Pursuing Bilingualism: Immersion vs. Non-Immersion


http://miparentscouncil.org/full-mandarin-immersion-school-list/[/caption] Whether you are a school administrator or a parent, how do you decide what type of Chinese program is best for your school or children? Would you prefer an immersion program or a non-immersion program? What are some challenges that school administrators face when starting a Chinese immersion program? Immersion vs. Non-immersion Non-immersion programs are typically world language classrooms that meet a few times a week and focuses on the foreign language as a single subject that is separate from the main curriculum. This is different from immersion programs that integrate learning the language through various content areas. The language becomes the tool for learning other subjects. There are currently two main types of immersion programs: one-way (focus on learning the target language, in our case, Chinese) and two-way (focus on learning both English and Chinese). Asia Society's latest study suggests that language immersion programs have many advantages compared to non-immersion programs, including academic achievement, language and literacy development, and cognitive skills. Intercultural competence and multilingualism are also considered valuable in creating multiple pathways to employment possibilities. In addition, learning another language at an early age is also facilitative to the development of native-like language proficiency. Thus, more and more US schools are offering Chinese immersion programs to young learners, meeting the need of 21st century learners and cultivating a new generation of global citizens. Challenges Starting a Chinese immersion program is not an easy task. An article from CARLA website written by Mary Patterson, the Principal of Woodstock Elementary School in Portland, Oregon, showed top concerns in the refinement of a Mandarin immersion program: ”What are the language forms and functions that will be taught at each grade level? What is the related vocabulary? How will this be articulated across the grade levels?” Other concerns are related to the balance of language and content, alignment to national or state standards, curriculum design and relevant resources. The chart below is a demonstration of the challenges that a school administrator is faced with when starting a Chinese immersion program.

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