-MYP – DP continuum

MYP DP

Emergent Language Ab initio/Language B SL

Capable Language B SL / HL
Proficient Language B SL / HL Language A: Literature SL
Proficient Language A: literature SL /HL

The languages offered in the Diploma keep the following focus:

● Language development is ensured for all those students who have already been exposed to
various languages in school for some years at various levels.

● Mother tongue support is ensured for all by offering Hindi A and self-taught courses.

English Language and Literature HL/ SL:

Offered as the language since the school’s medium of instruction is English.

Hindi A Literature HL/SL:

Offered to those students whose first language is Hindi and have a high proficiency in the language.
These candidates will qualify for the Bilingual Diploma.
English B HL/SL:

This option is available for students who are not proficient in English. These students would have
taken Hindi A or a self-taught course in Group 1.

Hindi B HL/SL:

Offered to students who wish to pursue a course in their mother tongue, but have a higher level of
competency in English and therefore opt for English A and Hindi B. Candidates from non-Hindi
speaking Indian states are also eligible.

Modern Foreign Languages

French B SL/HL and Spanish B SL/HL:

Offered to students who have studied the target language for two years and, in most cases, are non-
native speakers. However, the school is, in principle, committed to offering French and Spanish B
HL to students of our own school who have studied a language from Grade 6 or to the native
speakers with an appropriate level of competency.

French Ab Initio SL and Spanish Ab Initio SL:

Offered to students who have not learnt a second language or would like to learn a new foreign
language.

Language development in the IBCP

Language is integrated into all areas of the curriculum. Every teacher within the school is
considered a language teacher. (IB Standard C3, Practice 8).

In the IB career-related programme, as part of the IBCP core component of language development,
students are encouraged to learn a language other than their best language. The focus of the
language development core component is to foster a respect and appreciation for cultural diversity,
expand students’ awareness and sensitivity towards different cultural dynamics across the globe
helping them become global citizens.

Students are expected to devote a minimum of 50 hours to the language development core. The
school designs the assessment criteria of the language development core according to the school
context and may include but is not limited to group assessments such as role plays, dances, music,
debates, oral communication activities, etc. or individual assessments such as written tests, essay
writing, storytelling etc. Students submit a language portfolio at the end of the course to show their
progression and for the final assessment and grade. The IB does not assess the language portfolio
but may be subject to sample review during CP evaluation.

Language development runs concurrently with the other elements of the CP core.

Language in the Career-related studies.

The career-related studies offered at Pathways School Noida accepts assignments and assessments
in English.

Language development within the other IB career-related programme core components.

Service learning: Students interact closely with the local community through direct service
learning. The students receive valuable exposure to the country’s rich culture through their
initiatives. Students acquire invaluable soft skills such as empathy, become enquirers, learn
gratitude, and learn to be more sensitive in their approach as they interact with individuals whose
ways of life may differ from their own.

Personal and Professional Skills: Intercultural understanding is one of the themes within the
personal and professional skills course, and language plays a big part in interlinking the concepts
and themes within the core of personal and professional skills. Throughout the course, students are
encouraged to draw interlinks and comparatives as well as reflect on various perspectives with
reference to other cultures. Language happens to be the most common medium to do this. By
analyzing different perspectives via the medium of language, students become better prepared to
operate in diverse environments and become global citizens. Through language as one of the
aspects, students explore all 5 themes of the personal and professional skills course, including
intercultural understanding, personal development, efficient communication, applied ethics and
thought processes as learners become better equipped with expressing their opinions and ideas
coherently and in context. (PPS guide, IBO, December 2015)

Reflective project: Invoking enquiry, being able to articulate reflections and act in a balanced
way considering all aspects are all strong attributes and skills in an IB learner. With two formats
of expressing ideas on an ethical dilemma, either a fully written piece or a combination of formats
with a written submission, students learn and use their language skills to express their thoughts
and viewpoints coherently and confidently. They are also encouraged to learn the language of the
Career-Related study of choice. Students nurture the IB learner profile attributes of being good
communicators, critical thinkers, empathetic and caring individuals.

Every teacher is a language teacher:

At Pathways School Noida, we emphasize ongoing professional development and firmly assert
that every teacher is a language teacher. This implies that each teacher excels in the language
relevant to their specific subject matter, rather than being classified as 'language experts' or
'language teachers.' Similar to adhering to accepted communication norms in various languages
and cultures, there exist suitable methods for communication within different subject domains as
well (Whitbyschool.org, 2023)

Policy last reviewed : April 2024

Policy reviewed by:

Aaron Jacob - School Director

Meenakshi Singal - Primary School Principal
Sunanda Sandhir - Middle School Principal
Samuel Osmond - Senior School Principal
Indira Srikanth - IB Continuum Coordinator
 Vandana Parasher - PYP Coordinator
Chinki Chhapia - MYP Coordinator
Soma Guha - Assistant MYP Coordinator
Smita Bhattacharya - DP Coordinator
Suprio Bhowmick – Sr. DP Coordinator
Nayna Dhawan - CP Coordinator
Cindy Lorena - HOD MFL
Mayura Tiwari - Faculty English
Ambeeca V. Singh - Faculty English
Piya Seth - Faculty PYP
Jaunita Dey - GLC and Faculty PYP
Anju Dixit - Faculty Hindi
Gana Sow - Faculty French

Bibliography:
● Guidelines for developing a school language policy, International Baccalaureate Organization
● Personal and professional skills guide, International Baccalaureate Organization
● Why Every Teacher is a Language Teacher, Alicia Miller, whitbyschool.org, 2023.