At Scotch College we believe that the study of Languages opens students’ eyes and lives to different cultures. Without it, this is particularly difficult given our geographical location in Western Australia. Thus we have chosen a blend of relevant languages – from the choice of  French (parallel with English in the UN, the Olympics, the Arts, in Canada and occasionally in sporting culture!), to the huge growth-language that Spanish represents on a global scale. Our choice of Indonesian is based on its ease-of-use and accessibility to Western Australian families. In contrast to a general trend, we have found that with the provision of relevant, youthful and dynamic teachers, we have seen students willing and able to excel in all three languages, in increasing numbers, in recent years.

Naturally the IB programme at both ends of the School sees a second language as a natural choice, if one wishes to be a globally-minded citizen, and we thoroughly endorse this mandated position. Moreover, it is our increasing desire to see Languages grow beyond the walls of Scotch and to that end the Scotch Language Hub has extended a welcome as hosts to ‘123 Soleil’ for French native speaker families and Background course ATAR candidates, and to the Cervantes Institute, the Balai Bahasa, the Goethe Institute, and ‘Language One’ Dutch in the past. Using these partnerships, we are increasingly able to help both adult learners and the native speakers amongst our own students.

Middle School (6-8)

In the Middle School, boys study French in Year 6.  From Year 7 they have the choice of French or Indonesian. They must then continue this choice of language until the end of Year 10. Groups are streamed by their previous exposure to a language. After-school classes are offered to French native speaker families by 123 Soleil. In class, native speaker students would usually study independently within the CNED program from France.

Senior School (9-12)

In the Senior School, students continue the language that they studied in Middle School, or if arriving in Year 9 make a choice between Indonesian and French. In Year 10, students can choose either the Language Acquisition course for two Semesters or Beginners Spanish for one Semester and the Language & Culture stream for one Semester. (This is a program which focuses less on the linguistic side and more on the cultural elements of French or Indonesian.)  Spanish Beginners is a stand-alone course, or may be considered as a preparation for the IB Diploma Spanish.

Arriving in Year 11, students will have chosen either the IB diploma pathway requiring one language, (French or Indonesian at Standard Level or Spanish Beginners), or the Second Language ATAR pathway in French or Indonesian. These are all two year courses.

A background speaker student would choose either Higher Level French / Indonesian for the IB Diploma at Scotch, or the ATAR Background Speaker French or Indonesian syllabus, which is externally taught.