Enhanced Cognitive Skills
Strong literacy in a first language provides a solid foundation for acquiring new languages, improving problem-solving skills, memory, and cognitive flexibility in all subjects.
Elementary Privately Languages
At Danube International School Vienna, we celebrate our diverse, multilingual community.
While our core curriculum is taught in English, we strongly encourage and actively facilitate the continuation of your child's native language through our Privately Taught Languages programme in the Elementary School.
This programme allows students to receive tailored instruction in their home language, ensuring that their cultural heritage and linguistic proficiency remain strong and continue to develop alongside their English.
The Academic Value of Mother Tongue
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP), which anchors our Elementary School, is committed to supporting multilingualism.
The IB philosophy, and extensive educational research, highlights that maintaining and developing the mother tongue is crucial for academic success:
Deeper Conceptual Understanding
Students who can fully access complex concepts in their strongest language are better equipped to transfer that understanding into the language of instruction (English).
Cultural and Personal Identity
Supporting the native language fosters a stronger sense of cultural competence, self-esteem, and belonging, which are vital components of the IB's goal of developing internationally minded individuals.
We offer a flexible solution to support this vital learning:
- Individualised Lessons: Instruction is typically arranged in individual or small-group sessions after school hours.
- Qualified Private Teachers: Lessons are conducted by carefully vetted, suitable private teachers who are experts in their respective languages.
- Parent Partnership: We work in collaboration with our parents to support and promote the use of the mother tongue at home, creating a consistent and immersive language environment for the student.
