What, Why, How
We know that you may have many questions while choosing a school for your child. Please see if your question is answered here, and feel free to call us for more detail.
“Language immersion” is a way of teaching language by completely immersing the learner in that language for significant periods of time. The learner will hear only the target language for both regular conversation (i.e. talk about getting dressed and eating meals), as well as subject matter learning (i.e. math and science). Research shows that with language immersion, young children learn their second language the same way they learned their first – by listening, absorbing, imitating, and then trying it out.“Full immersion” means the child spends the vast majority of each day immersed in the target language. Research shows that the more time a child spends hearing and using the second language, the more fluent she will become. Partial immersion programs – where half the day is in English – do not result in nearly the same level of second language proficiency. The International School teaches a full immersion program.
Our teachers have many years of classroom experience, and they love children. Knowing that the children will not understand their spoken language at first, the teachers use their warmth, familiar activities, and visual cues to help the children understand and feel at home. For example, the teacher will pick up a scissors while saying “use your scissors” in the target language. The children quickly learn the Chinese, Japanese, or Spanish word for scissors.By the end of the first week, the children figure out that the teacher is another grown-up who loves them and happens to speak a different language.
In general, it is extremely important that the teacher uses only the second language in the immersion classroom. Speaking English may help comprehension at a particular moment, but in the long run it becomes a hindrance to learning the second language. If English is used regularly, the child will not focus on the Spanish, Chinese or Japanese instructions – he will simply wait for the English translation.On very rare occasions, if a child needs to be comforted, a teacher will take the child aside and speak softly to him in English. Issues of discipline and safety will also be handled in English as necessary.From preschool into the beginning of first grade, teachers speak to the children in the target language and expect that the children will answer in English. The children naturally use their second language as they become more comfortable with it - first with words, then sentences, then paragraphs. By second grade, the children are generally expected to use only their Spanish, Chinese or Japanese in the classroom.
Although some of our students have one or both parents who speak another language, our teachers expect that most parents do not speak the child’s target language. If and when parents are expected to help with homework, the instructions will be given in English. Parent notices and report cards are issued in English.
Many children are nervous about starting a new school, whether the program is in English or not. Your child may need some time to adjust to this new challenge. He may need more sleep than usual - an earlier bedtime often helps in the first month. By the beginning of October, every child should be over the initial adjustment and look forward to school.
Encourage you child by telling her how proud you are that she is learning Chinese, Spanish, or Japanese. Take advantage of opportunities to expose your child to the immersion language and culture outside of school. This helps her see that the language is not just something for school, but something for life.
All children will start to use their target language on their own and at their own individual pace. It is not uncommon for children to spend the first year just soaking up the second language. Their comprehension increases daily, and but they may not be ready to speak it for some time. When the children are ready to speak, it’s amazing to see how much they know.Since children at The International School learn their second language in the context of every day activities, their first words are often phrases like, “more juice please”, or “blue paper.” Because of this, it is awkward for children to be asked to “perform” for others. A request to “say something in Chinese” will seem most unnatural.Similarly, your preschooler may not understand the concept of translation. He is learning the meaning of his new language, and will start to think in his second language rather than translating his thoughts from English.Once your child shows a readiness to use his second language at home, encourage him to do so. Give him the benefit of the doubt if you are uncertain about his pronunciation or word usage.
Research on this question is both voluminous and unequivocal: studies consistently show that by the end of the elementary grades, immersion students perform as well as or better than non-immersion peers in English and math skills.Nevertheless, in the first few years of any immersion program, there may be certain lags in English language arts. However, there is significant transference of literacy skills between languages, and once formal English instruction is introduced (in first grade at TIS), children catch up quickly. All of our students in first through fifth grade participate in daily English language arts classes. By third grade the lags are generally gone, and by fifth grade the immersion students’ English skills often surpass those of their non-immersion peers.The TIS English department has a list of recommendations for parents who wish to support their child’s literacy skills at home. Please see www.intlschool.org, choose “Parent Resources,” then “English.”
Do not give in to the temptation to compare your child’s progress to that of the neighbor children. No two teachers and no two students work at the same rate.
You can get to know your child’s teacher by phone calls and personal visits. Take the time to get involved in class activities (i.e. field trips, class parties, special projects). We also encourage parents to come into the classroom and say “Hello” to the teacher when they pick up their children at the end of the day.In addition to these informal contacts, each child receives a formal progress report three times per year, and parent/teacher conferences are held twice per year and by request.
Although every child is different, an immersion program will be an exciting and stimulating experience for most children and their families. The TIS program will enable your child to fully appreciate a diverse world, and to communicate freely with people in another language. Being bilingual will enhance her job opportunities, and will make it easier to learn a third language.As you contemplate this decision, it is important to remember that your child will realize the full benefits of an immersion program by following the program all the way through fifth grade.
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