IBDP School Supported Self-Taught Languages

Group 1 | School Supported Self-Taught Languages (SSST)

School Supported Self-Taught Language courses allow students to undertake a Diploma Programme course in their mother tongue. A goal of SSST is to maintain and strengthen students’ opportunities to learn within their mother tongue, for these students to maintain links with their cultural heritage and culture, and to establish and grow links with people from their culture/s. Please consult the IB Diploma Coordinator or the Head of Languages if you are interested in exploring this program further and to discuss available languages. An additional language will only be considered if suitable arrangements can be organised to support its delivery.

What will I learn?

SSST students follow the Language A: Literature standard level (SL) course. The syllabus is divided into four parts, and there are four assessment components. Alternative arrangements are made for SSST students in assessment related parts 1, 2 and 4 of the syllabus. 

Language A is a literary course which focuses mainly on both how the writer conveys their work and on what they communicate, the aim being to show how both are connected. The students read 10 works over the two years. The students develop their skills in literary essay writing and formal written and oral commentary. This leads to an awareness of the ways in which literature is written. Students need good reading skills, analytical skills, synthesis skills and productive skills. 

Timeline 

In order for the School to explore all options for the appointment of a suitable supervisor and to ascertain student interest, students - with parental endorsement - must have made their interest to complete a SSST course known no later than September of the year preceding commencement of Year 11 IB Diploma. 

No expression of interest will be accommodated once the school year has commenced. 

Students will need to be self-directed in their attention to meeting the course expectations and will need to have a strong work ethic and finely honed organisation skills. 

Students will work independently, but will have the support of a supervisor and a nominated language tutor to assist with such things as: 

• assisting with setting up a course of study (especially selecting mother-tongue texts); 
• providing suggestions for works of literary value; 
• providing mother-tongue guidance (discussion of content, language, conventions, structures, and so on) for the various parts of the course of study; 
• providing resources related to the texts, preferably in the mother tongue; 
• setting mock or practice examinations, including oral assessments, and providing feedback on performance; 
• maintaining contact with the administrator and regularly providing information on the student’s progress. 

In addition to the support provided by the school and the supervisor, self-taught students can receive assistance directly through the IB. 

Expectations of parents/guardians 

The School encourages family members of self taught students to become actively engaged in the School Supported Self-Taught program. As all SSST courses are an addition to the standard course provision at The Friends’ School, students electing to undertake study in a SSST course will likely be required to provide additional fees to cover the appointment of a suitable tutor for the duration of the 2-year course. Additional fees are to be made payable to the School which will have oversight of the tutor’s appointment and work performance.

Why should I consider this course?

Students who wish to maintain and deepen their understanding of their mother tongue and the literature of their culture should consider this course. This leads to what is known as a bi-lingual Diploma. 

Assessment

What Skills does this course provide?

Like the Language A Literature course, students will examine the ways in which their personal world, identity and relationships are represented in texts. The course also enables students to experience representations of other realities and other cultures, allowing them to get acquainted with perspectives of the world that might be different from their own. Students get the opportunity to reflect more deeply on the interaction between the local and the global and foster intercultural critical thinking and consciousness.

What Pathway Options does this course provide?

A Bilingual Diploma opens up all kinds of options and pathways. Study overseas is possible. Foreign language skills are also associated with increased job opportunities. In fact, research has shown that demand for bilingual workers as doubled in the Western world over the past decade.