At KIST, we believe that language is central to the development of a global mind for all members of the school community, allowing access to a greater range of experiences in the world. We believe that language plays a significant role in the development of community identity and inclusion, and within the school environment, students need to make choices about use of language that is mindful of the community in which they are part. We believe that in order to make appropriate choices about the ways in which we use language, individuals need to consider and reflect on the context, purpose and consequences of using this language. Our current language policy outlines these beliefs in detail and is available for viewing at the link below.

KIST Language Policy

Language policy review

As part of the action described in our School Development Plan, during the upcoming Winter and Spring Terms, KIST will be conducting a review of its current language policy. In 2008, the International Baccalaureate published guidelines for this process and we will be following the outlined procedures in this document. Some guidelines from the document appear below:

A language policy is derived from the school’s language philosophy and is a statement of purpose that outlines goals for language teaching and learning. It is constructed around pedagogical and learning beliefs and is therefore also a statement of action describing practices for achieving and evaluating goals.

The language policy must be consistent with the stipulated principles and practices of the IB. The language policy must therefore:

• recognize that, since language is central to learning, all teachers are, in practice, language teachers with responsibilities in facilitating communication
• outline how students are to learn at least one language in addition to their mother tongue
• describe how the development and maintenance of the mother tongue for all learners is to be supported
• ensure that there are practices in place to provide inclusion and equity of access to the IB programme(s) offered by the school for all learners, including those who are learning in a language other than their mother tongue
• describe how the language of the host country is to be promoted
• recognize that administrators, teachers, librarians and other school staff will require professional development in the fields of language learning and teaching, and on how to make sure the language policy becomes a working document
• consider what resources and practices are to be used to involve parents in planning their children's language profile and development

Each school, of course, exists in a unique social context with complex language and learning‑related needs. A language policy must therefore also take into consideration the particular socio‑cultural circumstances of each school community. Since these circumstances are not static, a language policy needs to be dynamic and flexible so that it can evolve with the changing needs of the school population. Thus it is essential that, when developing a language policy, there are initial and ongoing collaborative reflective practices in place that will monitor change and consider the views and wishes of the whole community. (Guidelines for Developing a School Language Policy, IB, 2008)

The first step in the review process is to establish a language policy steering committee. If you are a member of our current school community and would be interested in finding out more information or participating in the steering committee, please contact us.