In a recent panel of experts at an Immersion school in LA, the topics of language immersion and language acquisition were the center of the discussion. The fact that language acquisition is not only important, but also necessary for our children could not be emphasized enough and if you know me, ( a huge advocate for languages), you will know I was “En mi salsa” (Idiom in Spanish that means I felt happy diving into a topic that not only interests me but I’m passionate about). So much so, I think I didn't even blink the entire time! I truly wanted to take everything in…and I did! It’s hard to summarize the wealth of information I received, but I’ll try to do my best here:
1. Speaking another language is a very powerful thing and the best way to end class inequality (People want to turn a blind eye to this or think there’s no such a thing, but it does exist). The world is getting smaller day after day, and only those who are well equipped can help build strong bridges among cultures.
2. Our infants are the citizens of not only this country but the world. They have an amazing, intact, and well-functioning brain that continuously adapts without any awareness. The older we get, the less flexible our brains get. The key years for language acquisition are from birth to 7 years old. During those years, kids separate out information (without getting confused!!) and their “affective filter” is low. The affective filter has to do with mistake awareness and embarrassment in front of peers. If this filter is low, language acquisition is very likely to take place.
3. Immersion programs are often misunderstood. People tend to look only at school scores without realizing that the possibility of getting a good score in grades K-5th is very slim, as kids are being taught in another language and tested in English. However, as time goes by, because the intensity of the foreign language goes down (not needed anymore so much) and because the skills in one language are easily transferable to the other, kids actually outscore the kids in monolingual programs. They end up having two huge linguistic skills rather than one, not to mention the other skills they get along the way (math, reading, and problem resolution to name a few).
3. Immersion programs are often misunderstood. People tend to look only at school scores without realizing that the possibility of getting a good score in grades K-5th is very slim, as kids are being taught in another language and tested in English. However, as time goes by, because the intensity of the foreign language goes down (not needed anymore so much) and because the skills in one language are easily transferable to the other, kids actually outscore the kids in monolingual programs. They end up having two huge linguistic skills rather than one, not to mention the other skills they get along the way (math, reading, and problem resolution to name a few).
4. Last but not least…it's so beautiful to be bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural!
This information applies to any foreign language. As you know, LangoKids Irvine is an after-school immersion program. We offer Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese. You are taking a big step by deciding to bring your kids to us, however, if you know of a program that offers what we do for an entire day, that’s truly the best deal and the best thing you can do for your child! We guide you in that process too. Here is another scenario... English “is in the air”. If your child goes through an immersion program already, he’ll learn English (and how to read it and write it perfectly) no matter what! Then, why not coming to us for a third language? Kids can pick up five languages by the age of five if the right input and conditions are in place. Whatever situation you’re in, when it comes to your child’s language acquisition and learning, we are here to help!www.langokidsirvine.com
714-864-4680
Cristina G. Versteegh and the LangoKids Irvine Team
