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Please refer to our language policy for a detailed overview of our approach to learning English and other languages as additions.
English is the language of our community and the language of instruction. To be admitted to ISA, older students are expected to have some level of basic English. There is some pull-out support for elementary EAL students. In middle school English as an Additional Language (EAL) students are given some extra help. The methodology used to support EAL students is based primarily on a collaborative approach with mainstream teachers.
From kindergarten onwards students chose between French and Spanish as an additional language. Students who have been studying either language for more than two years are expected to take Language B for the IB Diploma. Students who join the school in Grades 9 or 10 and haven't studied the language before may be able to take the ab initio course.
Once a student starts French or Spanish they are expected to continue with it until they finish at ISA so they can work toward becoming an independent user. In very exceptional circumstances they may be allowed to change after meeting with the head of our language department.
ISA encourages students to maintain their mother tongue. We host a number of mother tongue clubs run by parents and encourage parents to come in and tell stories in their mother tongue. Our library has a variety of books in different languages.