Education

When I began this journey it was because I wanted my children to learn Chinese. I am now aware of the many types of language immersion programs that are available and continue to question which type of program is best for my children.

Dual Language Immersion:

Most of the research currently available highlights the benefits of having your child enrolled in a dual language immersion program. I have recently learned that under the umbrella of dual language immersion there are actually several types of immersion programs. These include two-way immersion, foreign language immersion, heritage language immersion and developmental bilingual programs. But most of the research praising the benefits of dual language immersion programs are actually speaking of two-way bilingual immersion programs. And most of the research primarily compares English Language Learners (e.g. native Spanish or Chinese speakers) with Native English Speakers. There is limited research available that examines the best immersion programs for African American youth.

Two-way bilingual immersion (TWBI) programs are distinct in that they group English Language Learners from a single language background in the same classroom with Native English-speaking students, instruction is provided in both English and the minority language, both groups have the opportunity to acquire proficiency in a second language while continuing to develop their native language skills and students serve as native-speaker role models for their peers. These programs are often offered in the 90/10 or 50/50 model.

Foreign Language Immersion programs are also referred to as One Way Immersion Programs. In these programsthe student population primarily consists of Native English Speakers (NES) with limited to no proficiency in the immersion language. Additionally, their exposure to the immersion language takes place primarily in the classroom and school. Finally,the immersion language may target a more commonly taught language (e.g. Spanish or French), a less commonly taught language (e.g., Korean or Mandarin), or an indigenous/heritage language (e.g. Ojibwe or Yup’ik). [source]

Heritage Language Immersion serve a student population that does not command a fluency in the language of their heritage. This is similar to the One Way Immersion model. In New Mexico, this would include the New Mexican Hispanic or Chicano student who no longer uses the Spanish language in their home environment. [source].

Bilingual Programs all use the students’ home language, in addition to English, for instruction. These programs are most easily implemented in districts with a large number of students fromt he same background. Students in bilingual programs are grouped according to their first language, and teachers must be proficient in both English and the students’ home language. The three most commonly referenced bilingual programs include:

• Early-exit bilingual programs which are designed to help children acquire the English skills required to succeed in an English-only mainstream classroom. These programs provide some initial instruction in the students’ first language, primarily for the introduction of reading, but also for clarification which is rapidly phased out with most students mainstreaded by the end of first or second grade.
• Late-exit bilingual programs allow students to remain in bilingual programs throughout elementary school and continue to receive 40% or more of their instruction in their first language, even when they have been reclassified as fluent-English-proficient.
• Two-way bilingual programs are also called developmental bilingual programs. As described previously they group English Language Learners with Native English speakers with an ideal 50/50 balance. Instruction is provided in both languages (at different times of the day). Native English Speakers and English Language Learners have the opportunity to acquire proficiency in a second language while continuing to develop their native language skills. The students serve as native-speaker role models for their peers [source].
• Developmental Bilingual Programs are similar to TWBI but they serve predominantly English Language Learners and do not require the 1/3 representation of Native English Speakers  participating in the program.

Summary:

There have been primarily two astonishing finds while learning more about the various immersion programs and the strengths and limitations of the various models. As a parent it has been very helpful in assessing and identifying the characteristics of the “type” of program that I find would be the best fit for my child. Secondly, I have come to respect and appreciate the pain staking work that has taken place in the ESL community to identify a series of best practice models to foster the best outcomes for children who are English Language Learners.

In my curiosity I found a number of articles that reference the impact of dual immersion programs on the Achievement Gap. English Language Learners and African American youth have displayed that by participating in dual language immersion programs they have been able to reduce or eliminate the Achievement Gap. But we will save that for a future discussion.

I am often asked how will I help my children learn if I don’t speak Chinese. That continues to be the most pressing concern that many parents have when deciding on a language immersion program. The Center for Applied Linguistics has identified 6 ways that parent’s can support their child’s learning if they don’t speak the language.

1.  READ!! READ!! READ!! The Center for Applied Linguistics encourages parents to read to your child daily. Research shows that the stronger the development of the native language, the greater the proficiency in the immersion language, so children who enter an immersion program with a strong base in English will succeed more easily than those whose English skills are not as strong.
2. Connect with the Teacher: This is always a great way to support your child’s learning. Communicate with your child’s teacher on a regular basis. Ask questions about your child’s academic, social and language development. Let his/her teacher know that you are interested in their education and open to learning more about your child’s progress in the classroom. Research continues to highlight the benefit of the parent/teacher relationship and this is especially true in a language immersion program.
3. Engage your child: Stay informed about what your child is learning in the classroom and engage in activities at home where they need to apply what they are learning in class. Is your child learning colors, body parts, about their community, life cycles or cooking an interesting dish. Find ways to incorporate these lessons into your daily activities as an excellent opportunity to further support your child’s learning.
4. Stay Committed: Like any new school there may be a few bumps along the way. Your child may have a difficult time understanding the teachers expectations. Your child may state that they are not making friends at school. You also may have various reservations about whether or not language immersion is the “right fit” for you and your child. Before selecting a language immersion school participate in an extensive parent orientation, ensure that you understand the nature of the school’s program and where appropriate that your child does also. Stay in contact with the administration to ensure that your questions or concerns are addressed. Frequent and close contact between the school and parents helps to maintain your commitment to the program.
5. More Reading! It benefits your child if you are well informed about immersion education. There are an unlimited number of resources available on-line for monolingual parents with students enrolled in language immersion programs. Browse the web and check out our resources for information on the latest research, tips, and tools.
6. Beyond the Classroom: Research also indicates that supporting your child’s use of the immersion language outside of the school context is a great way to enhance your child’s learning experience. This can be done by providing reading materials in the child’s immersion language. We have purchased some great videos at Ranch 99 – one is a collection of fairy tales and the other is a collection of songs. The girls enjoy both. Additionally, parents can hire a tutor or develop relationships with other parents at the school that are fluent in the immersion language and swap a few sits so your child can experience the full language experience in a home environment and you provide them with free child care every now and then.

While volunteering in classrooms is often a good way for parents to be involved in their child’s education, parents need to be careful that their volunteering efforts don’t compromise children’s use of the immersion language. Some programs designate one afternoon per week for parent volunteers, encourage volunteering during periods when English is used, or have parents volunteer their time for activities that don’t involve classroom interaction.

• BONUS TIP — Parent’s do not need to know the second language (at any level) in order for their child to succeed in an immersion program. Parental fluency is NOT a requirement!!!

We’d love to hear any additional ways that you have been able to support your child in the comments section listed below.

How do you know if your child is progressing if they are learning in a different language.

That is often the question that I am asked when others learn that my daughter is in a Chinese Immersion preschool.

Of course I had the same concerns when we initially discussed the idea of enrolling her. We had similar questions – how do I help her with her homework, how do we discuss what she’s learned in class, how will I help her if she gets behind in her coursework.

These questions became easier to answer after she was actually enrolled in the program. While this may not be the best measure this is how I’ve learned to deal with their learning curve.

We have agreed as a family (and we understand that it will be different for others). Our primary concern is that our daughter is learning to be a critical thinker and that she remains on par with her same age peers. We’ve decided to measure this by her competency displayed in her primary language – English. If in the third grade we find that our daughters are not fluent in Chinese we can deal with that. If the school agrees that they are still displaying success in the school although their fluency is behind we will not pull them out. But if we find that at the third grade they are reading at the first grade level in English we have decided that to be deal breaker for us.

In order to ensure that this does not happen we are actively involved in our child’s learning. While she has come home with assignments where she has written her name we are aware that her program is 100% Chinese and there is no discussion of the English alphabet or Arabic numerals. So we have begun working on that at home.

Here are the four best resources we have identified.

Kumon: We have purchased multiple workbooks for the girls. Many of them have not been age appropriate or involved more coloring and word games that encouraged more scribbling than skill building. Kumon workbooks have been an invaluable resource. The key I have found is to purchase two sets of workbooks. One set that is slightly below your child’s skill level so that they can complete the worksheets on their own with a sense of mastery and so that you can use that time to get a few extra tasks completed around the house. The second set of workbooks should challenge your child with new skills. While doing these worksheets you will have to be in close proximity to your child and assist them while they are completing their assignment. It is also beneficial to make copies of the blank sheets so that they have some repetition in completing the tasks to meet both goals – challenge your child and provide them with a feeling of mastery.

Bob Books: We found these books and LOVE them. Our oldest daughter is in preschool and has displayed to us that she was ready to read. We know that the school does not begin reading in English until Kinder which is more than a year away so we wanted to find a way to support her in her journey and to further her love of reading. The Bob Books have been a great addition to our library. Our daughter has learned to read and that has been further supplemented in some of the rhyming activities in her Kumon workbooks.

Flash Cards: These are everywhere. I have found great flash cards in the dollar section at Target. They have helped with rhyming words, beginning sounds and sight words. The English teacher at our school also encouraged us to make flash cards of the words that she is learning in the Bob Books. A great tip she gave is to not always ask her to find or read the word but to lay a few out and ask her to find the words that start with a specific letter or end with a certain sound. These have been really fun games for our daughter and support what she has already learned.

Bedtime Stories: The older you get and the more hectic life becomes it is often hard to read to your child every night. But don’t forget that reading to your child daily is one of the best ways to support your child’s love of reading. While you are reading check in with them to see if they can identify letters in the book, understand the plot of the story, can anticipate what is going to happen next. Encourage them to count items on the page, identify colors and discuss what’s going on with the main character. You