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IB Asia Pacific Newsletter

Quarter Three, 2006

Focus on Victoria Shanghai Academy

Victoria Shanghai Academy / Victoria English Primary School is a bilingual Primary School.  Almost all students at this school are local Hong Kong children with Cantonese as their first language. 

‘Change is a journey, not a blue-print.’ Over the past years, the curriculum at Victoria has undergone a transformation. In December 2005, our school was authorized as an International Baccalaureate World School. The biggest change for teachers this year, was ‘Team Teaching’. It was a wonderful concept that challenged us all. Our ten P1 and P2 classes, one P3 class and our three P6 classes were all co-taught. Each class had 2 class teachers, 1 Chinese and 1 Native English Teacher (NET). These teachers taught the Units of Inquiry, Mathematics and Art bilingually. Each class had 6 ‘stand alone’ language lessons in Chinese and English per week. Music, IT and PE were taught bilingually by a Chinese teacher. The remaining P3, P4 and P5 classes had co-teaching for the Units of Inquiry. Mathematics was taught in English with Chinese support in some classes and IT and Art were taught in English and Music and PE in Chinese.

The staff of Victoria Shanghai Academy believe that language is the medium of inquiry and is a key factor in intellectual growth, promoting the development of personal and international understanding.  The acquisition of language is a dynamic, life-long process that permeates all learning.  Through meaningful interaction, it enables us to communicate with and understand other people and to understand how the world works.  Maintenance of mother tongue is central to our cognitive and cultural development, and additional languages enrich our intellectual and social growth.

The PYP recognizes that language, our major means of thinking and communicating, is fundamental to learning, underpinning and permeating the whole curriculum. It is not only ‘learning a language’, but also learning about language and learning through language, and we should nurture an appreciation for the richness of language and love of literature.  The four communication strands are interrelated and interactive with learning in one, supporting learning in another.

Every teacher in a PYP school is a language teacher.  The PYP considers language from the perspective of the language of instruction, additional languages right and mother tongue.  Learning language promotes cognitive growth and helps facilitate international understanding.

What are our beliefs and values regarding language?

  • Language is a key factor in the development of international understanding
  • Language is central to the curriculum and to the medium of inquiry
  • Mother tongue is valued and respected
  • Victoria students will be bilingual (bilingualism is the overarching label for the ability to function in more than one language) with varying levels of proficiency
  • Diversity in the levels of language and literacy development is recognized and respected
  • Literature is an integral part of the curriculum

At our school, the teaching of language must address the strands of listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and presenting.  In order to promote language excellence, the school employs native speakers as language teachers.  We believe this initiative will maximize inquiry in the prescribed languages (Cantonese, Putonghua, English) and develop and promote the bilingual programme that we offer our students.

Our language outcomes will be achieved through our bilingual programme of study in Chinese and English.

The delivery of language instruction:

Prior to the academic year 2005/2006:

When students enrolled in our school in P1, their parents selected either Cantonese or Putonghua as the Chinese language for instruction.  All students learned English  and those students in the Cantonese stream received two lessons per week in  Putonghua.

Academic Year 2005/2006

This year, as the result of requests from parents, students in Cantonese classes were given the option of placement in Putonghua classes. Because some of our teachers were not yet ‘bench marked’ to teach Putonghua, and coupled with the fact that not all students wished to make the transition at this stage, students were screened and the most able were accepted into Putonghua classes. Others were placed in ‘transition classes’ where the language of instruction was to gradually change from Cantonese. In P1, P2, P3 and P4, one class continued to offer Cantonese as the Chinese language of instruction. In the coming year, we will have only two Cantonese classes.

Victoria is very proud of the Language model we have adopted. As is the practice with the successful implementation of any school ‘change’, the importance of educating both teachers and parents cannot be overlooked.  Our teachers needed time to adjust; sharing the classroom with a colleague was a new experience for most and respecting each other, both culturally and professionally, directly impacted on the success of the model. Some parents were skeptical; they feared that English proficiency would be compromised by having a Chinese teacher in the classroom at the same time as an English teacher. Parent education is very important and even after one year, we are still finding there are many who are still looking for reassurance.   However, our ultimate aim is to have all classes co taught. This is an expensive model, but we believe that for our students to develop competency in two languages or in actual fact three, as Cantonese is the mother tongue for most, the programme we have developed best addresses our aims. 

Di Fisk

Deputy Principal / PYP Coordinator

 


Snapshots

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A bilingual activity during Language Open Day

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Explaining our 'Exhibition Inquiry'

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Language Open Day

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P6 Exhibition

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P6 Exhibition Group