Native Language @ ISB

Community Resources

March 8, 2024
by ISB Native Language Programs
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Feliz Día de la Mujer!

A bulletin board in the ES World Language quad (click to enlarge!)

Students and staff at ISB are celebrating International Women’s Day today with stickers, purple clothing, and even multilingual displays.

What is it about delivering a message multilingually that gives it impact? Here is another example: a video of 25 women singing the power ballad “Let It Go,” by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, in 25 languages.

Bonne #IWD2024!

February 21, 2024
by ISB Native Language Programs
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Happy International Mother Language Day 2024!

February 21 is International Mother Language Day, “observed every year to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism” according to the UN.

It’s always Mother Language Day in ISB’s Panther Native Language Academy. Here are smiles from 12 of the 57 after-school class sessions running weekly in Season 3. (Click photo to enlarge.)
 
Happy IMLD 2024!
 

January 29, 2024
by ISB Native Language Programs
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ISB Language Snapshot, Semester 2, 2023-24

What languages might you hear on ISB’s campus these days? Here is a snapshot based on student data for Semester 2, 2023-24 (click to enlarge).

Note: This graph shows the number of students for whom each language is listed as Student Language in PowerSchool. The data is incomplete, as multilingual students could report only one Student Language, and some families did not report a language.

Below is one more snapshot, of how many ISB households are likely to be multilingual. The green portion (19%) represents families for whom English is listed as Student Language, Parent 1 Language, and Parent 2 Language in PowerSchool. The blue portion represents all families for whom that is not the case.

Since English is a common language at school, it may come as a surprise that 81% of ISB households are not monolingual, English-speaking households. This graph makes that reality visible.

To check on your family’s language data in PowerSchool, contact us anytime: 

nativelanguage@isb.ac.th

January 11, 2024
by ISB Native Language Programs
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Sign Up for Panther Native Language Academy Seasons 3-4

Registration is open for after-school classes in Panther Native Language Academy in Seasons 3-4. 
 
PNLA registration is part of Activities Registration, open online on CCA through January 25. Steps:
 
1. In PowerSchool/CCA, register for your language under Activities: Native Language. Pay the fee covering Seasons 3 & 4, February 5-June 9. (Note: Dutch tuition differs and should be paid to DCS.)
 
2. Watch for an email or survey about scheduling from the Native Language Coordinator. In general, we hope to keep the schedule in Seasons 3-4 as similar to Seasons 1-2 as possible. 
 
Please feel free to browse more information on this blog, or email:
 
 

December 14, 2023
by ISB Native Language Programs
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Happy Holidays from Panther Native Language Academy

ES Japanese students twist rice straw from Phetchaburi province into なわ飾り decorations for New Year. Teacher: Miyuki Jessee

Happy Holidays to you and yours from Panther Native Language Academy!

All PNLA classes will start again on January 8, 2024. It will still be Season 2. 

Here’s to a language-rich Winter Holiday!

November 22, 2023
by ISB Native Language Programs
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Why is Being Bilingual Good for Your Brain?

“It used to be thought that being bilingual was a bad thing – that it would confuse or hold people back, especially children. It turns out, we couldn’t have been more wrong.”

This BBC video (posted on October 30, 2023) explores what bilingualism does in the brain, and the benefits to being bilingual. One of the featured speakers is Thomas Bak, co-founder of the International Day of Multilingualism.

November 6, 2023
by ISB Native Language Programs
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Work Out in Your Languages!

Did you know? The refurbished ISB Fitness Center has treadmills and stationery bikes with software that runs in many ISB languages.

Users can adjust the settings to make text appear in different languages for tracking workout sessions and statistics. To learn how, just ask supervisor Khun Dee (below). 

Using technology in all of one’s languages can reinforce reading skills—a linguistic workout to go with the physical one!

The Fitness Center is open to students in HS and grade 8, to faculty and staff, and to parents. Students can learn more from their PE teachers and coaches. Parents can sign up to use the facility by logging in to PowerSchool. Under Miscellaneous, click: Fitness room agreement

October 6, 2023
by ISB Native Language Programs
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New Opportunities in Panther Native Language Academy in Season 2

Panther Native Language Academy Season (Session) 2 will begin on November 6, with some new opportunities on offer:

  • a new Spanish option for ES (K-5)
  • open slots in PK2 Mandarin (please choose one: Tuesday OR Wednesday)

All other languages continue straight on from Season 1 with no change. Families who registered and paid for PNLA in Season 1 have already paid for Season 2 as well, so no need to re-register.

Registration on CCA for Season 2 will open on October 9th at 6pm and close on Thursday, October 19th at 6pm.

Questions always welcome! PantherNativeLanguageAcademy@isb.ac.th

Students play a Pictionary game called “Wer bin ich?” in lower ES German class. Teacher: Christine (Tina) Klempin

August 3, 2023
by ISB Native Language Programs
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Sign Up for Panther Native Language Academy

Welcome to the 2023-24 school year! Sign-up is open for after-school classes in the Panther Native Language Academy. 
 
PNLA registration is part of Activities Registration, open online on CCA through August 15. Steps:
 
1. In PowerSchool/CCA, register for your language under Activities: Native Language. Pay the fee of 8000 THB covering Seasons 1 & 2, August 21-February 2. (Note: Dutch tuition differs and should be paid to DCS.)
 
2. Watch for an email or survey about scheduling from the Native Language Coordinator.
 
Please feel free to browse more information and our concluding photos from 2022-23.
 
Here’s to a language-rich 2023-24 school year!