Language Learning

Languages of Instruction

English is the primary language of instruction across all subjects at DISV Secondary School. Alongside English, German is a compulsory subject for all students from Grade 6 onwards, reflecting DISV's location in Vienna and the importance of the host-country language for students' daily life and integration in Austria.

Additional Language Options

Beyond English and German, Secondary students can choose to study French or Spanish as additional Language Acquisition subjects. Language classes are grouped by proficiency level — from beginner through to advanced — ensuring every student is appropriately challenged and supported. Languages are taught through the IB Language Acquisition framework in the MYP and as Group 2 subjects in the Diploma Programme.

Mother-Tongue Support

DISV supports 47 mother tongues through our Privately Taught Languages programme. The IB strongly encourages students to develop and maintain their first language alongside their additional languages, and DISV provides the infrastructure for this to happen. In the Diploma Programme, mother-tongue language and literature can be taken as a Group 1 subject through the IB's School-Supported Self-Taught option, allowing students to gain full DP credit for their home language.

For more information about language arrangements in Secondary School, please contact us.