MYP Languages and Literature

Language and Literature instruction at AISJ seeks to enrich students in articulating themselves through their mother tongue languages, as well as in English, the language of instruction. Timetabled classes are offered in English, as well as the host languages, Arabic and Hebrew. Students who communicate in other languages can participate in non-school based, yet accredited, studies in their mother-tongue language.

English

English classes at AISJ focus on developing our students’ creative and critical thinking skills through reading, speaking and listening.  In poetry, students initially engage with the emotional and thematic territory of a poem by responding with their own poetic creations.  Students organically acquire an understanding of poetic devices through this process.  In the upper years, students engage with poetry more through literary criticism and close reading analysis.  In fiction, students are taught to read closely, identifying literary devices and thematic content.  By the end of the MYP program, students write thesis-driven essays in response to the novels they read.  Students engage with dramatic literature, gaining an historical perspective extending from ancient Greece to the contemporary world.  Shakespearean plays are consistently studied throughout the program.  Alongside these traditional genres, students also read other cultural texts including graphic novels, film, speeches, advertisement, journalism and web-based media.  Lastly, English often works in conjunction with other subjects.  For example, we currently have interdisciplinary units with drama and computer technology.