APS - WL IB Question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do kids feel compelled to start world languages in 7th grade in order to be in line with IB? I saw an older presentation on planning which just got me thinking.

The reality is that 7th grade is too late to be on track to score high on IBD language exams, at least at the Higher Level.

We had our kids in heritage language classes in elementary school on weekends to prepare for IB languages, then in language classes from 6th grade at Thomas Jefferson MS. We also do summer immersion camps.

Level III language classes at W-L are tougher than you might expect, particularly for Chinese and Arabic. The kids need to be in Level III in 9th grade to be on track for HL IBD languages.

What summer immersion camps?

[Anonymous]

Suggestions for learning Chinese?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do kids feel compelled to start world languages in 7th grade in order to be in line with IB? I saw an older presentation on planning which just got me thinking.

The reality is that 7th grade is too late to be on track to score high on IBD language exams, at least at the Higher Level.

We had our kids in heritage language classes in elementary school on weekends to prepare for IB languages, then in language classes from 6th grade at Thomas Jefferson MS. We also do summer immersion camps.

Level III language classes at W-L are tougher than you might expect, particularly for Chinese and Arabic. The kids need to be in Level III in 9th grade to be on track for HL IBD languages.

What summer immersion camps?

Our kid is in Mandarin III in 9th grade at W-L. Concordia Language Villages in MN, 2 weeks through the summer after 8th grade, 4 weeks for high school credit after 9th grade. LTL Mandarin Taipei, 1-6 weeks in summer with homestay option (age 15 min; you pay for a teen coordinator homestay if kid is under 18, and host families picked with teens in mind).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Suggestions for learning Chinese?

Taiwanese Mandarin School at Cabin John MS in MoCo on Sun afternoons, heritage classes for teens for extra practice (kids don't have to be ethnic Chinese to enroll, very affordable, nice community, no People's Republic propaganda in lessons.

DuoLingo; Outschool Mandarin tutors for extra practice weekly, around $45 for 45 minutes; Summer immersion, see above, vs. pricey "cultural/language" tours where kid learns little Mandarin.

[Anonymous]

There's also UVA Summer Language Institute full-time immersion for 4 or 8 weeks after 10th and/or 11th grades. Their prices are decent (discount for in-state) and HS students can attend in-person or remotely, or a combo of the two. They teach a bunch of languages. HS participants need to have good GPAs can't stay in the dorms.

https://summer.virginia.edu/summer-language-institute-sli-2024