By Max Geoffroy Chateau, secondary Dutch Teacher
At ISU, students learn Dutch in PYP and MYP at a level that matches their language background. Along the way, students develop their understanding of Dutch-speaking society and its culture.
Language in DP
In DP, a student studies both a Language A and a Language B. At ISU, English is usually the Language A, while Dutch can be studied as a Language B. Students whose Language A is their home language, through the School-Supported Self-Taught (SSST) programme, will generally study English as their Language B.
Dutch in DP
Students in DP at ISU have multiple options to acquire the Dutch language. The aim of all programmes is that students acquire the Dutch language and learn about the Dutch culture so that they, for the period that they live here, can participate in Dutch society.
There are three different subjects:
- Dutch A - language and literature: Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL)
- Dutch B - language acquisition: SL and HL
- Dutch B - ab initio: SL
What is Ab Initio?
Ab initio is a Latin phrase that translates literally to "from the beginning". This means that this course is designed for absolute beginners and offers an opportunity to build Dutch language skills from the ground up.
According to the IB guidelines, the official criterion for joining a language ab initio course in DP is that the student must be a genuine beginner with no or very little prior experience in the target language.
At ISU, students who are new to both the school and the country, and who have no prior experience with learning Dutch, are placed in the ab initio course. Students who take language acquisition in grade 10 in MYP at phase 1 are also placed in ab initio. If a student is in phase 2 in the last year of MYP, the coordinators, in consultation with the teacher, determine the suitability and placement of the course based on their experience and professional judgment.
Language B - Ab initio
The key features of the curriculum and assessment models in ab initio are aligned with the other language B courses. This means that students are assessed both externally and internally. The external assessment consists of:
- Paper 1: productive skills — writing
- Paper 2: receptive skills —listening and reading
The internal assessment consists of:
- Individual oral assessment — speaking
The five prescribed themes in ab initio are also the same as those in Language B:
- Identities
- Experiences
- Human ingenuity
- Social organization
- Sharing the planet
Keys to make Dutch Ab Initio a success
A student is successful when they are motivated to learn a new language and explore the associated culture. It’s important that they understand and develop their own language-learning strategies, take responsibility for their learning, and work independently. The most successful students are the ones that actively use the target language in the classroom and seek opportunities to practise it outside the classroom. They also use feedback to set personal learning goals and identify areas for improvement.