At Raffles World Academy we offer our students a range of languages to study during their time here. Learning languages allows our students to gain an awareness and understanding of the perspectives of people from own and other cultures, develop curiosity, inquiry.
Primary School Languages
Students have the choice to start with either French or Spanish and continue with the language in the secondary school. They have 2 lessons of foreign language per week. They are encouraged to be risk takers, critical thinkers and be reflective learners who interact with feedback and are prepared to learn from their experiences. They will also acquire the necessary skills and knowledge in order to be prepared for external examinations such as DELF Prim.
Secondary School Languages
Grade 6-9: MYP Programme
Students can choose Spanish or French in the MYP Language Acquisition programme. Although a pupil may choose to start a new language in grade 6, we strongly advise that he continues with the language learnt in the previous years as this will enable him to further develop his linguistic skills.
The aims of MYP language acquisition are to encourage and enable students to:
- Gain proficiency in an additional language while supporting maintenance of their mother tongue and cultural heritage.
- Develop a respect for, and understanding of, diverse linguistic and cultural heritages.
- Develop the communication skills necessary for further language learning, and for study, work and leisure in a range of contexts.
- Develop multi-literacy skills through the use of a range of learning tools.
- Develop an appreciation of a variety of literary and non-literary texts and to develop critical and creative techniques for comprehension and construction of meaning.
- Recognize and use language as a vehicle of thought, reflection, self-expression and learning in other subjects.
- Understand the nature of language and the process of language learning.
- Gain insight into the cultural characteristics of the communities where the language is spoken.
Grade 10: MYP eportfolio
MYP language acquisition courses are formally assessed at one of two levels: emergent (phase 2) or capable (phase 4). MYP language acquisition portfolios consist of:
- An aural comprehension task comprising spoken and visual text,
- A written comprehension task comprising written and visual text,
- An interactive oral task,
- A writing task.
MYP language acquisition portfolio tasks are aligned with understanding and skills that prepare students for high levels of achievement in IB Diploma Programme courses in language acquisition. The IB MYP certificate requires a satisfactory level of achievement in language acquisition.
Grade 11-12: IBDP Programme
Students can choose Spanish, French, Arabic or Mandarin ab initio if they decide to start a new language. If they wish to go deeper in the language that they have been learning, they can opt for the Language B course (Spanish, French or Arabic). There are 2 levels: Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL). To access the SL course, pupils need to have achieved a grade 4 in the same MYP Phase 4 or equivalent language acquisition course. To access the HL course, pupils need to have achieved a grade 6 in the same MYP Phase 4 or equivalent language acquisition course. While studying the language, students also explore the culture connected with it. Higher and standard levels are differentiated by the depth of syllabus coverage, the required study of literature at HL, and the level of difficulty and requirements of the assessment tasks and criteria. The range of purposes and situations for using language in the language B courses extends well beyond those for language ab initio.
Mother Tongue Programmes
To help students retain a connection with their home language and culture, Raffles World Academy offers two to three hours a week of language instruction for children with Russian, Spanish, French, German, Hindi and Italian as their mother tongue.
The Mother Tongue classes are scheduled within the school timetable against Islamic Education and after school. The MT languages are taught in year groups, allowing children of the same age to develop their home language together. Certified native speaking teachers recreate the feeling of learning language as if the children are in their ‘home’ country and include elements of culture, geography, history and traditions as well as language. New mother tongue groups continue to join the programme.
The Mother Tongue Programme is not a language acquisition programme, but a programme for native speaking children living abroad to maintain their mother tongue. Mother Tongue classes are an extra paid activity, organized by a private institute or voluntary parents’ initiative with support from the school.
The programme started over 10 years ago and since has made very good progress with some students graduating with their mother tongue in the IB Diploma. The classes are held in small groups in order to allow the teacher to concentrate on each child. The curriculum, books and materials are based on a modified school curriculum from back home.
For further information
Modern Foreign Language (MFL) Choices – French or Spanish
- All students must choose between French or Spanish as a Modern Foreign Language in Grades 2-5.
- These programmes are not designed for students whose mother tongue is French or Spanish. Spanish MT should choose French and French Mother Tongue students should choose Spanish.
Pre- KG
| Arabic Cultural Studies | 1 Lessons |
KG1
| Arabic Cultural Studies | 2 Lessons |
| French Mother Tongue | 1-2 lessons per week after school (1.50 – 2.50pm) |
| German, Russian, Spanish, Hindi and Italian Mother Tongue | 1-2 lessons per week after school (1.50 – 2.50pm |
KG2
| Arabic A | 3 Lessons |
| Arabic B | 3 Lessons |
| French Mother Tongue | 1-2 lessons per week after school (1.50 – 2.50pm) |
| German, Russian, Spanish, Hindi and Italian Mother Tongue | 1-2 lessons per week after school (1.50 – 2.50pm) |
Grade 1
| Arabic A | 4 Lessons |
| Arabic B | 3 Lessons |
| French Mother Tongue | 3 lessons two lessons during Islamic & one during Arabic A |
| German, Russian, Spanish, Hindi and Italian Mother Tongue | 2 lessons during Islamic |
Grade 2
| Arabic A | 4 Lessons |
| Arabic B | 3 Lessons |
| MFL French or Spanish | 2 Lessons |
| French Mother Tongue | 3 lessons two lessons during Islamic & one during Arabic A |
| German, Russian, Spanish, Hindi and Italian Mother Tongue | 2 lessons during Islamic |
Grade 3
| Arabic A | 4 Lessons |
| Arabic B | 3 Lessons |
| MFL French or Spanish | 2 Lessons |
| French Mother Tongue | 3 lessons two lessons during Islamic & one during Arabic A |
| German, Russian, Spanish, Hindi and Italian Mother Tongue | 2 Lessons during Islamic |
Grade 4
| Arabic A | 4 Lessons |
| Arabic B | 3 Lessons |
| MFL French or Spanish | 2 Lessons |
| French Mother Tongue | 3 lessons two lessons during Islamic & one during Arabic A |
| German, Russian, Spanish, Hindi and Italian Mother Tongue | 2 Lessons during Islamic |
Grade 5
| Arabic A | 4 Lessons |
| Arabic B | 3 Lessons |
| MFL French or Spanish | 2 Lessons |
| French Mother Tongue | 3 lessons two lessons during Islamic & one during Arabic A |
| German, Russian, Spanish, Hindi and Italian Mother Tongue | 2 Lessons during Islamic |
Please Note: each lesson is of 60 minutes duration.