LANGUAGE POLICY:

General:

At VSA we believe in and promote the fundamental concepts of the International Baccalaureate Organization; Holistic Learning, Intercultural Awareness and Communication.

We recognize that communication is fundamental to learning and that language is the vehicle for inquiry, knowledge, reflection, expression, cultural and intercultural understanding.

Our language policy underpins VSA’s vision for our students to grow up to be

• confident and ready to maximize their potential.
• demonstrative of an understanding of global and regional (including Chinese and Hong Kong) cultures and perspectives, with mutual respect for themselves and others.
• responsible and whole-heartedly committed to their own well-being, the well-being of their family, the wider community, and the world at large.
• critical and considerate in thinking, informed and compassionate in rendering service.

Our aim is for all students to be trilingual and biliterate; competent in at least two languages, by the end of the IB MYP. All our students should be given opportunities and examples to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes to become confident communicators in the languages of the school community, the local community and the global community – English, Chinese (including the spoken forms of Cantonese and Putonghua).

The language of instruction in all subjects in secondary is English except Language A Chinese. Mother tongue maintenance and support structures have been established in the Secondary programme to foster students’ cultural identity. Students at VSA study Chinese in Putonghua but are encouraged to use the appropriate language for different situations. Special events, field trips and activities in the community do require the students to interact in Cantonese or Putonghua, which also appear in after-school activities as forms of art.

In the programme at VSA, in our planning, delivery and interaction, we take an ‘additive bilingualism’ approach to language acquisition. A student’s acquisition of a second or third language should enhance their self-esteem and academic, cognitive, linguistic and social development and contribute to the respect and understanding of their own culture. Socially, in school, an ‘inclusive attitude’ to language use is taken. A language or languages common to everyone should be used in a group to show respect to all and ensure everyone feels included.

In offering 3 courses of English, students are in a smaller class for their English lessons (on average 20 in a Language A class and 16 in a Language B class) and instructed by specialist Language A and B teachers. This structure best supports students’ acquisition of the language of instruction and allows differentiation to occur. This structure also ensures a clear pathway for students’ language A and B options in the Diploma Programme.

VSA Secondary English Courses:

In Secondary at VSA, we offer a choice of three courses in English, Language A, Language A2 (The Language A course with modified objectives and criteria) and Language B Advanced. The courses are different as they focus either on literature or language. On application to join VSA Secondary, an assessment is made of students' competence in the language of instruction. The result and past records are used to assess their suitability in our programme and if successful, which English course students will follow.

Each course has its own set of objectives and assessment criteria. A student’s placement is reviewed at several points throughout the year and there is flexibility and possibility for students to move along the language continuum within a school year depending on their needs and progress.