Houston’s Premier PK3 – 12th Grade International Day School

Selecting Languages

At Awty, our students are exposed to two languages starting in PK3/PS and the goal is to guide them towards bilingualism in either French/English or Spanish/English. A third language is available at the Early Learning and Lower School levels as an extra-curricular activity with Awty Plus, the after school program. Starting in Middle School, students are able to add a third language during their regular school day.

In the French Accredited Program a third language (LV2) is compulsory and it is introduced starting in 6ème. In the International Program, a third language is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended.

The purpose of including a third language is three-fold

  1. It provides a Plurilingual and Pluricultural education that will foster a spirit of tolerance, diversity, and acceptance.
  2. It equips and empowers students to become global citizens.
  3. It inspires students to pursue a life of continuous learning.

Basic expectations to join a third language

  1. Above average academic standards in all other subjects
  2. Strong command of his/her second language
  3. Commitment to complete the entire school year

Schedule for third language

  1. In Middle School, third language classes meet three times a week for 30 minutes either during lunch A or lunch B.
  2. In Upper School, third language classes meet three times a week for an entire period (50 minutes) during the regular schedule.

Available options for third language

  1. The most popular options are our foundation languages French and Spanish, as well as our core languages Arabic and Chinese. All four options are usually covered as part of regular tuition, provided there is an enrollment higher than four students.
  2. Within the World Languages Department, we also offer complementary languages including, but not limited to, Farsi, German, Italian Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, and Urdu.
  3. If a class is under-enrolled (fewer then four students), the school reserves the right to cancel it or to make it self-funded.

Language Policy

SECOND LANGUAGE

Foundation Languages (English, French, Spanish) & Core Languages (Arabic, Chinese) 
The school funds Middle School, Upper School, and IB classes with a minimum of four students.*

  • Under-enrolled classes may use a combination of students from both sections French and International to reach the minimum requirement of four students per class.
  • Combination of Group 2, Group 6 elective, and Group 7 Certificate are also possible.
  • Classes with fewer than four students will be self-funded.

*In very specific cases and if no other option is available, the school may decide to fund an under-enrolled class or a class required by the French Ministry of Education for the school year underway.

Complementary Languages
To reflect the international diversity of the School, a range of complementary languages including,but not limited to, Dutch, German, Japanese, Persian, Portuguese, Norwegian and Russian are available.

  • The school funds IB classes with a minimum of four students per class. If the minimum of four students is not met, IB classes in Group 2, Group 6 and Group 7 may be combined. Classes with fewer than four students will be self-funded.
  • Middle and Upper School classes are self-funded.

 

THIRD LANGUAGE

Foundation Languages, Core Languages and Complementary Language

The School funds Middle School, Upper School and IB classes with a minimum of four students

Under-enrolled classes may use a combination of students from both the International & the French Sections to reach the minimum requirement of four students per class. In the IB program combinations of Group 2, Group 6 elective and Group 7 Certificate are also possible. Classes with fewer than four students will be self-funded

*In very specific cases and if no other option is available, the School may decide to fund an under-enrolled class or a class required by the French Ministry of Education for the school year underway.