New language program
As agreed, we are coming back to you to present you another novelty of the 2022 school year: the creation of the LFIK Language Courses.
As you know, the LFIK, like any other school in the AEFE network, promotes a multilingual and multicultural education that is as rich as possible. It is therefore with great determination that we have been working all year on the implementation of real language courses that can meet the expectations of families and the ambitions that we have for our students.
The main lines of the creation of these courses:
– We started with what already exists: to date, there is, in fact, already a course. It is the “Japanese-speaking” course. The goal, knowing that many families found themselves in this course and the corresponding time volumes, was to keep it. However, we have strengthened its presence (starting in Petite Section), and reviewed the way in which we accompany more individually in high school the students who are destined to go to Japanese universities.
– The other aspect to take into account is the place of English. We wanted to strengthen it significantly. Both by creating an “Anglophone” course, which did not exist at all until now. And also by providing all our students with a more sustained practice of English, including for students who would take the “Japanese-speaking” course.
Structure of the courses :
– Both courses are open to all students, with no entrance test or requirements. An adaptation to the linguistic profile of the student will be put in place.
– Students can choose between the two tracks from kindergarten through 12th grade.
– It is possible, after discussion with the teaching staff, to change the course from one year to the next.
– A progressive system, with a weekly volume adapted to each level. The “Japanese-speaking” course also includes hours of English / the “English-speaking” course also includes hours of Japanese. Some hours are done in common with all the students of the class group, whatever the “path” of the students; other hours are specific to the path. Finally, some hours are language hours (English or Japanese), others are language hours (the official French program of the class is treated, but it is done in Japanese or English).
– The hours are taught by specific staff, modern language teachers (sometimes in collaboration with other teachers or with school teachers).
– For the secondary level (from 6EME onwards), you will see on the table that the courses are added to the compulsory hours of language of the official programs of the National Education (English from 6EME, LV2 from 5EME, Latin possible from 5EME)
– In addition, the Fle accompaniment (for non-Francophones) is a device that we have had for a long time on the structure. It allows us to help new arriving students to integrate quickly and not to make French a block in their learning. A new presentation of the reception program will be made at the end of the year (and will be implemented at the beginning of the school year in September).
And if you want more?
– As you know, the hours in each class are not extensible. Our school is accredited and must respect the maximum number of hours imposed. With the courses we have created, we are already at this maximum. However, we know that some parents and students may want more exposure to and work on foreign languages, whether in Japanese or English. This is why we would like to propose a complementary offer, outside of school time (on a single day of the week, from 3:30 pm to 5 pm)
– This offer, which would be made on 1h30 slots, a bit like a current APS, would be designed to offer additional time in languages and would meet the needs of 4 different “profiles”:
> A weekly time slot (1H30) of Japanese for those of the Japanese-speaking course who would like to work even more on the Japanese language
> A weekly time slot (1H30) of Japanese for those of the English-speaking course who would like to complete their course with more Japanese language
> A weekly time slot (1.5 hours) of English for those in the Japanese-speaking course who would like to complete their course with more English language
> A weekly slot (1.5 hours) of English for those in the Anglophone track who would like to work more on the English language
– This offer would be proposed for all students, from PS to Terminale. The offer would be put in place as soon as 3 students register.
– A communication on this offer will be made in the next few weeks.
Procedures:
– As you will see in tomorrow’s message on re-registration, it will be possible for you to pre-select in the form, the “English-speaking” or “Japanese-speaking” course. If you are still hesitating or would like more information, there is no problem. The choice during the re-registration phase is indicative and not definitive. We will come back to you at the beginning of May to make the final choices.
– Do not hesitate to ask the school life about these courses and to come and discuss them with all the teams if you wish, we are here for that!
The creation of these language courses has been a long time coming. The LFIK teams have been working together since September with the students, the parents’ representatives on the Executive Committee and, of course, with the members of the Management Committee, to come up with a coherent and ambitious proposal that will allow us to give our children the best possible weapons on the essential issue of language mastery.