Middle school languages by school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't be in a hurry to start 1A/1B in 6th grade. A significant number of MSs don't have enough kids sign up for level 3 in 8th grade, so those that do need to either stop language or bus to the cluster high school for first period.

Had I known that when registering for 6th grade, I'd have let my kid take a "fun" elective and start language in 7th.

Eh. earlier language learning is better for most kids' brain. of course situation could be different for students who have special/other needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it worth even attempting Chinese if a child isn't going to become functionally literate without separate classes outside of school? How much ability to read actual text (not transliteration) is built into the MCPS curricula?

I'd heard that the majority of students in these classes are native speakers which makes them very tough for a non-native.

Strange how they cater to that language with rigor, leading to more streamlined opportunity for advanced learning in HS, but leave French and Spanish without the same.

I think every language above level 2 is rigorous and many find it very tough for a non-native, be it Chinese or Spanish. This phenomenon is not limited to the Chinese language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it worth even attempting Chinese if a child isn't going to become functionally literate without separate classes outside of school? How much ability to read actual text (not transliteration) is built into the MCPS curricula?

I'd heard that the majority of students in these classes are native speakers which makes them very tough for a non-native.

Strange how they cater to that language with rigor, leading to more streamlined opportunity for advanced learning in HS, but leave French and Spanish without the same.

If "that language" is filled with native speakers, wouldn't they need to have rigor and advanced learning as opposed to a language class this is 50/50 native speakers/learning French or Spanish as a second language? Spanish for speakers of Spanish class is offered in HS. Not sure what exists for French - the natives are probably in a mixed class with non-native students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it worth even attempting Chinese if a child isn't going to become functionally literate without separate classes outside of school? How much ability to read actual text (not transliteration) is built into the MCPS curricula?

I'd heard that the majority of students in these classes are native speakers which makes them very tough for a non-native.

Strange how they cater to that language with rigor, leading to more streamlined opportunity for advanced learning in HS, but leave French and Spanish without the same.

If "that language" is filled with native speakers, wouldn't they need to have rigor and advanced learning as opposed to a language class this is 50/50 native speakers/learning French or Spanish as a second language? Spanish for speakers of Spanish class is offered in HS. Not sure what exists for French - the natives are probably in a mixed class with non-native students.

They probably want to keep “that” language open to all, as with French, so that it’s not limited to native speakers.

Classes for native speakers assumes you have a broad vocabulary and can move quicker. Not sure that this describes French or that language.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it worth even attempting Chinese if a child isn't going to become functionally literate without separate classes outside of school? How much ability to read actual text (not transliteration) is built into the MCPS curricula?

I'd heard that the majority of students in these classes are native speakers which makes them very tough for a non-native.

Strange how they cater to that language with rigor, leading to more streamlined opportunity for advanced learning in HS, but leave French and Spanish without the same.

If "that language" is filled with native speakers, wouldn't they need to have rigor and advanced learning as opposed to a language class this is 50/50 native speakers/learning French or Spanish as a second language? Spanish for speakers of Spanish class is offered in HS. Not sure what exists for French - the natives are probably in a mixed class with non-native students.

Spanish for Spanish Speakers is offered in HS, but there is nothing for French, despite a sizeable home Francophone population, with down-county concentrations, and despite the French (and Spanish) Immersion programs continuing from elementary into middle. But those MS programs lack the rigor employed in MS/HS Chinermse/Mandarin, despite high proficiency/achievement levels in the other languages, which then creates the self-reinforcing exclusionary paradigm, noted in the first two posts of this sub-thread, that tends to accrue the educational value largely to those with home/outside language instruction.

Nice boutique program, there, for "that language" for privileged elements at Hoover, especially those coming from Potomac ES (given the concerns expressed by BRES Chinese/Mandarin Immersion families who note relative difficulty with MS continuation versus those coming from PES, and given the inbounds seat reserve of PES where that does not exist at BRES or for other immersion language sites).

Don't get me wrong. Having community-serving programs is great. Having a "this for me but not for thee" paradigm for such, especially with exclusionary socioeconomic overtones, decidedly is not, and MCPS should be addressing the disparity.

[Anonymous]

Is there any way to provide input / request for another language to be taught? My kids are only in 2nd grade but zoned for NBMS and I was sort of surprised to learn how limited the second language options are. I would love for there to be Chinese primarily because of family background (and that’s the language I started taking as a foreign language back when I was in middle school many years ago…). I don’t think they’ll have much of an interest learning Spanish or French.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there any way to provide input / request for another language to be taught? My kids are only in 2nd grade but zoned for NBMS and I was sort of surprised to learn how limited the second language options are. I would love for there to be Chinese primarily because of family background (and that’s the language I started taking as a foreign language back when I was in middle school many years ago…). I don’t think they’ll have much of an interest learning Spanish or French.

There needs to be enough demand for Chinese at the school to fill the classes. That is why at most schools there is only French or Spanish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any way to provide input / request for another language to be taught? My kids are only in 2nd grade but zoned for NBMS and I was sort of surprised to learn how limited the second language options are. I would love for there to be Chinese primarily because of family background (and that’s the language I started taking as a foreign language back when I was in middle school many years ago…). I don’t think they’ll have much of an interest learning Spanish or French.

There needs to be enough demand for Chinese at the school to fill the classes. That is why at most schools there is only French or Spanish.

Right, but how do the schools measure projected demand? Is there any opportunity to voice an interest for a particular language to be offered?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any way to provide input / request for another language to be taught? My kids are only in 2nd grade but zoned for NBMS and I was sort of surprised to learn how limited the second language options are. I would love for there to be Chinese primarily because of family background (and that’s the language I started taking as a foreign language back when I was in middle school many years ago…). I don’t think they’ll have much of an interest learning Spanish or French.

There needs to be enough demand for Chinese at the school to fill the classes. That is why at most schools there is only French or Spanish.

Right, but how do the schools measure projected demand? Is there any opportunity to voice an interest for a particular language to be offered?

Reach out to the world language head in central office to find out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is there any way to provide input / request for another language to be taught? My kids are only in 2nd grade but zoned for NBMS and I was sort of surprised to learn how limited the second language options are. I would love for there to be Chinese primarily because of family background (and that’s the language I started taking as a foreign language back when I was in middle school many years ago…). I don’t think they’ll have much of an interest learning Spanish or French.

There needs to be enough demand for Chinese at the school to fill the classes. That is why at most schools there is only French or Spanish.

Right, but how do the schools measure projected demand? Is there any opportunity to voice an interest for a particular language to be offered?

Reach out to the world language head in central office to find out.

You will find, as with some but not all school operations, that central guidance is loosely followed and that central personnel have little power to effect adherence in this matter. Schools pretty much decide how they identify community interest, few do detailed engagement to touch ground, relying on impressions largely born of existing offerings and, very occasionally, to a concerted effort by a sizeable group of families; none has the resources to support more than that as any kind of priority, so those few, if any, that really engage do so with unpaid effort or by sacrificing elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

I would love to see Japanese or Italian immersion programs added in Elementary and Middle School.