JISA MODERN LANGUAGE PHILOSOPHY

International MindednessThe JISA program focuses on modern language study to help students develop a natural curiosity and openness to differences in and among people groups around the world. The JISA 9 courses pose the question, “what is the world like outside my home town?” We believe that studying the culture and language of another country is fundamental to developing this perspective.

Furthermore, JISA 10 focuses on how other nations have influenced the United States and how the US influences the world in return. Through language study in conjunction with World Area Studies (JISA 9) and AP Human Geography (JISA 10), students learn to become more productive global citizens.

AP & IB Language CoursesJISA is Johnson High School’s International Baccalaureate preparatory program. While AP courses are offered at JHS, they are not typically treated as terminal courses. In other words, they are not placed at the top of our curriculum or regarded as the most rigorous courses offered at our school. Instead, AP classes are taught in the lower grades, to 9th and 10th graders, as preparation for the IB Programme of courses.

This curriculum model applies to our modern language course pathway as well. Modern language students who reach a level 5 or beyond in grades 9 or 10 are eligible to take AP Spanish Language as a precursor to IB Spanish B, which is a two year course.

3 Reasons Why JISA Students Study a Modern Language

It prepares them for IB coursework in 11th and 12th grade.
Colleges prefer it.
Research suggests there is a connection between modern language study and improved academic achievement.

It Prepares Students for IB Coursework in 11th and 12th Grade

It prepares students for advanced language studies in the IB Programme.The main emphasis of the IB modern language courses is on the acquisition and use of language in a range of contexts and for different purposes while, at the same time, promoting an understanding of another culture through the study of its language.

The aims of language study are to:

develop students’ intercultural understanding.

enable students to understand and use the language they have studied in a range of contexts and for a variety of purposes.

encourage, through the study of texts and through social interaction, an awareness and appreciation of the different perspectives of people from other cultures.

develop students’ awareness of the role of language in relation to other areas of knowledge.

develop students’ awareness of the relationship between the languages and cultures with which they are familiar.

provide students with a basis for further study, work and leisure through the use of an additional language.

provide the opportunity for enjoyment, creativity and intellectual stimulation through knowledge of an additional language.

“Aims” (2015). Language B Guide.

JISA students are overwhelmingly successful in modern language IB classes. So successful, in fact, that all IB Spanish and Mandarin Chinese courses have a 100% pass rate. This means that all students taking an IB language course in the 15-16 school year received at least one college credit for their language course.

Students studying Spanish B at the Higher Level, receive 2-3 college course credits at UGA and UNG. Our alumni report being well on their way to earning a minor in Spanish on their first day of college.

FACT: In May of 2016, 50% of all Spanish B HL students earned a 6 and the other 50% earned a 7 (on a scale from 0-7). These students will enter college with 3-4 language credits if they attend UGA, UNG, or other comparable Georgia institutions.

Colleges Prefer It

Colleges Prefer It.Getting into college has become extremely competitive. Even getting into our local state institutions is difficult for our best students. Here’s what we know UGA and Georgia Tech say about language development.

UGA“UGA’s Faculty Admissions Committee has identified a number of additional factors that may be considered in admission decisions or merit scholarship consideration. These include: excellence in academic achievement, intellectual pursuits, and creative endeavors; an understanding of and respect for intellectual, social, and cultural differences; significant commitment to citizenship through public service, school activities, community involvement, leadership, and/or family; evidence of integrity and personal maturity; and the ability to benefit from and contribute to a culturally and intellectually diverse community of scholar-citizens.”

“Additional Factors in Admissions Decisions” (2015). Admissions: The University of Georgia. Retrieved from https://www.admissions.uga.edu/prospective-students/first-year .

Georgia Tech“When evaluating your application for freshman admission, we are very interested in understanding how you stretched and challenged yourself relative to the curriculum that was available at your school.Georgia Tech is looking for students who demonstrate intellectual curiosity and aren’t afraid of a challenge!

The University System of Georgia requires minimum academic courses of all first time students, thoughmost applicants exceed those in at least one area.USG requirements include:

English – 4 Units
Math – 4 Units
Science – 4 Units
Social Science – 3 Units
Foreign Language – 2 Units

“Academic Preparation” (2016). Undergraduate Admission. Retrieved from http://admission.gatech.edu/freshman/academic-preparation

Did you KNOW?Educational researcher, P.D. Wiley (1985), found a correlation between high school modern language study and higher academic performance at the college level. Students who studied Latin, French, German, or Spanish in high school performed better in college than their peers who did not study a language.

There is a Connection Between Modern Language Study and Improved Academic Achievement

Research suggests there is a connection between modern language study and improved academic achievement.Foundational education research dating back to the 1960’s found that dual language proficiency–

Improves SAT Verbal: Eleventh grade students in three different high schools in Maryland who studied a modern language for extended periods of time yielded better results on various SAT sub-tests and on the SAT verbal as a whole than students who studied less modern language (Eddy,1981).

Improves ACT Verbal & Math: A study of over 17,000 college applicants between 1981 and 1985 showed students who studied a modern language scored higher on ACT verbal and mathematics than their peers who did not study a language (Olsen, 1992).

Improves Composite ACT: A study of 7,460 students at Southern Illinois University showed that years (as in more than two) of language study positively impacted composite ACT scores.

Improves Thinking about Science Concepts:Kessler & Quinn (1980) found that students who studied language increased their native language facility as well. In the science classroom, bilingual students outperformed monolingual children in writing conceptually dense hypotheses and engaging in science concepts in a more meaningful way.

Improves Critical Thinking: Cade (1997) found that over time, “second language learners (1) have improved test scores; (2) are able to think divergently; (3) achieve in their first language; and (4) attract and maintain parent involvement.”