Why?
Why did the district choose Spanish for the Immersion Program?
With over 330 million speakers globally, Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and is the official language of 44 countries. Spanish is a good springboard for learning other Romance languages, including Portuguese, Italian, French, and Romanian with little difficulty. The Catawba County Chamber of Commerce stated that area businesses need Spanish speakers.
What Are the Benefits of Knowing a Second Language?
In addition to developing a lifelong ability to communicate with more people, children may drive other benefits from early language instruction, including improved overall school performance and superior problem-solving skills. Knowing a second language ultimately provides a competitive advantage in the workforce by opening up additional job opportunities.
Students of foreign languages score statistically higher on standardized tests conducted in English. In its 1992 report, College Bound Seniors: The 1992 Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, the College Entrance Examination Board reported that students who averaged 4 or more years of foreign language study scored higher on the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) than those who had studied 4 or more years in any other subject area. In addition, the average mathematics score for individuals who had taken 4 or more years of foreign language study was identical to the average score of those who had studied 4 years of mathematics. These findings are consistent with College Board profiles for previous years.
Students of foreign languages have access to a greater number of career possibilities and develop a greater understanding of their own and other cultures. Some evidence also suggests that children who receive second language instruction are more creative and better at solving complex problems. The benefits to society are many. Americans fluent in other languages enhance our economic competitiveness abroad, improve global communications, and maintain our political and security interests.
With over 330 million speakers globally, Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and is the official language of 44 countries. Spanish is a good springboard for learning other Romance languages, including Portuguese, Italian, French, and Romanian with little difficulty. The Catawba County Chamber of Commerce stated that area businesses need Spanish speakers.
What Are the Benefits of Knowing a Second Language?
In addition to developing a lifelong ability to communicate with more people, children may drive other benefits from early language instruction, including improved overall school performance and superior problem-solving skills. Knowing a second language ultimately provides a competitive advantage in the workforce by opening up additional job opportunities.
Students of foreign languages score statistically higher on standardized tests conducted in English. In its 1992 report, College Bound Seniors: The 1992 Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers, the College Entrance Examination Board reported that students who averaged 4 or more years of foreign language study scored higher on the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) than those who had studied 4 or more years in any other subject area. In addition, the average mathematics score for individuals who had taken 4 or more years of foreign language study was identical to the average score of those who had studied 4 years of mathematics. These findings are consistent with College Board profiles for previous years.
Students of foreign languages have access to a greater number of career possibilities and develop a greater understanding of their own and other cultures. Some evidence also suggests that children who receive second language instruction are more creative and better at solving complex problems. The benefits to society are many. Americans fluent in other languages enhance our economic competitiveness abroad, improve global communications, and maintain our political and security interests.
What to Expect?
How will learning everything in a second language affect my child’s language and literacy development in the native language?
Many parents are initially fearful that a dual language immersion program may have a negative impact on their child’s language development in the native language. Research, however, research consistently finds that the immersion experience actually enhances native language development (Cloud, Genesee, & Hamayan, 2000). There are many processes in the brain that underlie the ability to read, such as understanding the relationship between the spoken language and the written word, that transfer from one language to another (Cloud, Genesee, & Hamayan, 2000).
Will my child become proficient in the second language? How long will that take?
After only 2 or 3 years in an immersion program, students demonstrate confidence and some fluency in the language. While their speaking and writing skills are progressing, their listening and reading skills are comparable to those of native speakers of the same age.
Language learning is influenced by several factors, including student’s personality, motivation, teacher expectations, parental support, program leadership, and support at the school and district level. Student success requires the active involvement of all of these stakeholders. Our schools welcome your support and involvement in the dual language immersion program!
What can I do to support my child’s immersion experience if I don’t speak the second language?
We want all parents to play an active role in their child’s education. Parents of dual immersion students should provide experiences that support and help develop the language used in the home. Read daily to your child in your home language, communicate with your teachers on a regular basis about your child’s progress, support your child’s use of both languages outside of the classroom, become informed about dual immersion, and make a commitment to the program. We will always welcome parent volunteers in the classroom. However, understand that our immersion teachers will only speak in the immersion language in the classrooms.
What should I expect in the beginning for my child?
Be prepared for the fact that your child will initially be confused and even frustrated. They will likely be very tired at the end of the day, as language learning is cognitively demanding. This reaction is very normal for first- time immersion learners and can last from two weeks to two months depending on the child’s age and basic language ability. Children are generally very resilient and will soon feel comfortable with the second language.
Is there a chance that my child will feel insecure or frustrated in the immersion environment?
The current research on this topic is very reassuring. In their article So You Want Your Child to Learn French, Weber and Tardif report: “During the first days of school, we carefully observed both the regular and immersion students with some of parents’ most often voiced concerns in mind. However, contrary to our expectations, the second-language element did not really seem to be a major source of frustration or difficulty for the children. The video recordings and interviews clearly show that the children were able to construct much meaning from the immersion situation even at the beginning of the year. Many of the children for example, offered the following explanations of how they came to understand the teacher’s French: “I just listen very hard and my brain figures it out,” “I think of a word in English it sounds like,” and “ I ask the teacher.” (pp. 55-60)
Will my child still learn to read and write English at the same pace?
Full immersion students’ English development may lag temporarily in reading, word knowledge, and spelling while instruction is occurring exclusively in the immersion language. Parent involvement is essential at this stage to encourage English reading at home. However, after a year or two of instruction in English language arts, this discrepancy disappears ( Genesee , 1987). Once this temporary stage has passed, most immersion students perform at or above grade level in both languages. It is important for parents to understand that this lag is temporary and to be expected.
Many parents are initially fearful that a dual language immersion program may have a negative impact on their child’s language development in the native language. Research, however, research consistently finds that the immersion experience actually enhances native language development (Cloud, Genesee, & Hamayan, 2000). There are many processes in the brain that underlie the ability to read, such as understanding the relationship between the spoken language and the written word, that transfer from one language to another (Cloud, Genesee, & Hamayan, 2000).
Will my child become proficient in the second language? How long will that take?
After only 2 or 3 years in an immersion program, students demonstrate confidence and some fluency in the language. While their speaking and writing skills are progressing, their listening and reading skills are comparable to those of native speakers of the same age.
Language learning is influenced by several factors, including student’s personality, motivation, teacher expectations, parental support, program leadership, and support at the school and district level. Student success requires the active involvement of all of these stakeholders. Our schools welcome your support and involvement in the dual language immersion program!
What can I do to support my child’s immersion experience if I don’t speak the second language?
We want all parents to play an active role in their child’s education. Parents of dual immersion students should provide experiences that support and help develop the language used in the home. Read daily to your child in your home language, communicate with your teachers on a regular basis about your child’s progress, support your child’s use of both languages outside of the classroom, become informed about dual immersion, and make a commitment to the program. We will always welcome parent volunteers in the classroom. However, understand that our immersion teachers will only speak in the immersion language in the classrooms.
What should I expect in the beginning for my child?
Be prepared for the fact that your child will initially be confused and even frustrated. They will likely be very tired at the end of the day, as language learning is cognitively demanding. This reaction is very normal for first- time immersion learners and can last from two weeks to two months depending on the child’s age and basic language ability. Children are generally very resilient and will soon feel comfortable with the second language.
Is there a chance that my child will feel insecure or frustrated in the immersion environment?
The current research on this topic is very reassuring. In their article So You Want Your Child to Learn French, Weber and Tardif report: “During the first days of school, we carefully observed both the regular and immersion students with some of parents’ most often voiced concerns in mind. However, contrary to our expectations, the second-language element did not really seem to be a major source of frustration or difficulty for the children. The video recordings and interviews clearly show that the children were able to construct much meaning from the immersion situation even at the beginning of the year. Many of the children for example, offered the following explanations of how they came to understand the teacher’s French: “I just listen very hard and my brain figures it out,” “I think of a word in English it sounds like,” and “ I ask the teacher.” (pp. 55-60)
Will my child still learn to read and write English at the same pace?
Full immersion students’ English development may lag temporarily in reading, word knowledge, and spelling while instruction is occurring exclusively in the immersion language. Parent involvement is essential at this stage to encourage English reading at home. However, after a year or two of instruction in English language arts, this discrepancy disappears ( Genesee , 1987). Once this temporary stage has passed, most immersion students perform at or above grade level in both languages. It is important for parents to understand that this lag is temporary and to be expected.
Day to Day
What does a typical day look like?
We have two different types of immersion programs in our district - a “full immersion” program (also known as a 90:10 model) and a “dual immersion” program (50:50 model). In both programs, students learn the same North Carolina standards-based curriculum as their English-only counterparts, just in Spanish.
In our three “full immersion” programs at Sherrills Ford Elementary, Startown Elementary, and Lyle Creek Elementary, students receive approximately 90% of instruction in Spanish and 10% in English to facilitate early Spanish language acquisition and literacy development. As students transition to higher grades, more of the instruction shifts to English. Typically, the 90:10 model is recommended for populations of primarily English-speaking students because those students have significant exposure to English outside of school.
In our 50-50 model “dual immersion” program at St. Stephens Elementary, students spend 50% of their time learning in English and 50% of their time learning in Spanish, taught by a native English speaking teacher and a native Spanish speaking teacher in an A-B day format. The 50:50 model is typically recommended for student populations with higher numbers of students who speak Spanish at home. This allows all students in the classroom to spend half of their time further developing their first language while spending the other half acquiring a second language.
I don't speak Spanish. How do I help with homework?
You do not need to speak the target language to be supportive of your child’s learning. Homework assignments are designed to review lessons previously presented in class, so sometimes it is simply a question of helping your child get started. Incorporating homework time into your family’s routine, establishing a quiet and comfortable study environment, encouraging your child to ask questions in class, and reaching out to your child’s bilingual teacher via email or phone for further clarification are all useful avenues for support
What if my child's teacher has to take an extended leave?
We have access to a large pool of bilingual teachers through Participate, the organization that we have partnered with to facilitate the seamless integration of Spanish immersion classes into our district.
How do I best support my child in learning a new language?
We will provide information for parents throughout the program from Kindergarten through 6th grade. In general, research shows that you can support the process by:
We have two different types of immersion programs in our district - a “full immersion” program (also known as a 90:10 model) and a “dual immersion” program (50:50 model). In both programs, students learn the same North Carolina standards-based curriculum as their English-only counterparts, just in Spanish.
In our three “full immersion” programs at Sherrills Ford Elementary, Startown Elementary, and Lyle Creek Elementary, students receive approximately 90% of instruction in Spanish and 10% in English to facilitate early Spanish language acquisition and literacy development. As students transition to higher grades, more of the instruction shifts to English. Typically, the 90:10 model is recommended for populations of primarily English-speaking students because those students have significant exposure to English outside of school.
In our 50-50 model “dual immersion” program at St. Stephens Elementary, students spend 50% of their time learning in English and 50% of their time learning in Spanish, taught by a native English speaking teacher and a native Spanish speaking teacher in an A-B day format. The 50:50 model is typically recommended for student populations with higher numbers of students who speak Spanish at home. This allows all students in the classroom to spend half of their time further developing their first language while spending the other half acquiring a second language.
I don't speak Spanish. How do I help with homework?
You do not need to speak the target language to be supportive of your child’s learning. Homework assignments are designed to review lessons previously presented in class, so sometimes it is simply a question of helping your child get started. Incorporating homework time into your family’s routine, establishing a quiet and comfortable study environment, encouraging your child to ask questions in class, and reaching out to your child’s bilingual teacher via email or phone for further clarification are all useful avenues for support
What if my child's teacher has to take an extended leave?
We have access to a large pool of bilingual teachers through Participate, the organization that we have partnered with to facilitate the seamless integration of Spanish immersion classes into our district.
How do I best support my child in learning a new language?
We will provide information for parents throughout the program from Kindergarten through 6th grade. In general, research shows that you can support the process by:
- Committing to participate in this program fully through 6th grade.
- Being patient and supportive since it may take time for your child to feel comfortable in a classroom where a new language is being spoken
- Joining this exciting journey by learning some Spanish or English yourself
- Reading with your child in their native language for 20-30 minutes daily
- Encouraging your child to practice their languages skills with native speakers in the community
Testing
Will End of Grade (EOG) testing be in English or Spanish?
All state-mandated assessments, like the EOGs, will be taken in English.
How are the Spanish Program students projected to score on standardized tests in English?
Research indicates that when children are proficient in two languages, they score higher than their monolingual peers on standardized tests. (See below)
North Carolina End of Grade (EOG) data supports this research:
All state-mandated assessments, like the EOGs, will be taken in English.
How are the Spanish Program students projected to score on standardized tests in English?
Research indicates that when children are proficient in two languages, they score higher than their monolingual peers on standardized tests. (See below)
North Carolina End of Grade (EOG) data supports this research:
How do I apply?
For frequently asked questions about the application process, please click here.
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