Language Acquisition

MYP Language Acquisition (Year 1-3)


The study of additional languages in the Middle Years Program (MYP) provides students with the opportunity to develop insights into the features, processes and craft of language and the concept of culture, and to realize that there are diverse ways of living, viewing and behaving in the world.
MYP language acquisition is a compulsory component of the MYP in every year of the program. 


What is the significance of language acquisition in the MYP?
The ability to communicate in a variety of modes, in more than one language, is essential to the concept of an international education. The language acquisition course provides a linguistic and academic challenge for students in order to facilitate the best possible educational experience. Students are given the opportunity to develop their language skills to their full potential, as well as the possibility of progressing through various phases over the course of the MYP.

How is language acquisition structured in the MYP?
In this subject group, teaching and learning is organized into six phases. The phases do not correspond to particular age groups or MYP year levels. At Nesbit School, students take Spanish as a second language.

Key Concepts in Language acquisition
Key concepts promote the development of a broad curriculum. They represent big ideas that are both relevant within and across disciplines and subjects. 


Aesthetics

Change

Communication

Communities

Connections

Creativity

Culture

Development

Form

Global interactions

Identity

Logic

Perspective

Relationships

Systems

Time, place and space

Related Concepts in Language Acquisition
Related concepts promote deep learning. They are grounded in specific disciplines and are useful for exploring key concepts in greater detail. Inquiry into related concepts helps students develop more complex and sophisticated conceptual understanding. Related concepts may arise from the subject matter of a unit or the craft of a subject—its features and processes.

Accent

Audience 

Context

Conventions

Form

Function

Meaning

Message

Patterns

Purpose

Structure

Word choice

Empathy

Idiom

Points of view

Inference 

Argument

Bias

Theme

Voice

Stylistic choices 




Objectives for Language acquisition

Criterion A: Comprehending visual and spoken texts 

i. show understanding of messages, main ideas and supporting details 

ii. recognize basic conventions 

iii. engage with the spoken and visual text by identifying ideas, opinions and attitudes and by making a personal response to the text. 


Criterion B: Comprehending visual and written texts 

i. identify basic facts, main ideas and supporting details, and draw conclusions 

ii. recognize basic conventions including aspects of format and style, and author’s purpose for writing 

iii. engage with the written and visual text by identifying ideas, opinions and attitudes and by making a personal response to the text. 


Criterion C: Communicating in response to spoken and/or written and/or visual text  

i. respond appropriately to spoken and/or written and/or visual text  

ii. interact in basic structured exchanges 

iii. use phrases to communicate ideas, feelings and information in familiar situations 

iv. communicate with a sense of audience. 


Criterion D: Using language in spoken and/or written form 

i. write and/or speak using a basic range of vocabulary, grammatical structures and conventions; when speaking, use clear pronunciation and  intonation 

ii. organize information and ideas and use a range of basic cohesive devices 

iii. use language to suit the context.

*Information on these pages is from the MYP Subject Guides and the MYP Project Guide. International Baccalaureate Organization. 2014. Print.