At Terakki High School, students choose to study either French, German or Spanish as a World Language.
In the communicative approach to language learning adopted by the World Languages Department, no single skill is given priority. Rather, the goal is to achieve communicative competence in all areas of listening, reading, speaking and writing as students learn to negotiate meaning in their World Language. Technology plays an important role in the classroom by facilitating learning, assessment, and collaboration. Furthermore, differentiation ensures that all students are progressing in their World Language, regardless of their starting point. As a result, students leave Terakki as confident ‘basic users’ of their World Language at a minimum, meaning that they have a strong foundation for further study.
Beyond the classroom, students are presented with many opportunities to connect with the culture of their World Language and to practice their language skills through a range of activities such as hosting cultural fairs and participating in events tied to European Day of World Languages. Furthermore, they may participate in one of the World Languages clubs. For those students who would like to take proficiency exams in their World Language, a support programme is in place.
Beyond school, the World Languages Department offers numerous opportunities to interact with other speakers of German, French and Spanish on overseas trips.
Which World Language?
When choosing a World Language to study throughout their time at Terakki High School, students may like to consider the following:
German is spoken in many European countries (Germany, Liechtenstein, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Russia, and Belgium), amounting to approximately 120 million people with German language aptitude. It is one of the official languages of the European Union, and is especially important in the fields of science, textiles, medicine, and engineering. Germany places a significant role in the import and export businesses of Turkey, and many German companies operate in Istanbul and in neighboring cities.
French is spoken by more than 200 million people on 5 continents, French is an official language of many global organizations such as the United Nations, NATO, the International Olympic Committee, and the Red Cross. It is also the language of culture, opening the door to the culinary world, fashion, architecture, arts, theatre, and dance.
Spanish is spoken as an official language in more than 21 countries and has over 500 million native speakers. Learning Spanish is not just about learning a language; it is about meeting and exploring different cultures in Spain and Latin America. From art to sports, textiles to the pharmaceutical industry, Spanish is the 3rd most widely used language in the world.