Dual Language Journey @ QF

Welcome. We will begin shortly.

Joanna Moe & Ghada Maalouf

December 9, 2020
What does ‘dual language’ in education mean to
you?
Add your answer to the chat box.
The outcomes for this session are:
● Engage with and share your perspective on the journey of Qatar
Foundation (QF) schools towards dual language learning
● Reflect on how your experience and context can enrich the QF
exploration
● Apply your newly acquired understanding to your own context
Agenda:
• Why dual language @ QF?

• What was done so far?

• The rest of the journey…

• What’s your perspective and why?

• How can you start yours?

 Qatar Foundation Schools
IB QF schools Other QF schools
PYP MYP DP CP Primary Secondary
QAD √ √ √ QAST √
Academyati √
QAS √ √ √
Renad √
QAK √ √ √
QLA √
QAW √ √ √ Voltaire √ √
SISQ √ √ √
QAM √
TBZ √
Awsaj √
From Multilingual to Dual Language
Law from the Emir:
The law mandates all
ministries, government
agencies, public bodies and
institutions use the Arabic
language in all their functions
including meetings,
documents, correspondence
etc.
QF Mission: preserve our
Qatari culture and values
SO6 : To advance the
acquisition and use of the
Arabic Language through
policy development,
curriculum design and
research on bilingual and dual
language practices
 Language and Identity
Language is a contributor to children’s identity formation through
receiving others’ influence, living situations as determiners of
language, and using language as a key aspect in self-esteem
improvement.

Norton, B. (2000). Identity and language learning: Gender, ethnicity and educational
change. Essex, UK: Pearson.
 Language and Culture
Language preserves and develops students’ home language skills
which considers the cultural identity and background. It promotes
understanding toward diverse cultures in the classroom, school, in
the community and the world; cultural pluralism, cultural
understandings and cross-cultural communication.

Espinosa, L. (2013). PreK-3rd: Challenging common myths about dual language

learners. Foundation for Child Development.
Benefits of Dual Language
Research has shown that:

• those who know two languages will have economic and

political advantages.
Baker, Philip and John Eversley, eds. Multilingual capital: The languages of
London’s schoolchildren and their relevance to economic, social and
educational policies. London: Battlebridge Publications, 2000. Pp. iv, 92. Cited
in Tinsley 2013.
Benefits of Dual Language

Research has shown that:

• having an in-depth knowledge of another language has

been shown to contribute to a cognitive benefit in
creativity and metalinguistic awareness and enhanced
cross-cultural understanding.

Canadian Council on Learning. Parlez-vous français? The advantages of

bilingualism in Canada. Ottawa: Canadian Council on Learning, 2008.
Benefits of Dual Language

Research has shown that:

• participants in Dual Language programs are more likely to

stay in school and continue into postsecondary education.

Cook, Vivian. “The consequences of bilingualism for cognitive processing” in A.

de Groot & J.F. Kroll (eds.) Tutorials in Bilingualism: Psycholinguistic
Perspectives, Lawrence Erlbaum, 1997: 279-300
Dual Language @ Qatar Foundation
January 2019 Law from the Emir

2018-2019 2019-2020 2020-2021 2023-2025

2021-2023
Results from White paper shared Policy into actioning actioning school
assessments with all QF leaders Practice plans part two of
school plans
document part one review cycle
Deepening the
Parents’ understanding of all
dissatisfation stakeholders. Aligning
expectations at
Language A & B Language Policy all levels
revision
requests
PUE strategic Continue
objective deepening
understanding
Dual Language
definition
That’s the beginning of our story

Based on your experience and

knowledge, please join a small group to
give us feedback.
Instructions
1. Make a copy of the master slide
2. Put your room number
3. Add your ideas (15 mins)
4. Look at other people’s ideas (5 mins)
Now your turn

Based on what you heard and read, think

about your own context and consider
what you could apply in your school.
Multilingual Committee
agreed that dual language means
‫ﻓﻲ اﻻﺟﺗﻣﺎع اﻷول اﺗﻔﻘﻧﺎ أن ﻣﻌﺎﯾﯾر ازدواﺟﯾّﺔ اﻟﻠّﻐﺔ ھﻲ‬
● Students who are equally bilingual ‫• اﻟﻣﺳﺎواة ﺑﯾن اﻟﻠّﻐﺗﯾن ﻓﻲ اﻟﻘراءة‬
and biliterate
‫واﻟﻛﺗﺎﺑﺔ واﻟﻣﺣﺎدﺛﺔ\ اﺳﺗﻌﻣﺎل اﻟﻠّﻐﺗﯾن‬
● High academic achievement in both
‫• اﻟﺗّﺣﺻﯾل اﻟدّراﺳﻲ اﻟﻌﺎﻟﻲ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻠّﻐﺗﯾن‬
program languages
‫• اﻟﻛﻔﺎءة ﻋﺑر اﻟﺛّﻘﺎﻓﺎت‬
● Cross-cultural competence

Reference: Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education (3rd edition), 2018
What was done, what is left
Last year:
• Arabic CEFR descriptors
• Dual language definition
• Policy - Director decisions
This academic year:
• Coordinators and Heads of English and Arabic - decide proficiency level
exit points
• Coordinators and Heads of English and Arabic - map language journeys
• 5 year action plans from schools (Nov deadline)