Embedded Files
Multilingualism
Multilingualism is essential to an IB education as it is considered a fact, a right and a resource for learning (Programme standards and practices 0301-04-0200). Schools are required to acknowledge multilingualism in their language policies. They are encouraged to implement support for language development in learning, teaching, assessment, resourcing, and developing policy.
In IB programmes, learners develop their language repertoires as they develop their identities. This also helps them develop their abilities to understand and relate to others. Schools document and maintain language profiles that indicate their support of learners’ repertoires and that the learners themselves seek to expand (Programme standards and practices 0402-07-0300).
Because multilingualism is central to IB programmes, every IB teacher is a language teacher. All teachers are instrumental in building a school culture that genuinely fosters language development, and this will be evident throughout the school ecosystem
Agenda: August 5th, 2025
Session 1: 8:00 - 10:00
Break: 10:00 - 10:30
Session 2: 10:30 - 12:30
Reflective Threads / Líneas de reflexión
Reflective Threads / Líneas de reflexión
How is my understanding of IB Language principles and practices evolving?
In what ways can I apply and keep learning from this workshop in my own learning and teaching?
Conceptual Understandings:
Conceptual Understandings:
Session 1: A school’s culture and environment impacts language development, learning and multilingualism.
Session 2: Intentional and inclusive language teaching empowers learners to express identity, connect meaningfully, and thrive in multilingual communities.
Invitation: What barriers are we placing on ourselves that limit our growth as educators?
Overcoming our barriers requires individual courage and collaboration with othes who are also seeing to grow as educators.
Barriers English.pptxBarreras.pptx“Language is inherently social. Language is not just a means through which we act in the social world; instead, it is a form of social action. How we speak, write or gesture is thoroughly intertwined with our social relations and cultural identities. Language both shapes and is shaped by cultural norms and social status.”
DP Language and culture guide
“ Language can be understood as “the primary means by which (linguistically and culturally diverse) people construct, share, and maintain understanding and meaning. Language is not understood only as code and system (words and grammar), but also as social practice and includes language use in the contexts of situation and in the context of culture.”
Working definition, CP Language and cultural studies
Graffiti Wall
Graffiti Wall
✅ Activator: What Are the Hundred Languages in Our School?
✅ Activator: What Are the Hundred Languages in Our School?
Think about the following in your group
Begin your Graffiti Wall with 1 color answering these questions in your group.
What is language? ¿Qué es lengua?
What is the difference between language and literacy? ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre lengua y alfabetización?
What is my role as a language teacher? ¿Cuál es mi papel como un profesor de lengua?
Let´s listen to the poem "100 Languages" by Loris Malaguzzi (founder of Reggio Emilia)
Add to your Graffiti wall with another color thinking about the following:
What "counts" as language in our school? What doesn’t?
Languages we honour, languages we overlook, languages we could cultivate
Read the IB Language tenets
3. Add any last thoughts to your Graffiti Wall with a final color.
4. From your personal reflection, the 100 Languages poem and the IB Language tenets, complete the Connect - Extend - Challenge Thinking Routine in the Google Presentation. Add to your group number.
IB language tenents / Principios lingüísticos del IB
PSP_realized_The_IB_language_tenets (2).pdfprincipios linguisticos.pdfHow does it all connect? / ¿Cómo se articulan estos elementos?
✅ Learning Engagement: How am I a Language Educator?
✅ Learning Engagement: How am I a Language Educator?
In this learning engagement you will use the Frayer model to explore similarities and differences between Language, Literacy, and Role of Specialists, Role of GD/TA by engaging with PYP resources and Preschool Anglo examples.
As a group, complete a Frayer model for 1 of the following:
Part 1: Write the chosen focus in the middle of the Frayer Model: Language, Literacy, Role of Specialists, Role of GD/TA, Role of español
Each person in the group choose one resource from the PYP to read (below). Also, you can explore any of the other Resources below including your thoughts in your Graffiti Wall and the IB language tenets.
On a large piece of paper, complete the Frayer Model as a group.
Part 2: Post your completed Frayer Model on the wall.
Finally, on a Gallery walk, use post-its to compliment or ask questions on other groups Frayer Model.
Resources
Resources
Language Learning and Teaching - Enseñanza y aprendizaje de la lengua.
The Language Learning Community - La Comunidad de Aprendizaje de Lenguas
Language development and play - Desarrollo del lenguaje y juego.
Language learning and teaching.pdfEnglish language learning Community.pdfLanguage development and play.pdfespanol aprendiendo y ensenanza lengua.pdfComunidad de aprendizaje lengua.pdfel desarollo y el juego lengua.pdf
✅ Reflection: What´s the impact?
✅ Reflection: What´s the impact?
What impact is this session going to have in my classroom?
Conceptual Understandings:
Conceptual Understandings:
Session 1: A school’s culture and environment impacts language development, learning and multilingualism.
Session 2: Intentional and inclusive language teaching empowers learners to express identity, connect meaningfully, and thrive in multilingual communities.
Human graph
Human graph
✅ Activator: How well does our learning community reflect, support, and celebrate the languages and identities of all?
✅ Activator: How well does our learning community reflect, support, and celebrate the languages and identities of all?
For each statement, first ask yourself:
Para cada afirmación, pregúntate primero:
“How evident is it in my own classroom?”
“¿Qué tan evidente es esto en mi propia aula?”
Then, ask yourself:
Luego, pregúntate:
“How evident it is across our preschool section?”
“¿Qué tan evidente es esto en toda nuestra sección de preescolar?”
Statements:
Our classroom materials, displays, and resources reflect the languages and identities of the children and families in our setting / Los materiales, exhibiciones y recursos del aula reflejan la lengua e identidad de los niños y las familias de nuestra comunidad.
Children have regular, natural opportunities to use their home languages during play and inquiry / Los niños tienen oportunidades frecuentes y naturales para usar sus lenguas de origen durante el juego y la indagación.
We intentionally plan for multiple modes of communication (gestural, visual, oral, symbolic, multilingual) as valid ways for children to express meaning / Planificamos intencionalmente múltiples modos de comunicación (gestual, visual, oral, simbólico, multilingüe) como formas válidas para que los niños expresen significado.
Our environment communicates to children and families that all languages are valued and visible / Nuestro entorno comunica a los niños y las familias que todas las lenguas son valoradas y visibles.
We collaborate as a preschool team to support consistent language expectations and practices across classrooms / Colaboramos como equipo de preescolar para mantener expectativas y prácticas lingüísticas coherentes en todas las aulas.
Translanguaging is welcomed and supported across learning engagements, not just in ‘language class’ / El translenguaje es bienvenido y apoyado en todas las experiencias de aprendizaje, no solo durante la “clase de lengua”.
Families are invited to contribute their languages and cultural expressions as part of our learning community / Invitamos a las familias a contribuir con sus lenguas y expresiones culturales como parte de nuestra comunidad de aprendizaje.
The children in our care see themselves and their communities represented in the stories we tell and the songs we sing / Los niños a nuestro cuidado se ven a sí mismos y a sus comunidades representados en las historias que contamos y las canciones que cantamos.
Our interactions with children are intentional in developing both language and identity / Nuestras interacciones con los niños están intencionalmente orientadas al desarrollo del lenguaje y la construcción de la identidad.
Children in our preschool are growing as confident communicators—across all languages and modalities they use / Los niños en nuestro preescolar crecen como comunicadores seguros, en todas las lenguas y modalidades que utilizan.
Respect and support of all language development
“As language is essential to so much of our communication and development of understanding on a daily basis, all members of IB PYP schools are viewed as responsible teachers and models of language. As establishing a deep and genuine appreciation for diversity and international-mindedness is of paramount importance to the IB mission, the development and use of all languages (those spoken at home and in school) are valued..”
(From Principles to Practice: Language: Language development)
✅ Learning Engagment: CAN WE REaLLY ALL BE LANGUAGE TEACHERS?
✅ Learning Engagment: CAN WE REaLLY ALL BE LANGUAGE TEACHERS?
What do you think are the most important elements of Early Years education in the IB?
What do you think are the most important elements of Early Years education in the IB?
jigsaw
jigsaw
What does it mean to be an intentional language educator?
Observe the diagrams “Experiences and Strategies Supporting Symbolic Expression” and “Transdisciplinary Learning and Teaching.” Consider how children use various modes to express meaning and how language supports exploration, consolidation, and transfer of understanding across subject areas.
Jigsaw Strategy: Within your group, each participant (or pair) selects one of six key documents to explore. Also, review the photos of children from Preschool as real-life evidence of symbolic expression.
Individual Reflection to Group Sharing:
Read your document carefully.
Think about:
What does this suggest for our everyday teaching practice?
Which modes of symbolic exploration from the diagram are reflected or supported here?
What practices or principles align with what we see in our own setting (photos)?
Where are the opportunities for more intentional support?
Share your reflections with your group.
Make it practical: Together, identify concrete, classroom actions that would reflect more intentional, inclusive, and multilingual language practices in your setting.
Packing the Suitcase: What would we add to our suitcase to take forward as intentional language educators?
Think of:
Practices
Attitudes
Resources
Collaborative actions
Shifts in mindset
Multimodal Documentation: Express your group’s ideas in ways that feel authentic and creative.
Resources
Resources
espanol translanguaging-es_9f34c04d-c339-4f17-b1dc-0be056270e89.pdfspanish symbolic exploraition and expression.pdfSpanish iteracy-and-numeracy-opportunities-in-play-es_a79f68b1-d0f5-4751-8db7-7dac2f438877.pdfaprendizaje transdisciponario años iniciales .pdfspanish multiliteracies-es_a91e404e-ccf7-4893-9f5e-2cd1a65e6a77.pdfEspanol an-exploration-of-symbol-sound-relationship-es_9a4a2008-975c-4337-867d-f5f429b4a2ff.pdftranslanguaging-en_aff7d4a6-c707-48ea-88c2-d6398c5c7127.pdfEarly years symbolic expression and explroation.pdfliteracy-and-numeracy-opportunities-in-play-en_f31bf810-807a-4fb6-a9ec-8670d6182421 (1).pdfEarly years Transdisciplinary Learning.pdfmultiliteracies-en_19d7d017-b79a-4480-bc17-73e4be15eff8.pdfan-exploration-of-symbol-sound-relationship-en_db44bdc8-ab6d-4a26-877d-811e37f2de18.pdfReflective Threads / Líneas de reflexión
Reflective Threads / Líneas de reflexión
How is my understanding of IB Language principles and practices evolving?
In what ways can I apply and keep learning from this workshop in my own learning and teaching?
✅ Reflection: How does it all connect? Start/stop/continue
✅ Reflection: How does it all connect? Start/stop/continue
Think about everything we discussed today:
What are you going to START doing? ¿Qué vas a EMPEZAR a hacer
What are you going to STOP doing? ¿Qué vas a DEJAR de hacer?
What are you going to CONTINUE doing? ¿Qué vas a CONTINUAR haciendo?
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