Students taking the IB Diploma programme at St. Mary’s International School (SMIS) will have new language learning opportunities, with the introduction of Spanish ab Initio in the upcoming 2026-27 school year. Currently, SMIS only offers French and Japanese as Group 2 (Language Acquisition) subjects for the IB and as second languages in general. This has been a point of interest, as just a few administrations ago, other languages, such as Mandarin Chinese, Korean, and German, flourished either as an integral part of the curriculum or as an additional paid option on top of the tuition, depending on popularity. Since the removal of these other classes, students and staff alike have been yearning for their reintroduction, and the addition of Spanish ab Initio heralds hope that the language learning landscape at St. Mary’s may be more varied.
The Bygone Era of Languages At St. Mary’s
Until a few years ago, St. Mary’s had more than triple the number of languages that are offered now, with around 8. Students had more freedom to learn an unfamiliar secondary language, such as Mandarin Chinese, German, and Spanish. This extends to the IB program offered in high school, with B-tracks for intermediate learners, and ab Initio for beginner learners. However, as the size of classes diminishes and the departure of teachers, the school administration started stating that extra language classes will require extra fees. “At one point, they were hiring one teacher for one or two students,” Ms. Kim, world language teacher with years of experience teaching at St. Mary’s, recalled in an earlier interview for a Diplomat article, “The school is using a lot of money because teachers picked up a big salary every day.” Eventually, the school is left with only two language options: French and Japanese.
A Return
The language situation at St. Mary’s, which pales in comparison with other international schools in Tokyo, led to a sizable amount of discontent. While French is still a popular option for native Japanese speakers who want to learn a new language, some other students are interested in other languages, and the lack of accommodation to their needs is frustrating to some. With the entrance of a new headmaster in 2025, however, the school administration was once again interested in reintroducing an array of languages offered in the curriculum. In an earlier survey sent during the 2025-2026 school year, there was a question about what languages students want, and after work within the administration, it was announced in January that Spanish ab Initio would be added to the St. Mary’s IB courses. This was well-received by the general HS student body, as Spanish is the second-most spoken native language after Mandarin Chinese, with around 500-600 million speakers, so it is of great use. “I think it’s good that there are more options for languages, so that more people can get what they want,” said Kai (’29) in an interview, a former Spanish learner himself, “It’s widely spoken in South, Central America, and southern parts of USA, but its versatility depends on where you live in the world as a former Spanish learner.”
Conclusion
At St. Mary’s International School, students of various cultural backgrounds bring their heritage with them. It is part of what St. Mary’s is as a school, and the reintroduction of Spanish ab Initio is celebrated by many as a further step to accommodate the school’s international nature.
