Were you happy with your child's foreign language acquisition at Big 3 in elementary?

[Anonymous]

We are a bilingual (Spanish) family who pre-Covid traveled or received Spanish speaking family members at home frequently. My DD's Spanish seemed to being going okay until Covid. Our DCPS immersion PK program was not working for our family so we went private (Big 3) this year (Spanish once a week and some morning circles). While we are happy with many aspects of DD's education and overall wellbeing, her Spanish seems to continue to lag (ie not verbalizing many words or thoughts in Spanish). We just started supplementing with in person instruction outside of school but have had a hard time finding an in person program? What, if anything, did you do to supplement your child foreign language acquisition while attending non-immersion elementary private? Did your child become fluent? Please tell me I am stressing for no reason.

[Anonymous]

I think that you're overly stressing. As you already know, it is very difficult for a 2nd gen kid to become fully bilingual in parent's language. Almost all kids who have a foreign language in the house will a) understand language completely but answer in English, b) be self conscious about his/her responses bc it does not compare to native/English; and c) miss a lot of cultural cues that go with the language learning.

What you are describing sounds pretty normal to me. Our kids have had a tough time with our foreign languages because friend, school, social life all in English.

At this early age, the best thing to do is continue the reinforcement, private tutoring (if you like) and then travel to your home country as much as possible to give the full immersive experience. The latter is really where the language learning happens.

Best of luck!

[Anonymous]

You should consider sending your kid to WIS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You should consider sending your kid to WIS.

This

There are no non-immersion lower school programs in the area that will have the level of language you are looking for. You'll probably need to keep supplementing if you want to stay at Big 3. It's really a trade-off...

[Anonymous]

Try Escuela Argentina on weekends

[Anonymous]

Just to give you another option, maybe consider Waterfront Academy. It is a bilingual private - https://www.waterfrontacademy.org

[Anonymous]

OP - We did look at WIS but applied to a non-entry year and kiddo bombed the virtual playdate because she wanted to play outside with one of her friends. Se la vie. We liked a lot about WIS especially the immersion and musical instrument instruction but DH had the warm fuzzies for the school we ultimately settled on.

Escuela Argentina poster thnx for the suggestion. Very helpful!

[Anonymous]

DD has been in private since K taking Chinese, Spanish, and French. It's an introduction at best and she is in no way fluent.

[Anonymous]

Did you expect your child to become fluent with 1-2 hours of language instruction?

My kids are trilingual and “learn” Spanish at school (at a big 3). They can say a few words and understand a lot in Spanish because their other languages are also Latin languages, but they are not fluent in Spanish at all.

On the other hand, they are 100% fluent in mom’s language and almost fluent in dad’s. I only speak in my native language to them and they speak to grandparents in tht language too. My older girls often speak my native language among themselves too (maybe 50% of the time English and 50% of the time my native language). They never went to school to learn it and never took classes. We spend a lot of time in my home country and that helps

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - We did look at WIS but applied to a non-entry year and kiddo bombed the virtual playdate because she wanted to play outside with one of her friends. Se la vie. We liked a lot about WIS especially the immersion and musical instrument instruction but DH had the warm fuzzies for the school we ultimately settled on.

Escuela Argentina poster thnx for the suggestion. Very helpful!

C’est la vie.

Thank goodness you are doing Spanish and not French.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did you expect your child to become fluent with 1-2 hours of language instruction?

My kids are trilingual and “learn” Spanish at school (at a big 3). They can say a few words and understand a lot in Spanish because their other languages are also Latin languages, but they are not fluent in Spanish at all.

On the other hand, they are 100% fluent in mom’s language and almost fluent in dad’s. I only speak in my native language to them and they speak to grandparents in tht language too. My older girls often speak my native language among themselves too (maybe 50% of the time English and 50% of the time my native language). They never went to school to learn it and never took classes. We spend a lot of time in my home country and that helps

What languages?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are a bilingual (Spanish) family who pre-Covid traveled or received Spanish speaking family members at home frequently. My DD's Spanish seemed to being going okay until Covid. Our DCPS immersion PK program was not working for our family so we went private (Big 3) this year (Spanish once a week and some morning circles). While we are happy with many aspects of DD's education and overall wellbeing, her Spanish seems to continue to lag (ie not verbalizing many words or thoughts in Spanish). We just started supplementing with in person instruction outside of school but have had a hard time finding an in person program? What, if anything, did you do to supplement your child foreign language acquisition while attending non-immersion elementary private? Did your child become fluent? Please tell me I am stressing for no reason.

We own a home in France and our DC spends summers there and is exposed to French then, which he can build on with classes if he chooses. For us, the focus of his education was strength across the board: higher level science, math, classics, writing and all of the other fellowships, internships, mentorship and the alumni network his Big 3 offered- having a perfect accent, not so much.

I also think with technology moving forward there is so much rapid translation it isn't like its the 70's anymore and that the ONLY way to communicate is spend 12 years in a foreign language immersion school

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a bilingual (Spanish) family who pre-Covid traveled or received Spanish speaking family members at home frequently. My DD's Spanish seemed to being going okay until Covid. Our DCPS immersion PK program was not working for our family so we went private (Big 3) this year (Spanish once a week and some morning circles). While we are happy with many aspects of DD's education and overall wellbeing, her Spanish seems to continue to lag (ie not verbalizing many words or thoughts in Spanish). We just started supplementing with in person instruction outside of school but have had a hard time finding an in person program? What, if anything, did you do to supplement your child foreign language acquisition while attending non-immersion elementary private? Did your child become fluent? Please tell me I am stressing for no reason.

We own a home in France and our DC spends summers there and is exposed to French then, which he can build on with classes if he chooses. For us, the focus of his education was strength across the board: higher level science, math, classics, writing and all of the other fellowships, internships, mentorship and the alumni network his Big 3 offered- having a perfect accent, not so much.

I also think with technology moving forward there is so much rapid translation it isn't like its the 70's anymore and that the ONLY way to communicate is spend 12 years in a foreign language immersion school

Technology will never replace being able to read, write and think in another language.

[Anonymous]

They learn very little. Three families we know with native speakers sent the kids to the Argentine school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are a bilingual (Spanish) family who pre-Covid traveled or received Spanish speaking family members at home frequently. My DD's Spanish seemed to being going okay until Covid. Our DCPS immersion PK program was not working for our family so we went private (Big 3) this year (Spanish once a week and some morning circles). While we are happy with many aspects of DD's education and overall wellbeing, her Spanish seems to continue to lag (ie not verbalizing many words or thoughts in Spanish). We just started supplementing with in person instruction outside of school but have had a hard time finding an in person program? What, if anything, did you do to supplement your child foreign language acquisition while attending non-immersion elementary private? Did your child become fluent? Please tell me I am stressing for no reason.

We own a home in France and our DC spends summers there and is exposed to French then, which he can build on with classes if he chooses. For us, the focus of his education was strength across the board: higher level science, math, classics, writing and all of the other fellowships, internships, mentorship and the alumni network his Big 3 offered- having a perfect accent, not so much.

I also think with technology moving forward there is so much rapid translation it isn't like its the 70's anymore and that the ONLY way to communicate is spend 12 years in a foreign language immersion school

Technology will never replace being able to read, write and think in another language.

Lol, I have dozens of friends in DC who manage when in Europe whether for mergers & acquisitions, OPEC, MENA conferences or just travel. Honestly, its Spanish, French and German - not rocket science.

I wouldn't make it the focus of education above ALL else