IB Language Class Help!

Parents Forum
1

My DD has taken Hindi as a second language since first grade. (Language policy in India is complicated…most kids have a second and even a third language for a few years.) We are not a Hindi speaking family. It is not spoken at home at all. It is truly a second language for her and it is a challenge.

She will take her 10th grade IGCSE Hindi exam this year.

For IB she can continue with Hindi or she could switch to Spanish ab initio for 11th and 12th grade.

Some comments on another thread started me wondering how challenging IB language courses generally are? She would take Hindi SL. So would it be better to take Hindi SL knowing how many years she has had of Hindi or switch to Spanish ab initio SL and only ever have the two years of it? What are the concerns I should be aware of in making that choice?

2

It may depend on factors like how useful her current level of skill in Hindi is (and how that compares with IB SL and HL), and what language she is more interested in and will likely be more useful to her in the future.

3

Also what HL classes is she taking? Will she like the challenge of SL Hindi or would she rather have Spanish ab initio?

4

Check out the Hindi SL curriculum. I’m guessing it’s designed for Hindi-heritage speakers in other language environments (it’s not ab initio so it expects sufficient prior knowledge) and 6s and 7s are almost certainly going to Hindi Heritage speakers since those are really difficult to get.
Spanish ab initio SL could be complemented with a Spanish subject test to demonstrate proficiency although she may find the test challenging after only 3 semesters of classes.

5

@bopper I believe her current plan is HL English, HL Math, HL Economics and HL Theatre. SL Hindi/Spanish and SL Science. English is a cinch for her. Math will be not that challenging as she is in the advanced math in IGCSE. Economics will also be not too much because she is doing Economics in IGCSE. Theatre is her love. I guess I am trying to figure out what exactly IB Hindi expects. I will go look for the online course outlines and exams and see what she thinks of those. If it is really for native Hindi speakers then she will have to go to Spanish.

6

If it is Language B (not A), then it’s not for native speakers - but rather for heritage speakers.

7

I would think she would just stick with Hindu. They are expected to become “80%” fluent in their chosen language (quote from my daughters German teacher).

I wouldn’t count on those classes being a “cinch” for any kid in IB. It is a LOT of work. There were lots and lots of kids who were caught by surprise on their first IB tests this year…and not in a good way.

8

@carachel2 Oh, I’m sure it will be a lot of work - but simply not a subject she will struggle to understand or complete the work in. I understand all IB classes are a lot of work. Also, just a little note - “Hindu” is the religion, “Hindi” is the language - it really annoys people here when we get that wrong!

What is meant by “heritage speakers?”

9

Heritage speakers are those who use the language at home or otherwise frequently in situations other than foreign language class in school while growing up as children.

10

… unlike native speakers, who live in an environment where everyone speaks that language, school instruction is in that language, tv is in that language, daily transactions are in that language, etc.
For example, Mexican American kids from Mexican parents who speak Spanis with relatives but live in the US, go to an American high school, watch the CW, and hang out at their local fast food joint … are heritage speakers of Spanish. Typical heritage speakers are bilingual (or multilingual, depending on heritage and country where they reside).
Whereas kids born and raised in Mexico are Spanish native speakers.

11

Ok, thanks for the clarification. She would be neither a native speaker nor a heritage speaker. We are an exclusively English speaking family, she attends an English school. The language of our state is not Hindi. The language of my husband’s family is not Hindi. What is the IB language stream just for kids who have studied a language in school?

12

Looks like IB language courses might be:

  • Language A literature SL and HL: typically in the language of instruction in the school; assumes native level fluency
  • Language B SL and HL: for students who have 2-3 years of high school instruction in the language as a foreign language before taking the IB course
  • Language ab initio SL: for students beginning the language

Is the IB Hindi course a Language B course?

Why not ask the school if your daughter’s current Hindi knowledge is sufficient to enter the IB Hindi course?

13

I suppose she could handle Language B SL but I’m guessing, if you live in India, that most students will be heritage speakers who just prefer other HLs, so she’d be at a disdvantage.
Her current Hindi knowledge probably makes her an already-appealing candidat for the Hindi Language flagships (intensive instruction in Hindi + pre-reqs for ANY major, 1 summer abroad, then classes in the language), were she to want to continue with the language yet not major in it. Or she could just note Hindi/Proficient (ie, not fluent but high-enough) on her resume, plus the language of the province in which you live, and add a new language, such as Spanish ab initio.

14

The OP did write that the main language of the state that they live in is not Hindi (i.e. Hindi is probably a second/third language for most others as well).

15

Yes but IB results are NOT province- wide. even if most others in the province speak it as a second or third language, it wouldn’t be the case for most Indians taking the test…

16

Wouldn’t those IB students whose native language is Hindi be taking Hindi as a Language A instead of a Language B?

Also, political subdivisions in India are called states (except for a few union territories), not provinces.

17

They could be native speakers of something else (Gujarati, Punjabi, etc) but be living in an environment where Hindi and English are the languages used in every day life, instruction, etc, etc. Similar to Mexican American taking English for Language A (or AP) and Spanish for LanguageB (or AP foreign language), not an uncommon occurence. Their skills in Spanish still aren’t those of a student learning Spanish at school.
Sorry about the province/state confusion - during a discussionregarding Utar Pradesh the other day everyone was using “province” so I switched too.

18

I understand that langue in India is tricky.

We live in south India so Hindi is definitely not the primary or even secondary language for most people.

We have a state language - Kannada - that very few people in our circle of neighbors, friends, classmates, etc. speak. Most people we know are Indians from all over India (with varied language backgrounds) and expats.

While Hindi is a “national” language, in south India most people prefer English to Hindi.

However, most Indians did study Hindi in school (as a second or third language) so they can generally follow Hindi movies, speak in Hindi when required, etc.

In my daughter’s Hindi class there are about 8 students. All are “Indian origin” students (a few like my daughter are half Indian and half something else.) However, none are native Hindi speakers as the parents all have a different first language (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada for the most part).

So, to summarize, my guess would be that in the International schools in south India most of the kids taking Hindi are not native Hindi speakers. The situation would be different in other areas of India where Hindi is the primary Indian language used by the family.

Personally, we have pushed Hindi on her because we wanted her to be comfortable in one Indian language. All through her education there have been multiple choices for language classes and we have insisted on Hindi. We are doing the same with our son. Both do take extra tutoring in Hindi as well.

The trouble with consulting the school is that the entire administration is Canadian or from the UK. So they don’t have a real grasp on the content of the Hindi classes. The Hindi teacher is very nice and very sure of my daughter’s abilities…but I’m not confident that he is a completely unbiased judge!

I will follow up to see whether the school is doing Language A or B. I assume it is one or the other? Not both? The class is so small.

Thanks for the discussion here - I learned the questions I need to be asking!

19

@MYOS1634 - what are “Hindi Language flagships?”

20

Why not ask the teacher whether the IB Hindi course is a Language A (as if it were a first language, like English in US high schools) or a Language B (as if it were a second language taught in school, like Spanish or French in US high schools) course?