Last Revision: July 2026

Next Revision: May 2027

1.  RATIONALE & PURPOSE

The Amman Academy’s language policy helps to create a culture of learning that provides direction to the whole school community about the expectations around communication and language development. The language policy supports the IB learner profile and links with the Amman Academy Academic Integrity Policy.

Amman Academy’s Vision and Mission guide all that we do at the school. They frame this Language Policy as well:

Vision: Fostering global citizens by providing a quality and meaningful learning experience.

Mission:

• Achieve success at each stage of learning.
• Provide an emotionally supportive and physically safe environment.
• Contribute to the community.
• Construct meaning to develop understanding and love of learning.
• Develop awareness of national and global perspectives.

Our language policy recognises that:

• All teachers are English language teachers and have the duty to support learners appropriately.
• Amman Academy encourages the development of each student’s dominant language as part of their cultural identity within our multicultural community.
• The acquisition of other languages alongside students’ dominant languages is important to enable learners to acquire the skills for effective communication and knowledge about other cultures in an increasingly multicultural world.
• All students should engage with the language of both the host country, Indonesia, and in English at an appropriate level, based on admissions policy.
• Language learning should respect and reflect cultural heritage and language profiles of our school community alongside the development of English as the language of instruction.

Philosophy

Language plays a fundamental role in the processes of learning, thinking, and communication, and it is an essential aspect that runs through the entire curriculum. ‘Language wraps itself around, in, through and between everything that we teachers and learners do in the classroom.’ (Language and Learning in IB Programmes, p. 3, 2014 as cited Ritchhart 2002: 141)

Language learning plays a central role in the school community by:

• Enabling students to make sense of the language used for learning such as:
  • Understanding and making effective use of study materials.
  • Allowing effective subject communication by developing the specialized language and vocabulary relevant for each subject area, including the IB command terms.
  • Interpreting questions and selecting relevant and appropriate material for successful responses and projects.
  • Writing well structured texts, present fluently and coherently execute assignments in line with the academic integrity policy.
  • Working positively and collaboratively with others.
  • To participate in an inspirational, creative and challenging learning environment.
• Providing communication skills essential for future happiness and success.
• Promoting mutual understanding and respect in an inclusive and rich environment, providing access to other cultures and ways of thinking.
• Increasing self-esteem and confidence by encouraging the use of well developed first language alongside immersion in one’s own culture, heritage and family.
• Encouraging greater critical thinking and conceptual understanding the use of language as a means to free the mind from intellectual constraints.
• Encouraging dialogue as an instrument of change leading to mutual understanding and cultural empathy and understanding. Dialogue leads to a clear identity and tolerance of other cultures alongside a spirit of seeking commonality that respects diversity leading to peace.
• Linking Language development to school activities outside the classroom such as cultural celebrations.
• Enabling the understanding and expression of suitable ethical values expressed through the educational goals.

This policy is designed to ensure that all members of the school community are aware about the expectations in order to develop and maintain their own and the school’s reputation in the wider world.

2.  REGULATORY & STANDARDS REFERENCE

3.  SCOPE

Applies to: all students, staff, board members, volunteers and parents at Amman Academy.

Does not apply to: language assessment in the dedicated language classes (which follow the IB MYP Language framework, IBDP language pathways, and AERO standards in their own assessment design). 

4.  DEFINITIONS

• Dominant Language: The language with which a student is most proficient and identifies most strongly, typically Indonesian or English at Amman Academy.
• Language and Literature (Language A): An IB course for students working in their mother-tongue or language of instruction. Develops skills in six areas: listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, presenting (per source policy citing IBO.org).
• Language Acquisition (Language B): An IB course providing a linguistic approach for students who are studying a language. Designed for students with previous experience of learning the language (per source policy citing IBO.org).
• Language ab initio: An IB course for beginners (students with little or no previous experience of learning the chosen language). Available only at standard level.
• Bilingual Diploma: An IBDP award available to students who take two Language and Literature subjects.
• Pamoja: An online provider through which DP students may take additional language ab initio courses other than Indonesian.
• AERO Standards: The American Education Reaches Out standards followed by PYP Language and Literature and Language Acquisition courses at Amman Academy.
• EAL: English as Additional Language: individualized support provided when a student’s language needs present a significant barrier to learning. Designed to be remedial and temporary, reviewed each term.
• Phase 1 to 4 (MYP): Placement phases used to assign MYP students to appropriate Language Acquisition classes, based on Oxford Placement Tests, ISA results, and teachers’ professional judgment from class assessments.

5.  POLICY STATEMENTS

5.1   Core Principle:  At Amman Academy, we are committed to enabling all students to develop proficiency in both English and Indonesian, with additional foreign language options available within the Diploma Programme (DP). Wherever possible, students are supported to follow their identified dominant language, which is typically Indonesian or English, though other options may be considered. Self-taught pathways for additional language learning are available when appropriate (per source policy ‘Policy Statement’).

• All students will study at least one language acquisition course or continue with a second first language, as suited to their individual language development needs. Self-taught options are also available where applicable.
• English serves as the common language of instruction in classrooms and during school activities to ensure inclusivity and to prepare students for external examinations and assessments. All assessments and reporting are conducted in English.
• Students from non-native English-speaking backgrounds are required to sit an English language proficiency test upon entry to the school.
• Amman Academy is committed to supporting parents by providing communication in Indonesian where necessary.

5.2   Requirement:  The following requirements apply across the language profile, admissions, pathways, programme delivery, and student support:

5.2.1   Language Profile:  At Amman Academy the commonly shared language is English. All school activities inside and outside the classroom, with the exception of other language classes and Pendidikan Pancasila, are offered in English. The response language in which students engage in assessments, except in language assessments, is English. As a school we offer Indonesian classes for all students, where Indonesian becomes a subject of choice for expatriate students in the DP, and expatriate students will learn Indonesian language for foreigners.

Our students come from various parts of Indonesia with a smaller percentage of students from abroad. Within Indonesia there is a wide variety of regional languages spoken in some of the students’ homes other than Indonesian. Indonesian is therefore not the dominant language of all our learners. We also have a smaller group of students that are not Indonesian and whose dominant language varies from English to other languages such as Hindi, Afrikaans, and Spanish.

Language profile across the Amman Academy community (per source policy table):

English:

• IB PYP, MYP, and DP use English as the main language of learning and examinations.
• Some expatriate students’ first language.
• Some of our expatriate faculty have English as their first language.

Indonesian:

• First language for the majority of our students.
• Important language and culture within the Amman Academy community.
• Important language of communication for most families and outside of the school community.
• The majority of our faculty and staff have Indonesian as their first language.

5.2.2   Language Admissions:  At Amman Academy, we welcome all students residing on the mining site, regardless of their proficiency in English or Indonesian. Upon enrollment, all non-native speaking students take an admission test to identify the level of English language support they may require to succeed in our curriculum. Students who have not yet developed English as their working language receive tailored support, both within and outside the classroom. Those who are new to English or Indonesian are placed in Language Acquisition classes to build a strong foundation.

For the Diploma Programme (DP), students are expected to have a sufficient command of English as a working language in order to successfully engage with the academic demands of the programme.

5.2.3   Language Pathways:  At Amman Academy, the Language and Literature and Language Acquisition courses at the PYP follow the AERO standards. In the MYP and DP, all students take English and Indonesian in either Language Acquisition or Language and Literature levels. In the DP, students are offered both English and Indonesian Language and Literature HL/SL, English B HL/SL or Indonesian B/Ab Initio depending on the best fit for the student. Students have the option to take two Language and Literature subjects in the DP leading them to acquire a bilingual diploma. Students that want to follow an additional language other than Indonesian or English can opt for a Pamoja online course, however Indonesian students need to complete both the English as well as the Indonesian course following local government requirements.

Language and Literature courses (English and/or Indonesian): In the Language and Literature course, students develop skills in six areas: listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing, presenting (IBO.org). This course is aimed towards students working in their mother-tongue or language of instruction. At Amman Academy Language and Literature is offered in English and is offered in Indonesian from Year 7 (MYP 2) onwards. As per the IBDP guidelines, students at Amman Academy must take at least one subject from studies in Language and Literature.

Language Acquisition courses (English and/or Indonesian): Language acquisition provides a linguistic approach for students who are studying a language. At Amman Academy Language acquisition courses are offered in Indonesian and English. Language ab initio courses are for beginners (that is, students who have little or no previous experience of learning the language they have chosen). These courses are only available at standard level. At DP level students have the option to take other than Indonesian online courses for Ab Initio through Pamoja. Language B courses are intended for students who have had some previous experience of learning the language (IBO.org).

5.2.4   MYP Language Delivery:  In the MYP, the language of instruction is English. Students are offered Language and Literature and Language Acquisition courses that follow the IB MYP Language framework. Language and Literature courses are offered for English and Bahasa Indonesia. For Language Acquisition, the students are placed in appropriate language courses based on phase-wise pattern (phase 1 to 4) and could choose a language different from their Language and Literature course. Oxford Placement Tests, ISA results and teachers’ professional judgment based on student performances on class assessments are used to decide at the beginning of each academic year the right class for each student, and review student placement within language classes once a semester (per source policy ‘MYP’).

5.2.5   Supporting Language Development: 

• All language learning occurs formally and informally in and outside the classroom.
• Amman Academy has initiated language enrichment through various programmes and aids such as the school library which holds a variety of books in both Indonesian as well as English, class library sets, and digital books. The library team is there to advise both students and parents for suitable books.
• Through a variety of activities across the year, students are heavily encouraged to read and promote a love for reading both in school and at home.

5.2.6   Additional Support and EAL Provision:  For further information, the Inclusions Policy discusses matters related to providing support for students. The following provisions apply:

• In cases where students join Amman Academy in the middle of the academic year with no or little prior knowledge of either English or Indonesian, the student will be assisted with additional support in order to support their learning. Amman Academy offers support in a variety of ways such as differentiated learning, use of dominant language, graphic organizers, additional materials with appropriate reading levels and additional support outside of class.
• English as Additional Language (EAL) Provision: when a student’s language needs present a significant barrier to learning, individualized support is provided to allow for increased focus on language acquisition. Wherever possible, this support aligns with the learning outcomes of the mainstream curriculum and may be delivered either within the mainstream classroom or in a separate setting. This support is designed to be remedial and, therefore, temporary, and is reviewed each term. As students develop greater proficiency in English, they are gradually able to rely less on individualized assistance and engage more independently with the curriculum.

5.2.7   Transition from MYP to DP:  The transition from the IB MYP to the DP is a critical phase in a student’s academic journey, particularly in terms of language development and proficiency. At Amman Academy, we recognize that language acquisition and academic language fluency are essential for success in the DP. We therefore provide structured support to ensure a smooth and effective transition. In MYP 5, based on students’ subject selection, they would be offered appropriate preparation pathways (per source policy ‘Transition from MYP to DP’; source paragraph truncated at this point and pending completion by Amman Academy).

The placement of students in language courses as they transition from the MYP to the DP is carefully considered to ensure they are appropriately challenged and supported. This process involves a collaborative review of the student’s language profile, performance in the MYP Language and Literature and/or Language Acquisition courses, teacher recommendations, and, where necessary, diagnostic assessments.

Students are placed in either Language A (Language and Literature) or Language B (Language Acquisition) in the DP, depending on their level of language proficiency:

• Language A is intended for students who are highly proficient in the language and have completed MYP Language and Literature with strong performance.
• Language B is designed for students who are continuing to develop their language proficiency and have completed MYP Language Acquisition.
• In some cases, Language ab initio (for beginners) may be offered for students taking a new language with no prior experience.

Placement decisions also consider the student’s long-term academic goals, future university requirements, and overall programme balance. Parents and students are informed of the placement process and are encouraged to participate in discussions to ensure the chosen language course best supports the student’s success in the DP.

5.2.8   Language and Assessment:  All assessments are conducted and followed in line with the requirements of the IB programmes and are comprehensively outlined in the Amman Academy Assessment Policy.

5.3   Compliance:  Compliance with the language admissions test, placement decisions, course selection rules (including the IBDP requirement to take at least one Language and Literature subject and the bilingual diploma pathway), and Language and Assessment provisions is overseen by the Programme Coordinators.

6.  ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

6.1   Additional Roles and Practices:  The following operational responsibilities are stated in the source policy:

• Information technology is used as an additional tool to support and enhance students’ language learning.
• Students are given opportunities to showcase and communicate their language skills through key projects and events such as the Year 6 Exhibition, the Year 10 Personal Project, and various school productions.

7.  EXCEPTIONS & WAIVERS

Authority to grant exceptions:  Programme Coordinators (PYP, MYP, DP) in consultation with the School Principal and the Head of School, for individual student placement adjustments, EAL provisions, and self-taught pathways. Decisions follow the collaborative review process described in 5.2.7.

Process:  Written request reviewed by the relevant Programme Coordinator; supporting evidence from diagnostic assessments, teacher recommendations, and parent input considered (per source policy 5.2.7). Decision documented in writing.

Documentation:  All approved exceptions and placement decisions logged in the student’s academic record and reviewed each term where EAL provision applies.

8.  RELATED DOCUMENTS

• Refer to the Amman Academy Academic Integrity Policy.
• Refer to the Amman Academy Assessment Policy.
• Refer to the Inclusions Policy.
• Refer to the Amman Academy Admissions Policy.
• Refer to the IB document ‘Language and Learning in IB Programmes’ (2014), International Baccalaureate.
• Refer to the IBDP document ‘DP language courses: overview and placement guidance’ (August 2021), International Baccalaureate.
• Refer to the IB Learner Profile, International Baccalaureate.
• Refer to the AERO Standards for PYP Language and Literature and Language Acquisition.
• Refer to the Pamoja online language course provider (DP Ab initio pathway).