Abstract

International Schools have developed since their inception from a largely native English-speaking student body to schools such as the author’s, the Vienna International School (VIS), where there are students of 90 nationalities with 65 mother tongues. Maurice Carder proposes a “three-programme model” for addressing the language and curricula needs of these students: a content-based second language programme; a programme of cultural and linguistic training for all staff; and a mother tongue programme for minority students. The model is based on research findings and practice: at the VIS every year approximately 1/3 of the graduating students gain an IB Diploma (International Baccalaureate) because they are able to take their mother tongue (other than English or German) as Language A1. The book contains insightful chapters not only for school leaders, programme designers and teachers, but also for parents. Inserted boxes of student responses give an authentic voice to the needs of second language learners, and many useful resources and websites are given.

Maurice Carder’s career has been dedicated to second language learners of English. After graduating with a BA Honours in Spanish (Bristol) he gained Qualified Teacher Status at the Institute of Education (London). He had teaching posts in Sevilla, Tehran, Lisbon, Greece, Porto, and Bath (UK) before gaining an MA in Linguistics (Lancaster). This led to posts in Mexico and Germany, then to the Vienna International School, Austria, in 1981, where he has remained until now. He has worked on various projects with the International Baccalaureate Organisation, and done much committee work with the European Council of International Schools. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Linguists. His writings on bilingualism and language-related matters have appeared in several books, and in journals such as the International Schools Journal and the Journal for Research in International Education.

The book will be of interest to school administrators and principals, curriculum leaders, specialist mother-tongue and ESL teachers, parents and all those involved in the education of students whose first language is not the dominant language of the school. It would serve as an invaluable resource and as a basis for professional development for individual schools developing policy and practices in the area of bilingual education.

This book is a welcome publication as more often than not parents and school administrators are ill-informed about the International Schools and have some difficulty in finding the relevant information. This book is a useful tool for school administrators in International Schools; it gives useful guidelines on how to develop additive forms of bilingualism in International Schools.

This publication will surely inspire teachers and curriculum planners working in international schools to continue developing models that promote language learning; parents to be actively involved with the school in planning and maintaining their children’s bilingualism; and school leaders to support all of these.

Carder’s voice is clear and succinct. The book is user friendly, containing an appropriate balance of theoretical exposition and practical advice. Throughout the book Carder’s advice is practical and grounded in the realities of school life. I find this book to be a very welcome addition to the literature. It is an excellent introduction to the topic.

Combine a visionary planner of better education with decades of devoted work and experience as a teacher, administrator and global evaluator of International Schools, with a professional interest in languageS (in plural) and knowledge of their vital importance for all learning and development, and deep engagement in children and youth (whose voices the reader will remember). This mix that has produced a book that should change many of the ways that multilingual and multicultural education in general is envisaged and implemented. Congratulations, Maurice!

In this book Maurice Carder writes from a wealth of experience of bilingual education in International Schools, having developed over many years a much admired model of good practice in Vienna International School. The book is a testimony to his depth of experience and knowledge. It provides a very well written and accessible account of the situation of bilingual pupils in International Schools. It is academically sound, based on up to date research which is presented in detail, but is at the same time accessible to parents, teachers and policy makers. One distinctive and very attractive feature of the book are the fascinating vignettes of students from many different language backgrounds who enrich the text with accounts of their own unique experiences. Carder proposes a comprehensive curricular framework to support bilingual pupils in international schools, through what he calls a ‘three part programme’ of language support and enrichment, consisting of an ESL programme, a mother tongue one, and a programme of linguistic and cultural awareness training for all school staff, in order to support appropriate teaching in the curriculum areas. This three part programme is, moreover, extremely helpful to parents and teachers of all bilingual children, not only those studying in international schools. The book is a powerful, cogent plea for international schools which are truly international, which build on the rich resources of a linguistically diverse student body. Carder offers a plea for the advantages of bilingualism which is both frank about the problems which can arise when children are not able to use their linguistic resources to the full, but also passionate about the strong benefits which can accrue to the whole school community when parents, school staff and administrators make a whole hearted commitment to a multilingual ethos, so essential in this age of globalization. It makes for essential reading for anyone involved in the practical business of implementing feasible and educationally rich bilingual programmes in contemporary schools across the world.