Commensurate with the international setting of the school the modern languages department at ISH is the largest of all departments, consisting of 10 experienced language teachers.
Course Content
Grades 6-8
German
Where Grade 6 is taught as a grade level, Grades 7 and 8 are combined according to proficiency level. Six proficiency levels are offered ranging from introductory level, placing an emphasis on spoken German to familiarize the student with the language of his/her new environment, to Mother tongue level. The complexity of written work increases with proficiency level ranging from basic grammatical exercises, to short compositions, to advanced essay writing. Dramas, poetry and short stories are analyzed and interpreted at the higher levels. Students are also increasingly exposed to works of literature as well as to complex topics of social, political, cultural and environmental impact.
French or Spanish
Students can take French or Spanish in years 7 and 8. The courses teach students to apply oral and written language in daily situations, by using age and situation-appropriate vocabulary and grammatical structures. Language and culture are introduced in simple fashion. Emphasis is on spoken French or Spanish during an introductory period of some weeks. After this, reading and writing are introduced and the student learns to apply and transpose oral and written matters to everyday situations. Oral work is reinforced through the use of audio-visual materials.
Grades 9-10
German
Six proficiency levels are also offered at this level. To accommodate the different levels Grades 9 and 10 are combined. Courses of level 3 and above function as Pre-IB courses. Level 3 serves as a prerequisite for IB Language B at Standard Level. Levels 4 and 5 provide a good foundation for students preparing to do the IB Language B courses at the Higher Level and eventually for Language A2. This course accommodates all suitable Language "A" students. It prepares native German speakers for the requirements of the A Higher IB course in Grades 11 and 12.
French or Spanish
Students can take French or Spanish in grades 9 and 10. In grade 9 emphasis is placed on spoken French or Spanish as well as on reading and writing; so the student learns to apply and transpose language material. In grade 10 the emphasis placed on spoken French or Spanish is maintained, but dictation, structural composition and introduction to French or Spanish culture through readers, newspapers and comparisons with their own culture become an equally important part of the course. By the end of Grade 10 all important grammatical patterns will have been introduced.
Grades 11-12
The IB Programme offers two to three language options other than English at three levels: A1, A2 and B. The programme requires students to take at least one A1 language
IB LANGUAGE A1 HIGHER AND STANDARD LEVEL (English, German or Japanese)
The course is primarily literary and requires the study of major works of literature: at Higher Level at least 15 works and at Standard Level 11 works. Students must therefore be willing and able to undertake a great deal of reading at a demanding level. The course includes, at both levels, the study of World Literature (Literature in translation), which is a central and integral part of the programme and aims to give the student a broadened and international perspective of literature and human thought.
IB LANGUAGE A2 HIGHER AND STANDARD LEVEL (English or German)
At Higher Level, students study four options from two categories: (1) Cultural, comprising future issues, global issues, language and culture, media and culture and social issues; (2) Literature, entailing the study of three literary works (novels, short stories, drama, poetry).
IB LANGUAGE B HIGHER & STANDARD LEVEL (English or German)
A variety of texts, literary and non-literary, will be studied both for their language content and for the manner in which they reflect the culture(s) associated with the language. Students will develop text-handling skills of interpretation, commentary and criticism and will write in various modes (reports, imaginative written interaction, letters and articles on controversial issues). Emphasis will be placed on improving oral communication skills, both individual and in groups, and on achieving a better understanding and awareness of the culture(s) associated with the language.
The Modern Languages Programme offers courses for students grades 6 to 12. The basis for the Modern Languages Curriculum is the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR). The CEFR is an instrument of the Council of Europe established to design systems of validation of language competences, providing a basis for the mutual recognition of language qualifications, thus facilitating educational and occupational mobility
In Grades 6 -10 the programme offers German and French, and Spanish from grade 7 upwards. The aim in these years is to provide students with a (foreign) language additional to English. The language programme accommodates beginning, non-native speakers of German, French or Spanish as well as advanced, native, near-native and/or bilingual students of German.
Classes are established according to background and ability. German is taught at up to six levels of proficiency and is a compulsory subject, unless the student is required to take English as an Additional Language (EAL).The German programme is particularly enhanced by the fact that there is a German-speaking student population in the school and that it is supported by "total immersion" in the environment of the host country.
French and Spanish are offered as two year courses in Grades 7 and 8 to those students who have reached a sufficient level in English and can be studied further in the Pre-IB years. Emphasis is on spoken French and Spanish, but dictation, structural composition and introduction to French and Spanish culture through readers, newspapers and comparisons with the student's own culture are an equally important part of the Pre-IB course.
At IB level the modern languages department currently offers English, German and Japanese (level A1 only) at Higher and Standard level. To obtain the IB Diploma all candidates are required to take a Language A1 at either Higher or Standard Level. This course is for native speakers or students with near-native-speaker competence. Students are expected to have a special interest in literature and to have highly developed skills in literary appreciation and analysis. English and German courses are also offered at A2 level for students who are bilingual in English and German and capable of studying either as Language A1 but are not able to meet the demands of two A1 courses or for native speakers of English/German who chose a language other than English as their Language A1.
English and German are additionally offered at B Higher and Standard level for non-native speakers. This is a two-year course requiring students to have a minimum of three years experience for the Higher Level course and two years for Standard Level. The Higher Level programme is designed to meet college/university requirements for students entering higher studies in modern languages. It is also generally recognized as an entry qualification for students planning to study at an institution at which the language offered for examination is the language of instruction.