We are a Language Friendly School by Ellen de Rijk

We have a home language section.

ederijk1 — 2023-04-18 13:36:52 UTC

2023-04-19 09:12:02 UTC

French

ederijk1 — 2023-04-19 09:52:29 UTC

English

ederijk1 — 2023-04-19 09:52:38 UTC

Dutch

ederijk1 — 2023-04-19 09:52:43 UTC

Spanish

ederijk1 — 2023-04-19 09:52:50 UTC

2023-04-19 11:28:43 UTC

The library is host to a Dutch language library collection for primary and secondary and an English language library collection for primary and secondary.

Additionally, we have a home languages collection for primary and secondary that encompasses 20+ languages.

ederijk1 — 2023-04-19 11:53:30 UTC

2023-04-19 11:57:29 UTC

This activity made students feel strong and proud.

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In some cases even dialects were explained.

2023-04-19 11:59:54 UTC

Through creativity and the use of home languages, the students have created a display board in ELL. The board displays ways of greeting and thanking in different languages. Later the students got the opportunity to teach their language to other ELL students. Through this activity the students felt proud and motivated to show off and teach their language.

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Research

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Allow students to reasearch or read information in their home language

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For emergent language learners, I have provided vocabulary lists in the languages of the students

Choice

2023-04-19 13:41:22 UTC

Give students choice of topics to investigate in order to pick ones they may have learned about previously, can ask their family about, can access resources on in their own language.

MP2 Unit: World: Languages & Cultures

2023-04-19 13:42:34 UTC

In MP2, we do a unit called "World: Languages & Cultures", focusing on multilingualism and the exploration of languages

Reading

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Reading poems, books in their home language.

posters on the wall with command terms translated into 3 (ish) languages.

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Translate a poem from their mothertongue language to Dutch.

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some projects pitched well to own language and country and students are encouraged to utilise their prior knowledge

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It's raining cats and dogs

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In MP1 we have a unit called 'It's raining cats and dogs' and we encourage students to share different ways to say this in their own language (e.g. https://omniglot.com/language/idioms/rain.php )

Heritage

2023-04-19 13:44:24 UTC

Explore and Explain their own heritage.

Song lyrics

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MP3 music students can write song lyrics in their own language if they want to.

molsson4 — 2023-04-19 13:44:57 UTC

We use names, currencies and situations from different parts of the world in our teaching.

Learning from students

rdraaijer3 — 2023-04-19 13:45:13 UTC

Asking students to give the translation of mathematical vocabulary in their home language (And trying to repeat/pronounce it correctly).

bgeverink — 2023-04-19 13:45:34 UTC

Compare the grammar from their home language with the Dutch grammar.

2023-04-19 13:46:06 UTC

Lesson instructions in mother tongue language for ELL students

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Terminology

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Assess topic knowledge by checking understanding and use of specific key terms that match the language of the region and / or time period being taught.
(Not all students' home language, but delves beyond just an English based curriculum.)

bgeverink — 2023-04-19 13:46:26 UTC

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When skimming more complicated articles or stories, students can use Google Translate to understand it more swiftly

Translating

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Students are encouraged to create word lists of key vocabulary from the unit and translate it into their own language.

Support Department:

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Speak home language with students if possible. Provide dictionaries. Talk about home country, and link to the Netherlands.

MP5 music playlist

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Students make a class playlist, which can include songs from any country and language, including their own home language.

Compare the grammar from their home language with the Dutch grammar.

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L&L

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Students get the opportunity to translate a text/extract into Dutch. This helps them appreciate the nuances involved in many different language related aspects as well as the way a text can be received/interpreted.
Related to using their mother tongue students also like sharing their culture!

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We try to include translated work as well, and students could read those books/stories in their home language if available

Chemistry

2023-04-19 13:47:11 UTC

We always break down new words and terminology in new units to find out where the words originate from and see if that's the same in their home language, eg stoichiometry from Greek.

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Reading texts in English with words from other languages that might illustrate a literary concept or idea.

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Allow them to produce their answers in their mother tongue and then translate them. We focus on the content and gradually work on building up their English.
It is important for the kids to feel capable, competent and comfortable and that is why we allow them to use their mother tongue.

Physics MP3

2023-04-19 13:47:43 UTC

Had the students think of the Sustainable development goals and comparing them for the countries they lived in.

Also want them to write 'sustainable' in their mother tongue

Translate a poem from their mothertongue language to Dutch.

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Chemistry

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Let students buddy up if necessary to discuss in home language.

Biology

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Remind other-mother-tongue students to provide their home-language translations for new terminology.

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We encourage our students to teach us words/ phrases in their mother tongue

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Say "Good day" to students in different languages, matching their mother tongue.

La Cartonera

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We have a collaboration project with EAL in primary where the students are given the chance to work with a student who speaks their home language and together they come up with an idea for a children's book.

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Ask students: "What do you call 'this' in your language? - How do you say 'this' in your language?"

Extended Essays

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Students can use, and sometimes are encouraged to use, depending on their topic, sources written in their own language. If you write your EE in English, and you have for example Italian sources, you can cite these in your main body of your essay. It is important, though, that the reference in the reference-list includes a translation of the title of the source and a short explanation in English why the source is relevant to the section the source is cited in.

Language and knowledge

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The relationship between language and knowledge is explored. Besides studying different real life examples (such as language specific concepts, disappearing languages (and knowledge?)etc.), students also give examples from their own home language.

Chemistry

2023-04-19 13:50:27 UTC

Encourage writing definitions of new terminology in their home language too.

2023-04-19 13:50:29 UTC

With Mp1s or Mp2s during the register or when they are entering the classroom, we ask them to translate a random word/phrase into another language.

2023-04-19 13:51:31 UTC

We use languages we can speak to connect with students. E.g. having a friendly conversation with them in their native language can help build connections. Students appreciate the gesture.

bmaas9 — 2023-04-19 13:51:37 UTC

We use visual representations of difficult words when teaching new vocabulary.

translanguaging

bgeverink — 2023-04-19 13:51:39 UTC

allow students to write in their own language and copy paste in google translate. This allows them to synthesize their thinking before needing to present it.

SSST

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Students prepare presentations about literature they are reading in their home language and share their ideas, interpretations with the rest of the class.

Classroom Jukebox

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Students can add songs to our Classroom Jukebox, sharing different styles of music with each other from different countries

MP2 Science

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Look at the names of the elements of the periodic table and their chemical symbols. Discuss those elements that have seemingly inappropriate symbols relative to their English names and explain that those elements have symbols derived from their Latin names.

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We recognise that when a student is new and fresh from their home country with a new language, that the school day in a new language can be a lot for them.

Language buddy system

2023-04-19 13:53:34 UTC

Students are encouraged to teach each other their home language as a service.
We are also working on a buddy system for students who need more support with the languages they study for their IB courses.
Furthermore, using their creative skills to teach and learn makes it a creative experience as well.

bmaas9 — 2023-04-19 13:55:45 UTC

We encourage ELL students to keep a vocab list in the back of their notebook. In some cases, this vocab list can also be used during an assessment. In other cases we will provide a vocab list for these students on a test.

2023-04-19 14:03:22 UTC

We have a regular Friday morning reading hour at the library and students can choose books from their own languages

Question 1

2025-05-14 10:31:53 UTC

To what extent has the ISE become more 'language friendly' over the last 2 years?

Question 2

2025-05-14 10:33:16 UTC

Could you give an example of a 'language friendly' activity in your lesson or what you have

Question 3

2025-05-14 10:33:44 UTC