Bilingualism in International Schools: A Model for Enriching Language Education

By Janina M. Safran

International Schools have developed since their inception from a largely native English-speaking student body to schools such as the author’s, the Vienna International School (VIS), where there are students of 90 nationalities with 65 mother tongues. Maurice Carder proposes a “three-programme model” for addressing the language and curricula needs of these students: a content-based second language programme; a programme of cultural and linguistic training for all staff; and a mother tongue programme for minority students. The model is based on research findings and practice: at the VIS every year approximately 1/3 of the graduating students gain an IB Diploma (International Baccalaureate) because they are able to take their mother tongue (other than English or German) as Language A1. The book contains insightful chapters not only for school leaders, programme designers and teachers, but also for parents. Inserted boxes of student responses give an authentic voice to the needs of second language learners, and many useful resources and websites are given.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Multilingual Matters
• Release date: Jan 10, 2007
• ISBN: 9781847695734

Janina M. Safran

Maurice Carder’s career has been dedicated to second language learners of English. After graduating with a BA Honours in Spanish (Bristol) he gained Qualified Teacher Status at the Institute of Education (London). He had teaching posts in Sevilla, Tehran, Lisbon, Greece, Porto, and Bath (UK) before gaining an MA in Linguistics (Lancaster). This led to posts in Mexico and Germany, then to the Vienna International School, Austria, in 1981, where he has remained until now. He has worked on various projects with the International Baccalaureate Organisation, and done much committee work with the European Council of International Schools. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Linguists. His writings on bilingualism and language-related matters have appeared in several books, and in journals such as the International Schools Journal and the Journal for Research in International Education.