Rupani Academy is an International Baccalaureate candidate school, pursuing authorization as an IB World School for IB Middle Years Programme (MYP). IB World Schools share a common philosophy - a commitment to high-quality, challenging, and international education - that we believe is important for our students.
The International Baccalaureate® aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
To this end, the organization works with schools, governments, and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.
These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right. (IBO)
To provide quality education focusing on life skills and personality development for the upbringing of a generation of productive and contributing global citizens.
The language policy document is a working document that is developed by the teachers and pedagogical leadership in consultation with the parents and school community keeping in mind the language profile, cultural contexts and needs of the learners. The document derives its focus from the IB MYP framework. The document is intended to be read by and shared with the key stakeholders i.e. teachers, students, parents, staff and Board of Governors.
At Rupani Academy we believe that language learning contributes to the development of academic as well as social skills and international mindedness. Since Gilgit-Baltistan is rich with diversity of languages, Rupani Academy aims to nurture an appreciation of the richness and diversity of these indigenous languages, national language and international languages. Language does much more than academic excellence; it is more important for creating cultural connections and emotional stability. The acquisition of more than one language and maintenance of the mother tongue enrich personal growth and help facilitate international understanding. RA aims to foster in students the ability to think and express themselves with accuracy, clarity, confidence and imagination. Language development in more than one language enriches personal growth, provides cognitive advantages and is essential to the development of international mindedness. RA strives to address the particular challenges of those students who are learning in a language other than their mother tongue. All teachers at Rupani Academy aligned with IB Philosophy are considered language teachers.
The learners profile helps students develop skills and qualities that can benefit them in various areas of their lives. Communications is the most important quality of any individual who strives to excel in today’s world. The more languages students learn; the more opportunities they create for themselves. A good communicator can better understand others and convey his/her ideas eloquently, resultantly brings a balance in personalities of individuals and behavior society. Moreover, the attitude of being a thinker can help students develop critical thinking skills, which are essential for academic success and decision making in real life situation. Learning more languages broaden the horizon of learners and enhance their knowledge about universe. Language makes students open minded as they are exposed to diverse cultures and societies and develop the passion for tolerance and acceptance. Learners reflect on their language skills and develop their critical and creative thinking skills.
English is the official language, language of instruction and the primary language of communication at the Rupani Academy. It is the major connecting element across the curriculum. English Language acquisition is the responsibility of the school. Teachers model correct use of English and apply a variety of techniques and strategies to facilitate student learning.
English language and literature is taught at MYP level, focusing on the thinking skills, critical analysis and creativity of students. Since literature is reflection of life and deals in feelings and emotions of human being, so RA aims to explore literature in order to bring emotional stability in students. This will bring balance in their personalities and they will accept and encourage the emotional difference with others. All genres of Literature are taught so that students will be able to dip deep into their lives and connect their lives to a broader horizon. The elements of literature such as plot, character, theme, action etc. are made relevant to students lives and society.
Urdu carries a rich literature and history and it is our national identity. Urdu language and literature is offered as a subject as it is the national language of Pakistan and also the majority of our students and parents are fluent in Urdu. It is the responsibility of the school to ensure that the students reach their full potential in expressing themselves in Urdu as well as develop a love and pride for their national language.
The school provides subject-specific teachers and dedicated time to the acquisition and development of the Urdu language and literature at MYP.
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his mother tongue, that goes to his heart.” Nelson Mandela
The term ‘mother tongue’ may denote the language learned first and/or the language identified with as a “native” speaker. There is diversity in the language spoken at home by students and their families, these languages are usually regional and vary in dialects all around Gilgit-Baltistan. School is responsible to encourage, support and appreciate the use of the mother tongue to learn and communicate. The school language club and Library Endeavour to support the mother tongue language by providing reading materials and resources in different languages. Since almost all the districts in Gilgit-Baltistan have different local languages and this language difference creates gaps within regions and ultimately people use Urdu as lingua franca. RA has introduced teaching indigenous languages at MYP where students should learn at least one local language other than their mother tongue. This will bring students together and they will be able to understand each other better resulting in developing a society based on peace and harmony.
Following the IB philosophy of making learners culturally and linguistically proficient in two or more languages is the essence of Language Acquisition instruction at Rupani Academy. As a matter of fact, the acquisition of language is seen as a variety along which each individual student progresses in a variety of courses.
These days China is swiftly influencing at international levels politically and economically. Being the neighbors and having strong political diplomatic and economic ties with China, learning Mandarin/Chinese has become mandatory for students in Pakistan and particularly in Gilgit-Baltistan. Keeping this aspect in consideration, Rupani Academy has introduced Chinese as international language at MYP level. Acquiring Chinese language will surely open new prospects for our new generation who in future are willing to visit China either for studies or business purposes.
Being at the threshold of CPEC, we have many opportunities to hunt jobs as translators, working as skilled workers with Chinese companies and getting scholarships for higher studies.
Applicants complete a student background survey that indicates their proficiency in their mother tongue, English and other languages. All students who speak English as an additional language may be required to take the Rupani English proficiency test at the time of enrolment. Once a student is admitted to the school, Admissions will notify the language acquisition Head of the Department and mother tongue facilitator of the language learner profile for placement in the appropriate language acquisition or mother tongue program.
All teachers are language teachers and therefore they have the responsibility towards facilitating language development and cognitive skills necessary for academic progress. The language scope and sequence document provide a balance in:
The overall pedagogy promotes integrated language development and focuses on language as a transdisciplinary element throughout the curriculum. The benchmarks for each level are structured according to the IB PYP Scope and Sequence document as follows:
Oral language encompasses all aspects of listening and speaking. Opportunities for learning about and learning through oral language occur in all areas of the curriculum. Students are provided with authentic opportunities to develop their skills. These include assemblies, presentations, school exhibitions, annual IB Language Policy Rupani Academy productions, and performances in the additional language, the student leadership program, and a range of classroom learning experiences as well as an enriched Performing Arts program that includes singing across each year level. Assessment of speaking and listening is completed in contexts including group work, partner work, and whole-class work across the curriculum, particularly in cooperative learning tasks.
The receptive process of viewing and the expressive process of presenting are closely connected. Students are provided with learning experiences to develop their ability to understand how images and languages interact to convey ideas, values, and beliefs. The ICT resources across the school allow students to access visual texts including websites, videos, graphs, maps, diagrams, and charts. Learning to interpret, understand, and use different media are invaluable life skills.
Reading is a developmental process that involves constructing meaning from text. Rupani Academy believes that “Reading gives us Wings” for the teaching of reading. We use I Can Read University Phonetic resources which focus on reading skills ranging from 3 years to 12 years. We provide opportunities for students to encourage reading habits through reading for pleasure and reading marathons with their parents. Children learn to read by reading and as such the school delivers a daily literacy block comprising explicit teaching of reading. Through language experience, modeled reading, shared reading, guided reading, and independent reading sessions, learners engage with appealing texts appropriate to their experiences and developmental phase. Assessment drives the teachers to identify the appropriate levels for students. Some assessment tools used include Running Records, PROBE, TORCH, ACER, and anecdotal notes. Writing is primarily concerned with communicating meaning and intention to an audience. Children learn to write by writing. The school provides modeled writing, shared writing, four square writing, independent writing, free writing sessions through which the students learn the mechanics of writing including spelling, grammar, text structures and features, the writing process and developing voice. Regular moderation throughout the year in and across teaching teams occurs to ensure consistency of assessment and planning.
The Rupani Academy provides a range of professional development that supports effective educators and collaborative learning communities. The professional development opportunities include face-to-face and online workshops, webinars, curriculum review, assessment moderation, staff meetings, off-site workshops, conferences, training workshops based on the literacy language, and e-learning resources.
Students are given multiple opportunities to learn language and literature. They have been involved in many different literacy activities such as daily read-aloud, word-rich walls, using classroom libraries, writer’s workshop, and guided reading groups. Students use language for collaborating with their peers and their teachers. They also practice language use when presenting their thoughts and ideas. Particularly, students with the same interest are grouped to cooperate and strengthen their linguistic skills such as writer club, reader club, poetry club, and orators club. Teachers can fill in academic language gaps when necessary using this diagnostic assessment. Students also participate in differentiated learning centers daily including, but not limited to: MAP, Research, Self-Selected Reading, Word Works/Word Study, ReadWorks.org, Independent Writing, and Listening. Students are encouraged to use their language as a means to inquiry and learning.
At Rupani Academy we believe that it is important for staff to communicate and collaborate regularly with families to support students’ academic, language, and social-emotional learning.
Within the education setting, there are many stakeholders which play a role in interacting with the student in a teaching and learning context. The student themselves, the teacher, parents, and other academic staff all influence the student in their learning and can play a role in developing academic skills. Parental involvement is a significant factor influencing students’ educational development. Rupani Academy uses many methods to engage parents in the language development of their children. The language of communication with parents is English, but Urdu and even local languages are used as means of communication. Students are given assignments to sit with parents and listen to the stories, folk tales, and poetry in local languages and translate them into the target language.
Last Reviewed: 15 January, 2023
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