TheJournaloftheInternationalSchoolofParis DoyouspeakISP · students should learn language, learn...

thetribuneVOLUME 15 - SUMMER 2009

The Journal of the International School of Paris

Our students and teachers inspire confidence,courage, and creativity in both their use ofmother-tongue languages and their capacityfor learning new ones. We asked someSecondary School students to survey thestaff’s language skills, and 22 languages werereported. Then, we searched the School’sdatabase for languages spoken at home, andas indicated on the list above, the result wasan amazing 62 languages!

In this issue, you will find some examples ofstudent work, and get a glimpse of thedifferent activities that ISP organizes toenhance language learning. You will alsolearn about recent research on mother tongueand language acquisition, as well as theclosely-related topics of identity and culture.Enjoy the contents of this issue, and join us incelebrating the true diversity that is ISP!

Doyouspeak ISP?

summaryMeet the Sillanpää familySixty-two languagesLanguage B at ISPWhat does it mean to be a TCK?Ten reasons for mother tonguemaintenanceLanguage A at ISPInspirations from Robert BrowningReproducing Rutebeuf

page 2 .page 4 .page 5 .page 6 .page 8 .

page 9 .page 11 .page 12 .

A F A R A F R I K A A N S A M H A R I C A R A B I C A Z E R B A I J A N I B U L G A R I A N B E N G A L I

B A N G L A C A T A L A N C H I N E S E C Z E C H D A N I S H G E R M A N G R E E K E N G L I S H

S P A N I S H E S T O N I A N P E R S I A N F I N N I S H F L E M I S H F R E N C H H I N D I

C R O A T I A N H U N G A R I A N H A Y E R E N I N D O N E S I A N I C E L A N D I C I T A L I A N

H E B R E W J A P A N E S E G E O R G I A N K A N N A D A K O R E A N L I T H U A N I A N

M A R A T H I M A L A Y D U T C H N O R W E G I A N O R I Y A P U N J A B I P O L I S H

P O R T U G U E S E R O M A N I A N R U S S I A N S E R B O - C R O A T I A N S L O V A K S L O V E N I A N

S E S O T H O S W E D I S H S W A H I L I T A M I L T E G U L U T H A I T A G A L O G S E T S W A N A

T U R K I S H T W I U K R A I N I A N U R D U V I E T N A M E S E W O L O F Z U L U

Maryvonne and Harri Sillanpää came to Paris andISP six years ago, and along with their now fivechildren, they have experienced every grade levelof the School! They have four children still at theSchool (Mahé, finishing Grade 8, Nolwenn, Grade6, Arzhél, Grade 2 and Loïza, Grade 1). Their eldest,Mériadec, ISP’s class of 2008, is currently studyingJapanese culture and language at the TokyoInstitute of Japanese Language. All of their children

are multilingual, and speak English as their thirdlanguage. Moreover, with two of their youngestadopted from South Africa, Maryvonne and Harrialso know what it is like to have a non-English-speaking child start at ISP.

The Sillanpääs are a truly international andmulticultural family. Harri is 100% Finnish, but hiswork in telecommunications has taken him all overthe world. After meeting Maryvonne in Germany(the two conversed in German at that time), thefamily has moved along with him; in addition toFinland and France, they have lived in Algeria,Thailand, Denmark, Netherlands and Italy. TheSillanpää children have always attended English-speaking International Schools, and since 1999they have been schooled with IB programs. At allstages, Maryvonne and Harri have stressed theimportance of studying mother tongue languages.

“Mother tongue is more than just language,” saysMaryvonne. “It is the ‘look and feel’ of an individual,and an expression of your true nature and culture.Through mother tongue education, children canlearn about themselves, their countries, and theirheritage. In addition to English, all of the children inour family need to learn both Finnish and French.Also, it is important for Loïza to continue learningZulu, in order to strengthen her African identity. Hermother tongue is an important part of her, and weshould not ignore that!”

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- T H E J O U R N A L O F T H E I N T E R N A T I O N A L S C H O O L O F P A R I S - w w w . i s p a r i s . e d uPAGE 2

FromtheHeadofSchoolThis edition of the Tribune features languages and the many ways inwhich they influence the way we think and interact with each other.As a fluent speaker of four languages, I greatly appreciate both thenuances and the importance of languages in our lives.

I grew up in South America and began school in an English-speakingenvironment, with Spanish as the second language of instruction. Myparents spoke to me and my three siblings in English, but theVenezuelans in the household spoke to us in Spanish. For secondaryschool, I attended a Venezuelan school where English was the secondlanguage of instruction. I therefore became competent in bothlanguages, as I was surrounded by both on a daily basis. When I wentto University, I decided to take French. The instruction was verygrammar based, and as I am an oral learner, I did not do well; I didnot learn French at that time. A few years later, I met my husband whois French-speaking and we later moved to France. Here, surrounded bythe language, I was able to learn it quite quickly. I had the sameexperience with Portuguese, learning it rapidly while in Brazil andwanting to communicate with such friendly people. My three childrenhave also learned four languages due to a desire to communicate withother people; we are a very chatty bunch!

Not everybody learns as I do and each person’s individual style willvery much affect their language acquisition. One of my children isextremely good at picking up languages but is less effective at writingthese. The other two are better with the written language, but all ofthem value their language abilities enormously. They each benefitedfrom an IB Diploma which requires each student to study at least twolanguages. This, I feel, is one of the great benefits of the programand of being a part of the ISP community where 62 differentlanguages are spoken on a daily basis!

Audrey PeverelliHead of School

Meet

VOLUME 15 - SUMMER 2009

In order to support Loïza’s learning, Mahé isalso studying Zulu, and enjoys it very much.The family was not able to find a teacher forArzhél, whose mother tongue is Xhosa, whichis another South African language. However,Arzhél is still learning about his South Africanculture and traditions, and the family visits thecountry regularly.

How can a family function with so manydifferent languages and identities? What is thecommon language at home? “The language weuse often depends on the context”, explainsMaryvonne. “Harri speaks Finnish to thechildren, I speak French. Other than that, thereare no clear rules, and the children canconverse in any language they like. NowadaysHarri and I tend to speak French together, but Imust admit that Finnish is much more efficientwhen arguing!” Maryvonne laughs.

When Mériadec was a toddler, Maryvonne wasoften warned against exposing him to too

many languages. She didn’t listen to thosewarnings, as she was convinced that she wasdoing the right thing.

Later on, both Mériadec’s individual languagedevelopment, and recent linguistic research ingeneral, have proved Maryvonne right. “Sure,learning to speak initially took a bit longer thanfor children learning only one language, but bythe time he began school, he was alreadyfluent in three languages! At the moment, inaddition to French, Finnish and English,Mériadec speaks Japanese and Spanish.”

While raising multilingual and multiculturalchildren is natural to Maryvonne, beingsuccessful in it takes some effort. “I support thechildren’s language learning by havinginteresting books, films, TV programs andmagazines available to them. Learning at homeshould be enjoyable; it is not useful to forcechildren to study. Language can be brought inthrough pleasure. At the moment, for instance,

Loïza and Arzhél are allowed to watch as muchTV as they want to, as long as it is inFinnish…”

The multiple identities of the family aresupported by the family’s traditions, as well.No French, Finnish, or South African celebrationgoes unnoticed! When asked what her ownidentity is, Maryvonne laughingly admits thatit’s a bit complicated. She comes from a familywith four different backgrounds (English,Spanish, Dutch and French); she is married to aFinn; two of her five children (all of whom havetraditional Breton names) come from SouthAfrica; and one of them currently lives in Japan.SomehowMaryvonne identifies herself with allthose countries. “For me, home is where myfamily is!”

insevenlanguages!

theSillanpääFamily

Mother tongue is more thanjust language; it is the ‘lookand feel’ of an individual,and an expression of yourtrue nature and culture.

Maryvonne Sillanpää

At ISP, language learning is supported andenhanced in many different ways. Whilethe multilingual environment is sometimeschallenging for both teachers and students,having access to all these languages is alsoa wonderful resource.

The School constantly follows the mostrecent research on language acquisition,adjusting and improving its supportingfunctions accordingly. In addition toworkshops, the Primary School Englishlanguage teachers have regular drop-insessions, where the parents can stop by tofind answers to their questions or concerns.The Secondary School has an IntensiveEnglish Center, and English Facilitator,Cheryl Jones, helps students and teachersmeet the needs of second-language Englishlearners in mainstream class settings.

The French teachers naturally benefit fromthe enormous amount of cultural events,films and exhibitions available in thecapital. As a lively, multicultural city, Parisoffers many possibilities for others as well.For example, Mr. Qi, the School’s Chineseteacher, recently took his students on a fieldtrip to the Chinese neighborhood of Paris,where they were able to practice theirChinese in real life situations.

In addition to organizing field trips, ISP’slanguage teachers regularly invite visitorsto the School. Recent visitors have includedan American poet Peter Gizzi who gave aninteresting workshop on collage poems forGrade 4 and 5 students, and KristinPedemonti, an International story tellerwho inspired and entertained the wholePrimary School.

All ISP students are encouraged to studytheir mother tongue, and the Schoolsupports these efforts by providingguidance, facilities and materials wheneverpossible. In addition to English and French,the School’s MYP program offers level Ainstruction for mother-tongue or fluentspeakers in Hindi, Japanese, Korean andSpanish. Amber Herisson, the newly

appointed Coordinator of Externally TaughtLanguages, will help Secondary Schoolstudents to find tutors in their mothertongues. There are several mother tongueclasses available as After School Activitiesin the Primary School, and the CrossCultural Coordinator, Marianne Freire, isplanning to organize a specific mother-tongue day in the fall. Both Primary andSecondary School students are also able tojoin after-school language clubs. Arabic,Dutch, French, German, Italian andJapanese have been offered recently.

Many Secondary School’s CAS activities(Community and Service in Middle School;Creativity, Action and Service in the IB) arelinked to languages. As a part of their CASprogram, many students use their talentand skills to help their local environment.For instance, Spanish-speaking studentsassist in Spanish classes, and others areteaching their mother tongue (Japaneseand Czech) to interested teachers and staffmembers. This year several SecondarySchool students have been successfullytutoring Grade 5 students on theirExhibition projects, enabling them to doresearch and learn to understand importantconcepts in their mother tongue. SomeGrade 11 CAS students help their neighborsby tutoring them in English. This way,language learning spreads even beyondthe School walls!

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Sixty-twoLanguages:Achallengeandanasset

A F A R A F R I K A A N S A M H A R I C A R A B I C A Z E R B A I J A N I B U L G A R I AC Z E C H D A N I S H G E R M A N G R E E K E N G L I S H S P A N I S H E S T O N I AH I N D I C R O A T I A N H U N G A R I A N H A Y E R E N I N D O N E S I A N I C E L A N D I CK A N N A D A K O R E A N L I T H U A N I A N M A R A T H I M A L A Y D U T C HP O R T U G U E S E R O M A N I A N R U S S I A N S E R B O - C R O A T I A N S L O V A KT A M I L T E G U L U T H A I T A G A L O G S E T S W A N A T U R K I S H T W I U K R A


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At ISP, the Language B department offersEnglish, French, Spanish, and Chinese assecond languages. Sheri Valentine, Headof Language B at ISP’s Beethovencampus, spoke with intelligence andpassion about the art and science ofteaching students a second language.

When Sheri was a young girl, she spenta year in Germany, living with a family.She spoke no German and felt completelydisoriented. But, she learned thelanguage in one year, and now, as ateacher, she understands how many ofour ISP students feel arriving in a foreigncountry with a new language to learn.

Sheri’s philosophy of teaching a secondlanguage is that all students learn bestwith “comprehensible input.” Thismeans that students learn English, forexample, by reading English, by havinga word or a sentence explained verbally,or with visuals and definitions that areclear and concise. “Language isacquired, not learned,” explains Sheri,“and therefore reading, either aloud orsilently, helps students acquire a naturalsentence structure and appropriately-placed vocabulary.” Students inLanguage B do a lot of reading andwriting. They are expected to read atleast five pages each day on their own,and use journals to practice writing. Inaddition to more formal writing wherecorrect grammar, spelling and self-editingare emphasized and taught, students areencouraged to write for fluency, notworrying too much about the grammar.

Speaking is always the most difficult partof learning a new language. At ISP,

students learn more easily in small,intensive classes, from their peers, andthrough complete immersion in thetarget language in their other classes.The Intensive English team works withother teachers in all disciplines to helpthem adjust their teaching styles to meetthe needs of each student. Teaching isindividualized, with an average of tenstudents in a class, so that even theshyest feel comfortable expressingthemselves.

“People learn best when they feel safeand are encouraged by lots of attentionand activities in a relaxing atmosphere,”Sheri says. That is the philosophy behindthe creation of the Intensive EnglishCenter where students who have justarrived and speak no English can comeand use the computers, books, and otherresources in a comfortable room. “It’s aplace where they can ask questions andreceive one-on-one attention. This helpsthem get through their other classesbecause they know they can come to theCenter later and get help.”

With someone like Sheri and her team ofdedicated teachers, students at ISP are invery good hands. It is very gratifying tosee the progress they make and thesuccess they achieve in passing the MYPand IB Diplomas. As Sheri says: “We putforth very little extra effort and thestudents give us so much back!”

LanguageB:Acquiringtheskillsofnewlanguageat ISP

GuideTouristiqued’unQuartierParisienNotre projet de ce trimestre est de réaliser unguide touristique pour adolescents d’unquartier de Paris.

Après avoir divisé la classe en 4, chaquegroupe a choisi le quartier dont il voulaittraiter. Chacun a contribué à écrire soit sur desinformations culturelles soit sur desinformations pratiques. Chaque équipe a tracéun itinéraire pédestre qu’elle a essayé, avantde finaliser son guide.

Après une présentation de chaque groupe enclasse, nous allons voter et le groupe quiremportera le plus de voix nous emmènera,muni de son guide, pour une journée dans Paris.

With their French teacher, Brigitte Severy,an enthusiastic group of French B studentsenjoyed an outing to the Marais, one ofthe oldest quartiers in Paris.

To prepare for this field trip, the class wasdivided into four groups, each studying adifferent neighborhood of the city. Afterpresenting (en français!) the cultural andpractical aspects which distinguish eachof them, the winning team of studentstook the rest of the class on their owncreative tour. The Marais was the luckywinner, and the day included visits tohistorical buildings, the Picasso museum,and a lunch of falafels!

N B E N G A L I B A N G L A C A T A L A N C H I N E S EN P E R S I A N F I N N I S H F L E M I S H F R E N C H

C I T A L I A N H E B R E W J A P A N E S E G E O R G I A NN O R W E G I A N O R I Y A P U N J A B I P O L I S H

S L O V E N I A N S E S O T H O S W E D I S H S W A H I L IA I N I A N U R D U V I E T N A M E S E W O L O F Z U L U


Here at the International School ofParis, where the world goes to school,more than 65 cultures and 62languages thrive in the shadows of theEiffel Tower. Points-of-view from allover the globe meet and interact daily;individuals are enriched by the

multiple perspectives they encounter.Home cultures blend with host culturesto create a culture all our own, onebased not on national identification,but on the shared patterns of behaviorand reactions to life that arise from abroad cross-cultural understanding ofthe world. We are a community ofTCKs, “third culture” or “trans-culture”kids. But what does it really mean tobe a TCK?

By definition, TCKs are young peoplewho have spent significant periodsduring their developmental years

living outside their culture of origin.While away from “home”, these youthadopt ways of thinking and being fromtheir host culture(s), integrating thesewith aspects from their parent cultureto create a “third culture”.1 Youngcitizens of the world, therefore, growup to be psychologically different fromboth their host-culture and home-culture peers, whose cultural inputremains relatively constant.

1999 saw the publication of the firstreal study of this unique sub-culture.2Based on the testimonials of adultTCKs, ”Third Culture Kids” by Pollockand Van Reken defines the group’scharacteristics and discusses thebenefits and challenges faced byyoung people living a global existence.

The benefits of growing up trans-culturally are perhaps self-evident.TCKs, in general, are highly adaptableto new environments and situations.They have a three-dimensional view ofthe world, having collected many first-hand experiences as youth. Typicallymulti-lingual and multi-cultural, theyare sensitive to and tolerant of cross-cultural differences that theirhome-peers may not even perceive.Evidence suggests, too, that facility inmore than one language makes thesekids smarter. They possess keen

observational skills, make friendseasily, and are very open-minded.TCKs seem to feel “at home”everywhere.

On the flip side, many TCKs bemoanthat nowhere is home. While theyhave a foot in many cultures, theyhave both feet in none. Lack of rootsresults in restlessness for some adultTCKs, who find it difficult to remain ina job or committed relationship for anylength of time. They need always tomove on, seeking out life’s nextadventure every two-three years asthey did when children. Havingfrequently grieved the loss of friendsand places while growing up, some ofthese people find it difficult to getclose to others as adults. They’vesimply said “good bye” too manytimes.

Another challenge TCKs face is notfitting in back at “home” where theylack a recognizable identity and asense of belonging. Indeed, onUniversity campuses the world over,repatriated TCKs manage to find oneanother. The common denominator ofhaving lived among worlds,negotiated other languages andcultures, and perceived a variety ofclimates and vistas both draws themtogether and sets them apart.

1. The term “third culturekid” was first coined inthe 1960s by sociologist,Ruth Hill Useem. Morerecently, “trans-culturekid” has replaced it asa more appropriatedescriptor of the group.

2. Pollack, David andRuth E. Van Reken,Third Culture Kids:The Experience ofGrowing up AmongWorlds. Maine:Intercultural Press,1999.

Whatdoes itmeantobea

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Story TellingatRanelaghNovember, 2008, Primary School Librarian,Carol Whitehouse, invited educator,storyteller, and writer, Marc Levitt, to ISP tolead students and parents in a workshopcalled “Telling Our Story”. Through frank andhonest conversations with participants abouttheir experiences – both positive andchallenging – of moving through cultures,languages, and countries, Marc drew fromthem the personal stories of their lives asinternational citizens.

One Primary School workshop concluded withstudents lined up in the playground to readtheir stories aloud. The stories were a movingexpression of the realities of life as a TCK. Mr.Levitt listened intently to each one, seeminglyunaware of the rain that fell around him.

Of the parents, Carol writes, “I really learnedhow challenging their lives are and howdedicated they are to helping their childrengrow up, in circumstances quite differentfrom their own childhoods. I gained a greatdeal of respect for ISP parents and learnedhow to better serve their children as alibrarian through understanding thecomplications of being a third culture family.”

Learn more about Marc Levitt athttp://www.marclevitt.org/, and read thecontributions of students, teachers, andparents at www.ThirdCultureStories.com.

PAGE 7


I asked two ISP alumni, Sasha Levenson-Wahland Mathieu Romary (class of 2004), whatparents can do to ensure that the benefits oflife as a TCK outweigh the challenges. Theiranswers reflect precisely the advice of Pollackand Van Reken:

Maintain a strong family identity. Make theeffort to continue traditional culturalcelebrations. Keep in regular contact withfamily and close friends back home. Returnhome for extended periods every year, visitingthe same places and people so that yourchildren develop routines, relationships, and asense of roots.

Identify “sacred objects”, activities, or abilities,things that your children can take with themwherever they go. A cherished pet, a musicalinstrument, a favored sport, a sculpture by adear friend… These things help to create“home” no matter where you may be.Continuing with musical instruction and sportsactivities from place to place also helps childrento build bridges to the host culture as well asnurture self-identity.

Allow your kids to grieve. When it’s your turnagain to move, or when your children losefriends who must leave, give them the timeand the vocabulary to express their sorrow.Studies show that it’s healthier for children towork through their pain rather than to bury it.Give them tools, such as storytelling (seesidebar) to help them grapple with their

emotions. “Support them,” Sashasays, “and know that they will bounceback”.

Ensure that your children gainand maintain literacy skills in theirmother-tongue. Mathieu stresses howimportant it was for him that Frenchremained the language of the homeno matter where his family was in theworld. Nothing hurts a child morethan losing nuanced contact withgrandparents and other relational tiesto “home”. Language is the mostprofound link to culture, somaintaining the mother-tongue is keyto TCK self-identity. As an addedbenefit, mother-tongue literacy greatlyenhances success acquiring additionallanguages, such as English.

Despite her struggle with the loss of“home”, Sasha has no regrets at beinga TCK. During her years at ISP, shetransformed from a shy American highschool student to a confident, out-going, and involved person with aninternational outlook. Mathieu, too,states that the greatest gift heacquired as a TCK is an “openness tothe world”. He also appreciates hisability to explore and discover othercultures with a depth that a touristsimply cannot thanks to having friendsin the far corners of the globe.

Sasha’s advice to ISP parents: “Createhome wherever you go with familiarobjects. And set up house quickly.Make it comfy. Have family dinnersand… well… just be there.”

Sarah Towle is a linguist and language educatorwith more than 20 years experience in internationaleducation. She is currently writing books for childrenfrom the TCK point-of-view. She is also bringing upher own TCK, Liliana Hertling, ISP Grade 7. Sarah isa member of ISP’s Board of Trustees.

TCK?BySarah Towle, ISP Trustee

1. Children who continuously study their mother tongue aremore likely to succeed academically, even when they receivetheir education in another language.

2. Children who are given the opportunity to becomebilingual are more open-minded and more flexible in theirthinking.

3. It takes several years for a child to be able to thinkacademically in a new language. Therefore it is important forchildren to have opportunities to discuss academic subjectsin their mother tongue and to continue to develop theirmother tongue alongside the new language.

4. Concepts learned in one language will support learningin other languages. It does not matter what languages achild is working in, the thoughts that accompany writingand reading come from the same central source. Speaking,listening, reading or writing in the first or second languagehelps develop the child’s whole cognitive system.

5. Multilingualism prevents negative attitudes andignorance about diversity in the community. “In challengingcoercive relations of power, the school is holding up tobilingual children a positive and affirming mirror of whothey are and who they can become within this society.” (JimCummins)

why mother tongue maintenance anddevelopment is important for childrenlearning through a language other thantheirmother tongue.

How can we best help students atinternational schools develop theirspoken academic English languageskills, asks Jenny Feinmann, Educational Psychologist andISP teacher for learning support. After 12 years experience withmultilingual students, Jenny is studying for a Doctorate inEducational Psychology at University College London.

Her first assignment looked at how the academic literature onmultilingual language development can inform a language policyfor International Schools. Currently in the second phase ofcollecting data for her main research project, Jenny explains:

“I have always been interested in language development and myexperience at ISP has given me the opportunity to reflect on howteachers can ensure children develop proficient academic skillswhen they are learning though a language other than theirmother-tongue. I also wonder why some students seem to beable to acquire several languages easier than others. One of themost important lessons I have learnt, is that children can acquirebasic communication skills in a language such as English, inabout two years. However, it can take up to 7 years to acquireacademic language skills. We need to be patient and understandthat developing academic language skills to a high level is a longprocess! It is natural that there should be some differences in theway students acquire these skills.

Last year I filmed some Grade 5 students talking about their workduring The Exhibition. This year I will film the same students,who are now in Grade 6. I will also talk to them and their parentsabout the languages they speak. In this way I hope to build upa picture of how our students are developing their languages ingeneral and their spoken academic language in particular. I alsohope to develop strategies to ensure the best teaching methodsand support for our multilingual student body.”

Jenny aims to complete her doctorate in 2011. If you areinterested in talking to her about her research, her email addressis: [email protected]


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1100Reasons

6. There are many cultural,social and emotional benefits ofmaintaining contact with ourmother-tongue, such as:- maintenance of culturalidentity;- ability to communicate withmembers of extended family;- appreciation and knowledgeof the literature and cultureof the home country;- better intercultural awarenessand understanding, both forthe students and their peers.

7. Mother tongue classes inschools reinforce the messagethat all languages are valued,not just the main language ofthe institution!

8. Without language classes,children might forget theirmother tongue. Children learnlanguages quite easily but theyare also at risk of losing them ifthey are not given opportunitiesfor regular, rich exposure to thelanguages they havedeveloped. This can havesevere educational, personaland social consequences forchildren and their families.

9. All IB programmes insist thatstudents should learn language,learn about language and learnthrough language. Having awell developed mother tongueis an important part of thisprocess.

10. Knowing their mothertongue will help children tosuccessfully re-integrate intosociety, should they return totheir countries of origin.

References:Baker, C. (2007) A Parents’ and teachers’ guide toBilingualism (2nd.ed) Multilingual Matters ltd. Cle-vedon U.K.Cummins, J. (2000) Language, Power and Peda-gogy, Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, and http://www.iteachilearn.com/cummins/mo-ther.htmIB (2008) a) Guidelines for developing a school lan-guage policy b) Learning in a language other thanmother tongue in IB programmesThomas, W.P. and Collier, V.P. (2002). A nationalstudy of school effectiveness for language minoritystudents’ long-term academic achievement. SantaCruz, CA: Centre for research of education, diversityand excellence, University of California-Santa Cruz.

Hayley Larsen, Head of Languages A at ISP, believesin the importance of mastering one’s mothertongue language. Whether it is in English, French,Japanese, Korean, Spanish or a host of other firstlanguages at the School, Language A students areempowered by their language skills, accessing thenuances and inferences of the literature they arestudying. It is especially important in aninternational school to understand the finer pointsof communication.

Hayley talks about “additive bilingualism”: theadding of a language that does not dominate orreplace one’s mother tongue. “ISP is unusual inthat we offer a number of languages that can bestudied at a high level. Language A is really a toolthat can be used in all other subjects, as it is thefoundation for abstract thinking,” explains Hayley.The students work through models of authors,poets and playwrights, using high-level analyticalskills to discern meaning and sub-texts whilechallenging the author’s use of language. “This isa deeper way of communicating,” says Hayley,“and we try to push our Language A students toask why an author has used a certain technique, orwhy it is effective, and how he or she mightchallenge our expectations.”

Hayley believes that knowing well one’s ownlanguage has greater implications for the studentsbeyond the classroom, when they move into thereal world. Using every aspect of language learning– writing, understanding and speaking – is alifelong skill. “Now we even talk about ‘viewingskills,’ explains Hayley, “which are what allows usto pick up on body language or the subtleties of afilm.” These skills are critical in an internationalsetting, as well.

Hayley sums it up by commenting: “I love the factthat the students at ISP can have serious debatesabout Shakespeare, Akutagawa, or Camus, and canmake it all relevant to their own lives.”

Language A:Appreciating the nuances

of one’s own language

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10ReasonsBy Jenny Feinmann and Marianne Freire


the tribunethe tribuneThe Holiday Language

Program at ISP:Learn with a smile!

The Holiday Language Program (HLP) at ISPoffers immersion courses in French andEnglish over the summer holiday. The goalof HLP is to create a unique atmosphere inwhich children, ages 3 to 18, can build ontheir French and English language skills,learning within the context of a seriouscurriculum but in a fun and interactive way.As a language extension program of theSchool, the course offers an exciting, high-quality learning experience that is uniquein France. This summer, all students will belocated at ISP’s Primary School campus.

Offering a true international experience forall students, HLP is a great way to get toknow Paris and the School, especially for

those children who are moving to Franceand starting as new students at ISP in thefall. Other French and multicultural familiesliving in Paris also enroll their children inthe program, as it gives them educationaland fun activities during summer break.The Holiday Language Program attractspeople from all over the world; studentscome from Hong Kong, England, theUnited States, Korea… All nationalitiesmeet in the 16th arrondissement of Paris,and learn English or French together, witha smile!

If you want to find out more about theprogram, please contact Carole Piccin [email protected].

From: Daria Lysyakova Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2009 2:58 PMTo: Wallgren, TuijaSubject: Exhibition

Dear Mrs. Wallgren,

Hello, my name is Daria. I come from the I.S.Pschool. I'm Russian and I was born in Finland.

Right now I'm in grade 5 and I'm working on theexhibition. As a conclusion to our learning we haveto do an action. I was thinking of writing an article inthe school news paper. The article would be aboutfertilizers and how you can prevent from getting sickor polluting the environment, as well it may have afew lines about the 5th grade exhibition. I thoughtthe school newspaper would be a good placebecause our school really cares about helping theenvironment and living a healthy life. So i would liketo ask you if I can write it.

Please e-mail me when you make your finaldecision!!!

Thank youDaria L

..........................

Dear Mrs. Wallgren

It's Daria again, I spent all this time trying to writemy article and I finally got it. Do you think this willdo?

Article by a 5th grader

Fertilizers watch out

Whether you garden or not, fertilizers take a smallpart of your life.You rely on them all the time withouteven thinking of the consequences. Adding fertilizersto your plants isn't necessarily going to make themgrow faster, and not washing your food before youeat could be very dangerous!

Chemical fertilizers may have a big impact on yourhealth and on the environment. When it contains alot of highly active chemical, like nitrogen, it mayproduce acid rain. Or, if it rains, the chemical fertilizerwill go into the soil, from the soil into the watersource, from the water source into the river. Fish andother animals that will drink the water may die.

Now, with natural fertilizers it's all about beingcareful, because if you are not, the consequencesmay end up even worse than with chemicalfertilizers. I'm not saying that fertilizers are bad,because they do help the soil be more nutritious forthe plants. I'm just telling you to be careful withfertilizers.

What can you do?1.Wash your food before you eat.2.If you garden, beware of the contents of yourfertilizer.3.If it isn't necessary, don't use fertilizers.

Daria Lysyakova

So how do you like it now?Looking forward to seeing it in the news paper!!!

Thank youDaria

Creating a new flair to the School’s fundraising events, three spring eveningsproduced generous funds for ISP.

At the end of March, the Galérie BlueSquare in the Marais opened its doors toa small, but enthusiastic crowd who bidon an amazing selection of wine andvacation venues in a lively auction.Filmmaker, Jacques Debs spokeeloquently about his film which wasbased on the pastels on exhibit in theGallery. Then, on April 29th, French filmdirector, Luc Besson, charmed anaudience of children and their parentswith his introduction and showing ofArthur and the Minimoys. The children

asked questions about the film and Mr.Besson answered with humor andgraciousness. Finally, on the 26th ofMay, Oscar-winning director, RomanPolanski, loaned us his film The Pianistand discussed its details with a large andappreciative audience in the elegantCinéma Le Balzac. Mr. Polanski was mostgenerous with his time, and gaveeveryone his personal insight into themaking of this award-winning film.

Thank you to all who organized andparticipated in these three events, theprofits of which (€32,000) will be spenton the arts, science and technologyprograms at the School.

3 Films, 3 Directors, 3 Successful Events!

Brennan McNichol, a 2009 ISPgraduate, was more than inspired inhis High Level English A class. Histeacher, Mrs. Chandler, waspresenting Robert Browning’s poem,Porphyria’s Lover, when Brennansuddenly had an idea for a film.

He wanted to place the man in thisVictorian poem into a modern-daysetting, and thus began his lastsummer’s journey to New York, tocreate a film.

Brennan used Browning’s dramaticmonologue as his inspiration; apoem that depicts an urbane manreceiving his lover in his cottageduring a storm. He eventuallystrangles her by wrapping her hairaround her neck. Brennan wantedto “put this man in a modern-dayworkplace to see how he wouldreact.” So, with an intensity ofpurpose, using his own camera, herented a small apartment in New

York City, put an ad on Craig’s List foractors (“I received over 600responses!”), interviewed thosewhom he felt would be suitable,chose one man and one woman forthe parts, and began shooting hisfilm over a two-week period.

Brennan had already spent threesummers studying film in Paris and inLos Angeles with the New York FilmAcademy. This was the first time hewas able to “take something realfrom what I’ve learned and apply it”in a 15-minute film of his own. Theactors he chose were 49 and 32 yearsof age. So, even though Brennan wasonly 17 years old, he had to “becomethe director….I had to assume thatauthority.” He used lots of silence “toshow anti-social behaviour and voice-overs to hear how the man’s mindworked and to show how mentallyunstable he was.” He made the manan accountant, “someone who onlyworks with numbers that he can’tinterpret to show his lack of personalskills.”

Gathering techniques by watchingthe films of Japanese directors, AkiraKurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu, Brennanis now editing this film, which he calls“Death by Beauty,” and is working onother scripts. After graduating fromISP, he hopes to continue his actingand directing to perfect this art formthat fascinates him.

PAGE 11


Red Wheelbarrow Creative Writing Contest

Congratulations, ISP Writers!

The 7th annual Red Wheelbarrow Creative Writing Contestconcluded on June 5th with a Celebration of Writing and Writers.Now in its 7th year, the contest aims to strengthen communityamongst young speakers and writers of English living in theParis area. It offers Paris-based educators a wonderful opportunityto encourage creative writing amongst their students. Open tostudents 5 to 18, the contest is a great way for them to practicetheir English-language creative writing skills.

The following ISP student-writers were honored at the Celebration:

2nd Grade 5th Place:

Nina Clark, The Mysterious Lady

3rd GradeSpecial Mention:

Caterina Scarpetta, Marie and the Magic Laptop

“Best Psychological Dilemma”Mia Murthi, Emma and Caterina and the Two Little

Pygmy-Possums, “Best Use of Dialog”

4th GradeHonorable Mention:

John David Stark, Sir Slay the 1st

6th Grade4th Place:

Autumn Schumacher, Eight Letters, Three Words, Choose One

Honorable Mention:Sebastian Hallum Clarke, Him

Aman Kumar, The Blacksmith's Apprentice

7th Grade2nd Place:

Liliana Hertling, Finger Food

4th Place:Sabine Pallat, Skateboarding, Fashion, Blood

Honorable Mention:Anupama Nair,Two Thousand Twenty-two Days of Waiting

Special Mention:Marco Ferro, Midnight Request, “Best Character Description

& Scariest Opening Paragraph”Nino Manera, The Sacrifice. “Most Surprising Ending”

8th Grade3rd Place:

Sadria Stockham, The Devil's Daughter

High SchoolSpecial Mention:

Graham Richardson, Tundra, “Most Ambitious & Most Likely to Become a Novel”

Don’t forget to submit your stories next year!

Inspirations from Robert Browning

the tribune


Head of School: Audrey Peverelli - Editors: Tuija Wallgren, Carrie Levenson-Wahl - All texts & photos Copyright ISP - Design: KARTRAKSpecial thanks to: Phil Anderson - Mylène Foucher - Erica Moyer, G11 - Brigitte Severy - Monique Manera & Carrie Pallat (photography)

ISP - Secondary School - 6, rue Beethoven - 75016 Paris - Tel: 01 42 24 09 54ISP - Primary School - 96 bis, rue du Ranelagh - 75016 Paris - Tel: 01 42 24 43 40www.isparis.edu - Printed on 100% recycled paper – Help ISP reduce and recycle

Lectures conseillées pour les élèves de grade 11

Some summer reading suggestions for Grade 11students......or anyone else who loves to read!

Maupassant : Contes et nouvelles (19e)

M. Tournier : Nouvelles (20-21e)

G. Perec : Les choses (20e)

A. Camus : L’étranger, Les justes (pièce de théâtre) (20e)

R. Gary : La vie devant soi (20e)

F. Vargas : Tous ses romans policiers (20-21e)

Ph. Labro : Manuela, L’étudiant étranger (20-21e)

Anouilh : Antigone (pièce) (20e)

Modiano : Un roman au choix (20-21e)

Duras : L’amant, Barrage contre le pacifique (20e)

Molière : Toutes ses pièces (17e)

Kundera : L’ignorance (20-21e)

Sarraute : Enfance (20e)

G. Musso : Tous (21e)

A. Gavalda : Tous (21e)

Didier van Cauwelaert : La maison des lumières (21e)

… et tout ce qui vous fait plaisir !!

Cette liste est seulement là pour vous donner des idées etvous guider.

BONNES VACANCES à TOUS!

Reproducing Rutebeuf:Grade 10 French students discover poet from the Middle Ages

Mme Devos took her Grade 7 students to meet with the elderly of a retirement home fora "Scrabble" lesson. This inter-generation project was a great opportunity for the studentsto practice French, and was appreciated by everyone involved.

clairsemés: scatteredengraisser: to fatten, to fertilize maint: numerousôtér: to remove, to take outsecourir: to help, to rescue

Original poem by Rutebeuf:

Que sont mes amis devenusQue j'avais de si près tenus Et tant aimés?Je crois qu'ils sont trop clairsemésIls ne furent pas engraissés,Aussi ont-ils manqué.

De tels amis m'ont mal traité,Jamais, tant que dieu m'éprouvaitDe maints côtés,

N'en vis un seul en mon hôtel.Le vent, je crois, les a ôtés,L'amour est morte:Ce sont amis que vent emporte,Et il ventait devant ma porteEt il les emporta,

Car jamais aucun ne me réconfortaNi de son bien ne m'apporta.Ceci m'apprend

Que le peu que l'on a, l'ami le prend,Et celui qui trop tard se repentQui a trop mis

De son bien pour se faire des amis,Qu'il ne trouve pas prêts, même à demiA le secourir.

Or donc, je laisserai Fortune courirEt veillerai à me secourirSi je le puis.

In the context of studying the literature of the Middle Ages, students in Mme Richard’sGrade 10 French A class took their inspiration from the famous 13th century poem ofRutebeuf, "Que sont mes amis devenus..." This poem was put to music and made famousby the 20th century singer, Joan Baez, in the 60’s. The students were asked to create theirown poems based on the universal themes of Rutebeuf.

Poem of Anthony Fernandez, Gr. 10,Based on Rutebeuf:

La Trahison

Mes amis m'on trahiLes amis qui m'ont ditQu'à n'importe quel moment de ma vie,Ils seront à mes côtés sans mépris,Mais quand j'avais besoin de leur aide,Ils jouaient au bord de la mer,Sans penser à leur ami,Qui était en grande douleur,Car personne ne m'a invitéAu bord de la merOù ils jouaient sans peine.Je n'avais pas de choix,J'ai essayé,Mais de continuerSans amitiéC'est comme continuer sans âme,Alors j'ai décidéD'arrêter.


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