Primary Objective: To familiarise learners from non-German speaking backgrounds with the German language during their two preschool years, i.e. Kindergarten and Reception years, to such an extent that they will be able to acquire reading and writing skills in Grade 1 together with their fellow learners from German speaking backgrounds and to participate in subject lessons in German at mother tongue level.
With the birth of a child, among several other things, the language development of a child begins. By the age of three to four years the language development of the mother tongue is consolidated.This point in the life of a child serves as pivotal to acquire a second language as a mother tongue.
Since 2002, children from non-German speaking backgrounds are enrolled in the Kindergarten of the Deutsche Internationale Schule Johannesburg (DSJ) within the framework of the NewPrimary School - NPS - programme. The criteria for a successful enrolment are: good language ability in the mother tongue and an appropriate IQ (age-appropriate development of fine and gross motor coordination, visual and auditory perceptual development, numerals and number conceptual development).
The learners should acquire the German language during the two year preschool period which they spend in the Kindergarten and Reception Year (Vorschule) to such an extent that they will be able to cope with the scholastic requirements of the Primary School.
The language medium in the Primary School is German. The learners of the NPS programme are fully integrated in the Primary School classes from Grade 1 onwards. The learners of the very first group are already in Grade 7.At the beginning of school year 2010, the ninth group was enrolled in our school.
Because the learners in the Primary School are required to cope with all lessons in German at mother tongue level, they have to be intensively prepared in the Kindergarten and the Vorschule (Reception Year). For this reason, we cannot enrol newcomers at a later stage or in later years into the NPS of the Primary School.
By offering compulsory support lessons for the learners in Grades 1, 2 and 3 within the framework of the support programme of the Primary School, we provide these learners with an additional opportunity to apply their acquired knowledge of the German language. Here they can experience, endeavour and train their linguistic capabilities. Educational games, songs and little literature projects, among others, help to enhance and to consolidate their communicative capabilities.
Prof Dr Sarter, from the University in PotsdamGermany, scientifically accompanied the pilot project for six years. She visited the Deutsche Internationale Schule Johannesburg regularly in order to attain an overall view or perspective of the learners’ scholastic progress. Video recordings and written expressive language productions, e.g. creative writing, little essays, underline her assessments of the learners’ linguistic and communicative capabilities. These assessments and observations also provide additional stimuli and suggestions for new ideas and concepts. Since 2008 Dr Thürmann from Essen (Germany) accompanies this project and provides us with scientific advice.
The project provides some positive and pleasant feedback and results. The language programme of the Primary School and the Pre-PrimarySchool has been positively influenced by the NPS concept. The support programme was revised and the individual needs of all learners are considered accordingly.With the introduction of the NPS project, the assistant teacher recruitment project was introduced. Young students who matriculate at the DSJ are given the opportunity to apply for an assistant teaching post in the Kindergarten/Vorschule.While getting valuable and practical in-house training they study via UNISA to get their B.Ed. This secures future educators for our school.
This project facilitates the improvement of the entire language programme offered at the school. More learners shall be given the opportunity to attain the “Abitur” (German University Entrance Examination) with German at Home Language level, or alternatively the “Deutsches Sprachdiplom II” (German Language Diploma II), which will increase their possibilities and endeavours to study overseas.
During the Foundation Phase the NPS learners are taught integratively. As a school we must observe and analyse the language development closely. As from the beginning of 2008 we are offering an even more differentiated language programme.German is taught in smaller groups in Grades 4 and 5 and learners are allocated to the different groups according to the strength and weaknesses.From January 2009 this programme has also been offered in Grade 6.
