Home language

At ISL, we aim to create a school atmosphere in which all the students’ languages and cultures are valued and nurtured. We want to be open to differing perspectives, beliefs, and traditions. We believe this helps to implement true international mindedness within our community. It sends a strong message that students’ identities are affirmed and respected, and their home languages are seen as valuable resources to be built upon.

Aside from the academic and cognitive benefits of multilingualism, we believe that maintaining and developing language and literacy skills in the home language is crucial for establishing a strong identity. It allows students to appreciate and remain connected to the language, literature, and culture of their home country.

We currently offer home language lessons in Spanish, German, Italian, Dutch, Greek, Polish, Russian, Portuguese, Turkish, and Mandarin. These are taught by native language instructors. Home language lessons take place once a week after school, usually for an hour, and are offered at an additional fee.