LANGUAGE POLICY

Aware of the fact that a foreign language is no longer just a school subject or an advantage, but a part of daily life, our aim is to raise lifelong learners who will become citizens of the world with the ability to express themselves not only in their native tongue but also in different languages. The Common European Framework forms the basis of our foreign language curriculum and our overall objective is to get the learners to communicate by providing them with the necessary language skills.

At Adapazarı ENKA Schools,

• Foreign language education forms a significant part of the programme. The school believes in the benefits of beginning language education at an early age and starts teaching English for 10 hours per week from kindergarten. Our aim until the end of 2^ndgrade is to introduce English, to instill a positive attitude towards the language, to develop active listening and speaking skills and to teach with fun activities. From the 3^rd grade, our programme includes both language acquisition and language learning elements. The programme mainly aims to develop communication skills in the language.

Through the English lessons in our school, we aim to develop the communication skills of our students in a second language. During the first three years of the programme, comprehension and communication skills are supported with rhymes, games and stories. In the 3^rd and 4^th grades, reading, comprehension, listening, speaking and writing skills are fostered.

In every unit of inquiry, language is used by students to find connections and to develop transdisciplinary connections.

We believe that every new language brings with it a different point of view, and that learning a language along with its cultural elements is a step towards international mindedness. For this reason, starting from the 2013-2014 school year, we have included two 20-minute Spanish lessons per week in the kindergarten programme and two hours of Spanish lessons per week in the other grades. While in the first two years of the programme the focus is on oral language production, the later years also contain some written elements.

As we value the previous experiences, needs and interests of our students, we implement differentiated instruction, tasks and assignments in our language lessons. Whenever a new concept is being taught, we use the scaffolding strategy to support the students until they are independently confident in using the new concept. Therefore, every student has the opportunity to be successful.

Given the importance of repetition in language education, the students are given homework periodically and they are encouraged to keep reading logs.

• Starting from the 2010-2011 Academic Year, we motivate our 3^rd and 4^thgraders to take the Cambridge University Young Learners Examinations so that they can experience this challenge.
• As we believe that the use of English should not be limited to the classroom, and that language is useful only if the students communicate with the world, our English Department actively works to fulfil the standards set by the Council of Europe in teaching and assessing language, and to give our students the opportunity to communicate with English speakers through international projects
• Our students are given the chance to show what they have learnt during the academic year through end-of-year English performances (sketches, plays, dance performance, etc.)

• The students are expected to present their language products during the portfolio days at the end of the school year. Before and during these presentations, they have the chance to reflect on their learning processes and to produce. These presentations also enable parents to learn more about the process.

• It is believed that language development is strongly linked with the need to communicate. In this belief, we provide our students with real interaction opportunities which increase their cultural and social awareness.
• The language learning process is held to comprise three concurrent elements: learning the language, learning about the language, and learning through the language. As language is the cornerstone of the curriculum, all three elements are supported.
• In the belief that “Every teacher is a language teacher”, teachers act as role models for students by using language correctly.
• Our teachers attend seminars which include language teaching. Foreign language teachers regularly attend seminars on ELT to support their ongoing professional development.
• Believing in the importance of consistency and continuity in learning a language, practices in the school are being shaped according to the Essential Agreements adopted by the whole school. (See Appendix 1). Applications that require the use of language are chosen in consideration of the developmental and age levels of the students. In order to develop students’ understanding of language, International Mother Language Day (February 21^st) is celebrated with various activities.

• It is believed that reading, writing, listening, speaking and media literacy activities have a positive effect on learning a language. Hence, the regular use of the library, in-school and out-of-school reading activities, and the use of dictionaries are encouraged. Note-taking studies, twice-weekly 20-minute reading sessions, regular dictation studies and visual interpretation activities are used. During all these activities the fundamental aim for the learners is to find connections. According to the school’s weekly schedule, two Turkish lessons and one English lesson per week for each level are conducted in the school library. The Skills of Using the Library (See Appendix 2) that have been identified for each grade are developed using the same activities throughout the school. Students are also given opportunities to familiarise themselves with literature and with authors, as writers are invited to speak at the school during the course of the academic year. Astudens in 3^rdand 4^th grade are encouraged to take an interest in literature through the Book Shop activities.
• Considering the students’ individual learning differences and developmental levels, various learning and teaching tools and strategies are used in all activities.
• Bulletin boards, news and e-mails are prepared bilingually throughout the school.