Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things.
- Flora Lewis
Rooted in language, Connected through Community
Our school is a place where every language has a home. We understand that a child's home personal language, or 'mother tongue', is the root of their identity, a connection to family and heritage. That's why we actively support its maintenance and growth. By providing resources, dedicated spaces, and a curriculum that celebrates linguistic diversity, we ensure students become more than just fluent in English; they become confident, well-rounded, and truly multilingual global citizens.
Vientiane International School supports the development and maintenance of a student's home personal language through:
promotion of home personal language instruction within the VIS community
recognition of the importance of Lao language and culture in our community
active support of home personal language instruction through the provision of classroom space and language materials, and the provision of support and professional development to specialist teachers
encouragement of parents to have their children involved with the home personal language
establishment and expansion of a foreign language/home personal language section in the school Library Media Centre
School-supported Self-taught Language A courses in the 11th and 12th grades in the student's home personal language
The MYP Language & Literature in a student’s home personal language and DP Language A school supported Self-Taught Language & Literature in the home personal language are an integral part of the VIS curriculum. The classes align to the VIS mission and are designed to meet all VIS standards. The philosophy of the language program is deeply informed by the VIS commitment to the International Baccalaureate continuum.
Our Program
Though the Home Personal Language program is informed by best practices from national, state and local curricula, the official curriculum follows VIS philosophy, standards and practices within the IB continuum.
The main goal of the program is to offer an opportunity for students to maintain their mother tongue that is also growing and being supported in the home.
Every student enters the home personal language program with a unique language profile. Lessons are differentiated for individual learners.
The program is designed to move into the school supported self-taught or taught language A program in the IB diploma. Whether or not this course is appropriate for an individual student can be determined in consultation with teachers, a counsellor and the DP Coordinator.
Payment
The fee for Language A/Home Personal Language is based on a charge per course including a preparation period for the teacher. The fee is on a sliding scale based on number of students in the individual class.
Fees will be calculated by the languages office and invoiced to parents.
It is the responsibility of the parents to pay the home personal language teachers and tutors directly, with the exception of the following:
German home personal language - an invoice is issued by the finance office, payable annually or by semester.
Lao home personal language - is included in the main tuition fee for PYP, MYP and DP courses.
Chinese home personal language - is included in the main tuition fee for DP courses.
Why are the language abilities so diverse in a classroom?
In any classroom, and in particular in any language classroom in an international school, there are students with complex language profiles. The job of the teacher and the school is to support each learner to grow and to meet appropriate grade level standards.
Will my child be at the same level as children of the same age in my home country?
This usually depends on the language level at which the student enters the program and the amount of support the student is receiving at home. It is important for home personal language learners to read and speak in their first language outside of school. Also, academic proficiency in a language can be difficult to maintain when learning other subjects in an "other" language.
What about university?
This partly depends on the age and language level of your children. The IB Diploma program lends itself well to joining universities in a very wide range of countries. Our counsellors can help with planning.
