Language Policy

The Alignment Of Language Policy With BTIS Mission Statement

The BTIS mission is the stepping stone for our language policy.

To become the all-round ASPIRING personality with the right kind of knowledge, skill, wisdom, and individual creative thought, one needs to communicate with their parents, teachers, peers and the whole school community.

As the languages are the basis for all these to be attained, this policy is very much important and critical for helping the students to attain each aspect of its mission in the following way.

• Open-mindedness, ability to accept, communicates active, compassionate thinkers.
• English is the language of instruction and is known to more than 95% of the school community.
• It is considered as the language of communication in the school.
• Since our school is in a Metropolitan city, we have students speaking more than three regional languages. For those Children, English serves as a binding force between them.
• Importance is given to the local language of the Country, ‘Myanmar’ and two foreign Languages, ‘Chinese’ and ‘German’.

The school language policy respects the status of all the languages. It endorses an awareness of the host country’s culture and languages.

At Brainworks Taunggyi International School, Language is recognized as the pivot around which identity and culture develop and find its relevance in the world.

All our administrative and teaching staffs speak English, and most of them are fluent in more than one language.

Purpose

The language policy aims to instill and promote international mindedness through a variety of support structures for both local and global languages. At Taunggyi International, we support and value our students’ mother tongue while guiding them through the process of language acquisition.

Aims of Language Policy In BTIS

• Nurture an appreciation of richness and diversity of languages.
• Promote the cognitive growth.
• Maintaining the cultural identity and emotional stability.
• Acquisition of more than one language.
• Endeavour to integrate students’ cultural and linguistic heritage throughout the curriculum.

Taunggyi International School Language Learners’ Profile

As stated in its students selection policy, Brainworks Taunggyi International School enrolls students from diverse cultural, social, economic and linguistic backgrounds; the primary mode of communication and class room instructions for all subjects other than Second language are in English.

Most of Taunggyi International School’s students acquire and master English as their main language since Pre-school and therefore they generally have a near-native expertise in English language. In addition, since pre-school, a 3-language pathway is offered where students learn Myanmar as their mother tongue and Chinese-German as the second language or a foreign language.

As the medium of instruction at the school is English, English proficiency is a mandatory requirement for all its learners.  Our records show that our Parent community largely speaks either English, Myanmar or Chinese while a very few of them speak either Hindi, Tamil or Bengali among other languages; though the working language is English, translations in Myanmar and Chinese for some special cases, are provided while communicating with parents. Parents are expected to understand the school communications sent in either of these 3 languages.

Language Rights, Roles and Responsibilities

The School Leadership

• Ensures that accurate data is collected through enrolment procedures, interviews and
  meetings with parents, so that statistical information about the school population can be
  collated, and so that important factors that may influence students’ learning are known
• Provides teachers with access to information about their students that is relevant to the
  teaching and learning program
• Provides opportunities for staff professional development to ensure that there is an
  awareness in the school community of the implications of second language acquisition
  for learning and teaching, and so that teachers can access the latest information about
  methodology and resources
• Promotes a culture that values diversity and ensures that multicultural perspectives are
  incorporated into all aspects of school life
• Ensures that policies and learning programs in all learning areas are formulated and
  implemented with the language learning needs of all students in mind
• Ensures that curriculum policies require that multicultural perspectives are incorporated
  in all learning areas.

Mode of Communication in BTIS

• We believe that a common language spoken by the school community will help to develop a meaningful communication. The parents prefer the international curriculum to transform their ward/s to become global citizens. With this in mind, we have selected English as the medium of communication and instruction.

• The students are allowed to speak in other languages during the respective language lessons like Myanmar, Chinese and German. Keeping the multilingualism in mind, we have given opportunities to the students to express themselves on occasions like ‘Language Day’ And ‘Other Language Oriented Events’ in the languages which they prefer.

• The German language helps them to appreciate the culture of a different country, and we have introduced a German Olympiads for this academic year 2023-24 to reiterate the same.

• Language development in more than one language enriches the personal growth, provides cognitive advantages and is essential for the development of international mindedness.

The Language /EFL – English as First Language

• Provides information which helps teachers to plan and implement school programs with multicultural perspectives, and develop cross-cultural understandings with their students
• Provides resource information for teachers in the areas of second language acquisition, EFL teaching methodology, classroom organization, and selection of suitable texts and resources for EFL learners
• Organizes information and practices sessions for English teachers
• Consults with language teachers and language departments in the assessment of language skills and placement into the relevant language classes
• Works in cooperation with the Head of Academics in the design and implementation of the curriculum in order to cater for the needs of language learning
• Identifies language needs and implements intervention programs pertinent to the need of the student

Homeroom and Subject Teachers

• Considers the language learning needs of all students when planning activities across all areas of the curriculum
• Uses assessment strategies that allow all students to express the understandings they have gained across the curriculum
• Keeps assessment records that indicate the growth of understandings and skills in English.
• Informs parents of student progress in in the learning areas of English
• Provides opportunities for all students to share the diversity of their experiences
• Develops classroom activities that relate to and build upon the experiences that students bring to the learning situation
• Ensures that multicultural perspectives are incorporated in all aspects of the classroom social and learning environments
• Attends relevant professional learning opportunities to support students’ language development

Language Porgramme Overview At BTIS

• Pedagogy

Tea Ching Pedagogy For The Languages: 

Principle 1: Implement a challenging curriculum with high expectations

Principle 2: Design standard academic content and make it more accessible

Principle 3: Offer explicit and culturally relevant instruction

Principle 4: Support metacognitive strategies and specific learning strategies

Principle 5: Use First Language strategically with difficult concepts

Principle 6: Teach vocabulary within multiple contexts

Principle 7: Build reading comprehension ability with strategies

Principle 8: Provide good language use models for students to follow

Principle 9: Integrate reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills

• Assessment

Though the language acquisition follows distinct stages, student’s rate of acquisition varies greatly from individual to individual.

There are various factors affecting the language acquisition of English in particular.

• Some students speak in their mother tongue initially and take a lot of time to switch over to English. We need to remind them.
• Since they are more used to communicating in the local language, they prefer to speak that over English.

Therefore, language teachers assess all language skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking), regularly, differentiating through scaffolding or extension as required.

Formative and summative assessments in the classroom provide information on language growth. Language teachers regularly standardize the student’s work to ensure the fair application of the assessment criteria.

Standardized assessments and external examinations in Checkpoints and IGCSE will also provide evidence of the language acquisition levels.

Refer Appendix A

Language and Academic Integrity

The Brainworks Taunggyi International School Curriculum, Assessment & Academic Integrity Policy document includes clear definitions, practices and consequences of academic dishonesty. Through their language learning, students are expected to be principled learners in furthering their language development. Though academic dishonesty is defined and explained in the Academic Honesty document, it may look different in language classes and in the use of English or other languages offered at Taunggyi International School.

At Brainworks Taunggyi International School, the following practices are considered dishonest with regards to language learning:

• If a student claims ownership of another student’s, groups or pair’s work
• If a student uses any online translation tools or websites to translate a phrase or text, whether it be from their own text in their home language or from any other published source, unless it is approved by the teacher
• If the student receives support from another student, parent, teacher or tutor without the approval of the English & other language teacher
• During the writing assessments in the target languages, if the student writes the text in their own language and claims to express it as their own writing

Learning Support For Differentially Abled Or Gifted Students Of BTIS

When a student has been identified with additional learning needs including language difficulties or gifted and differentially talented abilities, intervention and supports are provided through the Learning Support Program.

The language teachers must help them to meet the needs of the students identified with the special language needs. This support may be formalized through an In-class Support Plan or an IEP and may involve short- and long-term activities.

A Road Map To BTIS Language Policy

As the students at our school are studying in English medium from Preschool onwards, almost all of them have a good English language acquisition. As of now, we have only native students, but when our school becomes well established and has other nationals, we have a backup plan.

Students who are identified as requiring additional support in English to assess the curriculum will be given appropriate English language acquisition class (EAL) and assessed regularly to monitor their progress.

The parents will be informed about this decision. When these students attain the benchmark needed to participate fully in the regular educational programmes, he/she may be allowed to join the regular classes.

A team consisting of EAL teacher, Homeroom teacher and a Leadership Team member will use the inputs of other subject teachers also for taking this decision. Even after that the follow up will be done by the EAL teacher.

Special procedures for the expected students for the EAL programme and monitoring their progress are outlined in Appendix B.

Support to Mother Tongue:

Brainworks Taunggyi International School appreciates and encourages students to learn and master their mother tongue. Students are given varied opportunities to nurture their mother tongue; Taunggyi International School will

• Encourage participation in cultural activities through their mother tongue.
• Organize activities such as debate, storytelling, extempore, etc. in different languages.
• Provide enough reading and resource material in different languages in Library/Resource centre.
• Encourage students to join Myanmar club and write articles, essays and tabloids in mother tongue for school magazines and newsletters.
• Celebrate international mother language day on February 21st every year.
• Encourage self-taught language and provide support wherever possible.

However, due to unavailability of Myanmar as a language option in Cambridge IGCSE examinations, the school sees a trend in declining interest to learn Myanmar at Grade 9 and 10. Despite that the school will continue to promote Myanmar and take necessary steps to ensure the inclusion of Myanmar.

Language Policy Of BTIS Followed In School Assembly

This is established by delivering a planned curriculum with these objectives in mind. Another important aspect of our school’s curriculum is the school assembly which is conducted in English Language.

School assembly is an integral part of our school’s functioning. It is a platform used to inculcate values through thought provoking theme-based assemblies to nurture positive school ethos.

Students take an initiative to prepare the respective grade wise assemblies under the able guidance of their Homeroom teachers and the HODs. And the most important highlight of the same is that every child gets an opportunity to exhibit his / her talent by conducting the assembly as a team by News reading, Incantation, singing the National Anthem, quiz, compering, sharing club information, etc. which helps to eliminate stage fear.

Supporting Language Development at Home

Parents and the school community are expected to be actively involved in monitoring, supporting and providing opportunities for second language acquisition. Some suggested strategies to facilitate such support include:

• Encouraging reading of authentic texts
• Participation in international camps and or exchanges
• Watching international movies with subtitles
• Listening to international music and audio programs.
• Utilizing the Internet in a second language
• Joining international friendship organizations
• Joining school Myanmar club, writing letters, keeping diaries and recounts in the second language

Benefits Of Learning English Language In BTIS

• The ability to communicate in a new language: The main benefit a person gains when committing to learn English or any language is the ability to communicate in the language itself and create connections with a wider range of the world’s population.
• The brain undergoes a change in electrical activity: Before it was believed that a change in brain functioning only occurred when students had obtained a high level of language ability in the new language, but now it is revealed this change may occur at the earliest stages of language learning.
• Superior memory function: Language learning showed an increase in the memory capacities, this was especially strong in short-term memory. This is a huge benefit because it allows the brain to keep information in the brain for longer durations while thinking processes are activated.
• Increased mental flexibility: The Learning of language keeps mental pathways “opened up”, which allows a person to use “differing avenues for thought”.  Language learning helps “exercise” the brain to keep it flexible and agile.
• Increased problem-solving abilities: A person also benefits from language learning by gaining increased problem-solving abilities in all the following areas: abstract thinking skills, concept formation, creative hypothesis formulation, strengthened capacity to identify, understand and solve problems; the ability to focus on a task by filtering out distractions and extraneous information and an increase in multi-tasking ability.
• Greater comprehension for how language works and is used: Language acquisition also benefits a person by creating a greater comprehension for how language works and is used. The study found individuals with multilingual communication were able to better read and interpret social situations, which improved their performance in the social settings.
• Prevents the deterioration of brain functioning over time: The study reports that individuals who were multilingual had a decreased rate of 2 to 4 years in the development of age-related cognitive problems such as dementia.
• Increased ability in digital literacy: The culmination of all these advantages results in one last benefit: an increased ability in digital literacy. Because of these quickened mental abilities individuals which are multilingual have a noticeable ability to stay up to date with modern technologies. Reading about this benefit reminds this quote: “Our intelligence tends to produce technological and social change at a rate faster than our institutions and emotions can cope with.
• Clearly having increased mental agility: Language acquisition helps the average language learners better stay adrift all the technological and informational changes constantly evolving in today’s world.
• Students become creative: Our students contribute to various articles which are published for more than 2 years in our School Magazine “Cherries” not only in English but in Hindi, Tamil, and French also.

Benefits Of Studying A Local Language In BTIS – Myanmar

• Expand the reach of education– Few kids would have their GRANDPARENTS with no knowledge of English. The local language taught in the school can put them at ease in such cases.
• Protecting and preserving local languages– Every language has a rich legacy and culture. So, it needs to be preserved in the international school education system.

The Benefits Of Teaching German & Chinese In BTIS

• Learning a second language is good for the brain: The process of learning a language not only improves upon one’s language acquisition skills, but it’s good for the rest of the brain as well. The study of a foreign language aids that part of the brain which aids in learning music, musical theory, problem-solving, and mathematics.
• Second language education teaches children about other cultures: While our kids are studying German & Chinese, they’re also learning about the Different Nationality, their culture, and finally, their food! Some of the activities which can be included along with the German and Chinese learning are:

• Watching German & Chinese Children’s movies in BTIS Theatre in the School Campus.
• Attending French traditional events planned by the Language Teachers.
• Eating traditional Food and much more in the Food and Cultural Festival organized by the school

• Second language education helps a child master his or her first language: Many people believe that if an English student starts learning another western / foreign language, his or her English language skills will suffer as a result. Fortunately, this is not the case!
• Understanding a second language gives a child a sense of pride: Our students are a bit young to understand how cool it is that they are going to be fluent in a language other than their native tongue – but as they grow, they realize what they have accomplished and will be proud of what they have done.
• A second language is fun to use in a real-life setting: Studying a language is an activity where the ends can help to justify the means. Unless students are studying a made-up language like Esperanto or Klingon, students can see direct results of their language-learning endeavours by visiting another region to speak with natives of the language they’re learning.

Language Teaching/ Learning Resources

• Paper English/Myanmar/Chinese/German/Japanese/Korean dictionaries, among others are in the staff room and are available for students to use.
• All students in the BTIS are expected to have their dictionary with them in all English language based classes.
• The Multimedia Resource Centre and Library provides students with regular access to a growing collection of books, electronic resources, and various other sources of information in both Myanmar and English. This practice supports both mother tongue and additional language development.
• The Multimedia Resource Centre has got a selection of CAIE student and teacher resources, including language support books and study guides.
• The school ensures that all Language teachers are qualified and trained.

• Additionally, for students who wish to take languages other than those offered by the school, we welcome and support language learning through self-study. 

APPENDICES

Appendix A: 

• CPP
• Cambridge Checkpoint & IGCSE
• Proposed programme for AS & A Level

Pedagogical Attributes Of Programs Conducted In BTIS

• Promote inquiry based authentic language learning.
• Incorporate the teaching and learning of language into the curriculum.
• Develop the skills of listening, speaking, reading, writing and media literacy.
• Interrelates the skills of listening, speaking, reading, writing and media literacy.
• Provides support for teaching of additional languages like Hindi French and Tamil.
• Formulates practices for the provision of language A, B and C.
• Integrates the learning of languages with learning in the subject groups.
• Integrates language learning with interdisciplinary planning.
• Promote collaborative learning.
• Provides appropriate feedback support to learning.
• Considers prior knowledge and proficiency.
• Develops language in context in each content area.
• Promotes collaborative learning.
• Provides appropriate feedback to support learning.
• Accommodate different learning styles.
• Values and respects student’s ideas.
• Makes expectations explicit.
• Enables students to understand how judgement about learning is made, and how to provide evidence for their learning.
• Develops meta-cognition, structured inquiry, and critical thinking.

Appendix B: 

EAL PROGRAMME (PROPOSED)

[At present we have not come across any student with the need of EAL Programme but in case in future we have a child with the requirement of EAL Programme we have the following proposal to meet the child’s requirements.]

• The child’s previous knowledge and skills will be assessed.
• The problem areas and limitations would be identified.
• An individualized plan would be designed to attain his/her needs or requirements.
• Based on the plan the child’s basic skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing will be catered and assessed periodically.
• The child’s skills will be developed through effective use of talk strategies, specific teaching of academic writing and motivating writing tasks. e.g., making connections with and building on pupils’ experience, creating space to use existing knowledge, giving opportunities to talk around a topic across the curriculum, etc.
• The child’s ongoing progress will be monitored.
• Include various teaching techniques so that the pupil develops interest e.g., brainstorming sessions (in case of a group), buddy system.

(The proposal given above is only a broad outline as some students might bridge the gap in 6 months while others might take a year. So, it would be kept flexible, and the student’s progress will be recorded and updated to his parents.)

Tentative Plan For Language Policy Implementation For EAL – A Road Map  

Month 1:

• To familiarize students with the alphabets, words, phrases, and expressions of language.

Month 2:

• To reinforce the basic language skills catered in the previous month.
• To be able to handle a basic range of situations immediately relevant to the student’s needs in simple everyday situations.

Month 3:

• To emphasize vocabulary acquisition.
• To develop reading skills and strategies using simple stories, texts, and articles.

Month 4:

• To reinforce reading skills using short extracts in a limited range of situations.
• To be able to comprehend passages of 100 words.
• To use basic written language for simple practical purposes.

Month 5:

• To improve oral reading fluency.
• To identify and label parts of speech in the decoding process.
• To strengthen word / sound association through weekly oral reading sessions.
• To reinforce basic written language for practical purposes.

Month 6:

• To reinforce reading skills using newspapers and magazines.
• To be able to comprehend passages of 300 words.
• Use articles to reinforce reading skills: predicting, skimming, scanning, guessing meaning from context.
• To identify compound sentences and clauses.

Month 7:

• To develop basic written sentence structures i.e., simple, compound, and complex.
• To develop grammar skills and usage.
• To develop writing skills – paragraph writing (Imaginative).

Month 8:

•  To reinforce reading skills through a variety of texts.
•  To develop ability to summarize articles or texts.
•  To develop organizational skills (e.g., lists, maps).
• To summarize main points and tone of an article or text and compare ideas.
• To develop writing skills – paragraph writing (Imaginative – with a word limit).
  

Month 9:

• To emphasize moderate vocabulary acquisition.
• To reinforce reading skills using short stories, newspapers, and internet articles.
• To increase reading rate and further develop oral reading fluency.
• To develop writing skills descriptive.

Month 10:

• To review all reading skills in texts (articles, stories, etc.) of increased complexity.
• To expand knowledge of prefixes, roots, and suffixes.
• To increase individual reading rate and oral reading fluency; use drills and activities to increase rate and fluency.
• To distinguish fact from opinion/persuasive from informative.
• Extend dictionary skills and vocabulary.
• To assess improvement in writing skills

Support For Differentiated Instruction In BTIS

• Differentiated resources, expectations, and tasks.
• In-class coaching support.
• Assessment rubrics designed to enable all the students to succeed.
• EAL teacher as resource from Pre-Reception to Grade 5.

Eal Specialised Instruction 

• Beginner EAL students Grade 1 to 5 attend a pull-out class during English classes.
• Pre-reception and Reception2 and structured immersion.
• EAL students receive individual tutoring as needed.

In Class Support

Team teaching.

Small group with EAL Teacher.

EAL teacher support Humanities and Science teachers through team teaching or parallel classes.

EAL teachers develop background knowledge prior to the content area instruction.

Language Policy Committee:

Language policy at Taunggyi International School is developed by the constituted committee, which will review the policy on a regular basis and revise as per the requirement/s.

Principal                   Head Of Academics

Admissions Officer       All Language Teachers

Academics Leadership Team       Editorial and Myanmar Club in Charge Teachers

Language and Admissions

Students who do not meet the bare minimum score in English in their IGCSE will be required to sit for a placement test before entry.

• Such placement tests will be administered at the discretion of the Head of Academics (HOA).
• The appropriate Head of Departments will assess the tests and report them back to the HOA.
• Students with identified learning difficulties are granted inclusive access arrangements (e.g. additional time, assistive technology, etc.)

Below is a form applicant to the BTIS – Cambridge Assessment International Education will need to fill so as to inform the school’s student language profile.

Student Language Profile Form

Name:

Current Grade/Class:

Gender:

Date:

Nationality:

English is the Language of Instruction at Taunggyi International School. Is this your ‘Preferred Language’?

Can you read and write your ‘Preferred Language’?

How would you rate your proficiency in your ‘Preferred Language’? Excellent/ Good/ Satisfactory/ Needs Assistance.

What is your native language and/or the language spoken at home?

Can you read and write your native language and/ or the home language?

How would you rate your proficiency in your native language and/ or the home language? Excellent/Good/ Satisfactory/ Needs assistance.

List all the other languages of which you have some knowledge (courses/studies of at least one year) and complete the boxes.

An example is given in the first row.

Level 1 = Beginner; Level 2 = Intermediate; Level 3 = Advanced; Level 4 = Fluent / Native

Language	Speaking	Reading	Writing
Chinese	2	1	1

Communication Of Language Policy To School Community

• The Language Policy will be introduced to the BTIS community through multiple pathways including staff meetings, PTMs and grade level meetings & orientation at the beginning of every academic year and wherever it is necessary.
• The policy will also be posted at the school website or handed over to the parents in the form of a spiral document during Parent Orientation Programme as a part of the handbook itself.
• New staff will be familiarized with the document during orientation

Review Process

The language policy will be reviewed regularly as a part of the curriculum review cycle and as a part of the whole school on a regular basis which helps us to appraise the process.

Glossary

BTIS – Brainworks Taunggyi International School

EAL – English as an Additional Language

CPP – Cambridge Primary Programme

IEP – Individual Education Plan

PTM – Parent Teacher Meetings

IGCSE – International General Certificate of Secondary Education

PD – Professional Development