Mother Tongue Lessons Programme

MOTHER TONGUE PROGRAMME COURSES WILL START SOON !!!

The Mother Tongue Programme courses will start again in the new academic year soon,  in the week from Monday 2^nd September 2024 in all our sites – Kamyk, Libuš and Vlastina.

The conditions for the courses remain the same as in the last academic year.

If you are interested in joining any of the last year Mother Tongue Program groups or start a new language group course, you will find an application form for these courses on our VLE (see below ) or just contact Dan Škoda (dan.skoda@pbis.cz or tel. 603 891 750). Please complete this form and send it to Dan Škoda (dan.skoda@pbis.cz) as soon as possible, by Friday 30^st August 2024 at the latest, please.

Principally, we would like to encourage all PBIS parents to apply for their children (with different mother tongue than English or Czech) into these individual MTL courses, especially we would like to encourage children of Russian, Slovak, Spanish and German origin to apply, to join or refresh once existing groups, and the children of other nationalities to form new groups.

DETAILED INFORMATION:

Dear Parents of children whose home language is neither English nor Czech,

We would like to offer your children excellent chance to improve their mother tongue as well as to learn important facts about their home country. Mother Tongue Lessons are lessons which are taught in the child’s home language. The lessons focus on the development of speaking & listening, reading and writing, as well as they develop the child’s knowledge of his or her country focusing on themes relevant to the child’s homeland.

When families are away from their home country for an extended period of time, MT languages are easily lost. Children who have a solid foundation in their MT develop stronger literacy abilities in the school language. The research is also very clear about the importance of bilingual children's MT for their overall personal and educational development.

These lessons are intended for students in Year 2 to Year 13 whose home language is neither English nor Czech. Pupils in EYFS and Year 1 are recommended to concentrate on mastering English language, writing and reading, before joining their Mother Tongue group later in Year 2.

We have accomplished the fourteenth successful year of Mother Tongue Lesson Programme at the Prague British School. In the new academic year 2024/2025, we will be offering the programme again.

The actual language groups offered will depend on the level of interest but it should be a minimum of 4 pupils in each class. Students will be grouped according to their age and language ability.

What are Mother Tongue Lessons?

Mother Tongue Lessons are lessons which are taught in the child’s home language. The lessons are focused mainly on the development of speaking of speaking, listening, reading and writing. The lessons also develop the child’s knowledge of his or her country, focusing on themes relevant to the child’s homeland. There are many reasons why it is important for children to continue learning in their mother tongue language, e.g.:

• Bilingualism has positive effects on children's linguistic and educational development.
• Mother tongue promotion in the school helps develop not only the mother tongue but also children's abilities in the school language.
• Children's mother tongues are fragile and easily lost in the early years of school.
• Not keeping up with their mother tongue language will make it more difficult for children to communicate to family and friends back in their home country.

Schedule and Frequency of lessons

Once or twice a week in the afternoons: usually 15.15 - 16.15 (The actual days and times will be scheduled). Lessons are held on a termly basis following the school calendar.

Lesson content

Each lesson is divided in two parts. The first part of the lesson concentrates on the MT grammar, vocabulary and oral skills whilst the second part is devoted to learning about students' respective homelands. 

Levels offered

Primary school students will be grouped as follows:

Lower level – Year 2 - 3     Higher level – Year 4 - 6(-9)
Mixed level - This level will be offered if there are insufficient pupils to form groups at different levels

Senior school students will be grouped according to their language ability

Teachers

Qualified and experienced native speakers of the MT.

Location

All sites - PBIS Kamýk, PBIS Libuš and PBIS Vlastina

Final Assessment

At the end of the academic year students will receive a Course Attendance Certificate and a Final Report summarizing the topics covered and what the child has achieved.

Price

The price per student is as follows (if 2 lessons per week):

Half price if there is only 1 lesson per week.

All enquiries regarding these language lessons should be made directly to:

Dan Skoda, Head of the International Language Centre of PBIS,

dan.skoda@pbis.cz or 226 096 173 or 603 891 750