FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

MYP Language acquisition

Topic Clarification
General questions
Progression in MYP When thinking about the progression in MYP language acquisition, it is
language acquisition important to move our thinking away from the assumption that language
learning follows evenly spaced steps where learners must climb in a linear
• Command terms
fashion (a developmental ladder) to reach full proficiency. Command
• Assessing terms in the MYP are used to show the cognitive progression of low order
productive skills and higher order thinking skills. Students should be encouraged to think
in criteria C and at high levels, even in the emergent level.
D: “a wide range
of vocabulary/ Progression is multifaceted and includes other aspects such as:
grammatical • text complexity
structures” • the variety of modes that students are exposed to
• the range of language forms (vocabulary and structures) that
students are expected to understand, use and produce
• different situations/contexts of communication that students
engage in.
Table 3 on the Language acquisition guide illustrates the other aspects of
the progression for each phase. All of these aspects need to be
incorporated into the unit at the appropriate level of the student. For
example, the amount of sophisticated language—“a wide range of …”—
that a student is expected to produce looks different in the three levels
(emergent, capable and proficient).
The assessment rubrics also exemplify the interplay of these aspects.
Teachers should create task-specific clarifications for students based on
the unit covered to clarify the expectations for “a wide range of …” for
each of the levels.
There are suggested topics in the eAssessment section that teachers may
use to structure additional language learning according to their context
for the three proficiency levels. (Schools that do not take eAssessment
should also refer to this section for insights into their school-based
assessment practices.)
Example: A student who successfully studies the units planned for
successful learning at a given level (for example, emergent), at a
conceptually and linguistically appropriate challenge and attains the
highest achievement for that level, is able to use a wide range of
vocabulary and grammatical structures for that level. This range is
determined by the different situations and contexts that the student has
been exposed to in the units studied. The student will also have
progressed in the other aspects too.

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Topic Clarification
Use of target The IB is aware that schools face constraints regarding the numbers of
language students in a language acquisition class and the amount of time that a
teacher needs to set aside to conduct the oral assessment. Alternative
strategies need to be put in place to ensure that students get practice
with using target language orally and in writing.
The aim of language acquisition is to enable students to become
competent communicators in the additional language (target language)
that they are learning. The following are examples of strategies that
support the use of target language.
• Learning needs to occur in a language-rich environment where
language is used orally (by the teacher, or through listening to audio
materials, and students are encouraged to use oral language even if
this still emerging), in written form and visually.
• Use of multimodal texts in the language acquisition classroom allows
students to have a language-rich environment. Multimodal texts act
as scaffolds and assist students to successfully use the target
language.
• Use of integrated assessments in the unit to help students build on
the four communicative processes—listening, reading, speaking and
writing. This allows students to apply language in new contexts. This,
of course, requires rehearsing, practising and getting feedback so that
students refine their understanding and use of language.
• Students could work in pairs or groups to perform their oral in MYP
1–3/4.
Students taking the onscreen examination at emergent level will be
expected to respond in the target language. At the beginning of the
emergent course students may respond in mother tongue given that they
have limited language skills. As students progress through the emergent
level course they need to be supported to realize that it is possible to
respond in the target language.
Combining phases It is at the school’s discretion, considering its own context, resources and
structure, how to group students into the six phases. However, it is
essential to first consider a reasonable differentiation and manageable
combination of proficiencies in one class.
In most cases the additional language offered in the school is not the
language of instruction. Teachers should use strategies to develop
students’ understanding and use of the target language.
Multimodal texts All texts must be multimodal. In the assessed curriculum section, the
framed instructions introducing each criterion for each level state that all
Do all tasks have to
texts used to assess all the tasks must be multimodal.
have a visual?
Also refer to the definition of “multimodal text” in the MYP Language
acquisition guide glossary.

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Topic Clarification
Assessment-related questions
Criterion A: Schools will use the total length of spoken text recommended for the
Length of listening current language acquisition ePortfolio.
task • Emergent—5 minutes
• Capable—7 minutes
• Proficient—10 minutes
During the early stages in the proficiency levels above, students may
require shorter texts that consider where the students are in their
language-learning journey.
Note. Table 11 “Suggested task types and guidelines for designing
assessment tasks” of the Language acquisition guide has been amended
to reflect text length shown above.
Criterion A: There should be minimal pauses.
Guidance on
These depend upon the teacher’s professional judgment as the teacher is
listening
best placed to understand the needs of the students.
• How many times
Things to consider include:
can students
hear the • during teaching and learning, training students to listen
listening text? • the assessment design and how it suits the proficiency level of
• In eAssessment, students being assessed
will students be • model guidance for onscreen assessment for summative assessment,
able to pause once specimen papers are made available.
and replay the
text as often as
time permits?
Criteria A and B: Teachers are strongly reminded that the questions set against each
How many strand of criteria A and B should be equally balanced and should help the
questions per students meet the aspect or indicator of the learning expectation.
strand?
“A carefully constructed assessment task on an individual unit may
provide evidence of achievement in all strands of a criterion or criteria.”
(MYP: From principles into practice 2014: 84)
Criteria A and B: Yes, but teachers must ensure this does not interfere with the level
When assessing descriptors of the assessment criteria and should award levels holistically
these criteria, can a using the descriptors for each criterion.
mark scheme with
Teachers are required to use a range of strategies and tools to assess
points be used?
student learning and to collaboratively standardize their application of
the assessment criteria before deciding on achievement levels.
(MYP: From principles into practice 2014)
Criteria A and B: “Conventions” in criterion A and B refer to both linguistic and text
Can linguistic conventions.
conventions be • Refer to the related concepts and glossary for definitions
used?
• Unpack multimodal vocabulary/terminologies collaboratively—refer
to the Language acquisition teacher support material

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Topic Clarification
Criterion C: Criterion C is based on an interactive oral communication which involves
Can a presentation students speaking or presenting briefly on a topic that is inspired by the
be assessed in multimodal stimulus. This is then followed by a conversation between the
speaking? teacher and the student. During school-based formative assessments,
students could work in pairs or groups to perform their oral in MYP 1–
3/4. For summative assessments, this speaking assessment should be
conducted with the teacher. See the eAssessment section of the guide
for:
• requirements for the oral tasks—criterion C
• conduct of the oral task for the school-based summative
assessments.
Criterion D: A stimulus containing other modes, such as visual and spatial modes,
What is the should be used as a prompt for producing the writing task. Examples: a
“stimulus” used for? written text with images, a written text with some spatial arrangement.
Students show their understanding of conventions used in different
modes when producing the writing tasks. For example, spatial
arrangements, different fonts and formats in emails, letters, brochures,
blogs, postcards, recipes, news articles, etc.
eAssessment: For school-based summative assessment, the length of reading texts used
Task 1 and 2 for criterion B should be as indicated on Table 11 “Suggested task types
and guidelines for designing assessment tasks” of the Language
acquisition guide.
• Emergent—between 400 and 500 words
• Capable—between 800 and 900 words
• Proficient—between 900 and 1,000 words
For eAssessment, the onscreen examination will be adapted to suit the
level and the time required to complete the exam.
eAssessment: • There will be a trial in November 2020. The MYP language acquisition
Transition from November 2018 development report indicated that this would be a
ePortfolio to pilot. It is now confirmed that this will be a trial, which means that
onscreen exam there will be no course results for participating students.
• The IB will provide specimen exams sometime in 2021.
• The first onscreen assessment will be in May 2022.
eAssessment MYP eAssessments are optional.
Why is the The IB publishes past papers of eAssessment exams on the programme
eAssessment not resource centre for MYP subject groups that have an onscreen exam.
mandatory?
With the move to an onscreen examination in language acquisition the IB
If no students enrol will first publish specimen papers sometime in 2021. (The exact date of
in the eAssessment, specimen publication will be confirmed later.) After the first assessment
will teachers have in May 2022, past papers will be available.
the opportunity to
know what the
onscreen
examination looks
like?

MYP Language acquisition: frequently asked questions 4

Topic Clarification
Can students fast- MYP values and emphasizes concurrency of learning in language
track their language acquisition (and language and literature).
acquisition
MYP language acquisition students are also allowed to change to a new
achievement by
additional language after reaching phase 4.
taking the onscreen
examination before eAssessment is only open to MYP 5 students.
they reach MYP 5?

MYP Language acquisition: frequently asked questions 5