Dear Parents,
Because we have partnered with add.a.lingua, we receive information and support about immersion education. Whenever possible we want to pass what we learn from them on to you. Over the next few weeks, we will send you emails regarding some common misconceptions about immersion education. Our desire is to offer you and your children the best school experience. Happy Reading!
Misconception #1:
Myth: Our children cannot tell us what they are learning when they come home from school; therefore they must not be learning anything.
Fact: Because immersion students acquire their second language in a similar way in which children acquire their first language, they move through well-researched stages of acquisition. Remember, just because toddlers just learning to speak cannot verbalize what they are experiencing and learning, it does NOT mean they are not learning. Immersion students take in the meaning of their second language through classroom content and meaningful interaction with their teacher. They are not learning Spanish by translation, but rather through communication – making connections with a concept through USE of the language. Preschool students may not be able to directly translate that a “cuadrado azúl” is a “blue square,” but they can point to the object when their teacher asks them to in Spanish! So, remember, just because your student cannot tell you exactly what they are learning about at school, they ARE INDEED LEARNING ALL the same content as their peers in the traditional program! We’re explaining, because they are not yet able to.
Misconception #2:
Myth: Struggling learners (children with ADD, dyslexia, etc.) should NOT be in an immersion program.
Fact: Unless there is a severe auditory processing disorder, ALL types of students can be successful in an immersion program. Traditionally in the United States, the education system has begun Foreign Language instruction in high school. This type of Foreign Language instruction in which students were learning ABOUT a second language was typically reserved for those following a college track and therefore successful academically. Immersion education, however, seeks to give students the opportunity to learn not only about language but also through language in a situation more like that of first language acquisition. The fact that immersion students learn content through a second language does NOT ultimately impact their academic success. A student who struggles will do so in a traditional or immersion program. Ultimate, though, the struggling learner who remains in an immersion program will be bilingual.
