What do you think about a Japanese Immersion Public Charter in Ward 7?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here....Yes is my answer.

Great! 2 suggestions: 1) Go to the offices of the Public Charter School Board and get info/resources on the charter process, and read through the proposals submitted (public info) from other would-be founders in the last 2 years, including schools that got funded and schools that didn't (to learn from each).

2) If there are any current charters whose models you like/respect/are really interested in, reach out to their leadership and find out who you can talk to about their founding process and get advice on first steps.

Good luck! I'm not interested in a Japanese charter at all, but I support all parents/folks with a vision for what they're interested in and the will to pursue it. Good luck, and please take the advice of other PPs and research the demand in DC. Unless you are outrageously wealthy and could afford to keep the school open and funded even if you only have 9 students per grade, it would be a horrible idea to go seriously forth without making sure there is a critical mass of parents in DC who see the value in a Japanese language charter and would be committed to one before you start one.

Good luck OP!

Trust me its much harder than it seems. Especially since they aren't handing out charters anymore!

[Anonymous]

Being half Japanese, I would love a Japanese language immersion, but I don't think there's enough interest beyond folks interested in Manga/Anime. It is a difficult language, but not as difficult as some other posters here seem to think. I did not speak any Japanese going into college but reached decent proficiency with three years of study which included a semester abroad. The thing with little kids is that they will pick it up very quickly.

I do think kids might enjoy learning Japanese because of the anime/manga aspect. Who would have thought Pokemon is still so popular among kids. I think it's been around for over a decade now, and power rangers too.

Where I think Japanese could be done well is at DCI. As a second language for Chinese speakers, it would be a breeze with the writing since they would know most if not all the kanji already.

[Anonymous]

I've seen a lot of post of language choices but no reason why? Why would a child be interested in your choice. Only one mentioned that Japanese is popular with kids interested in manga and anime. For example, what would make Arabic cool for a child to stick with Arabic?

[Anonymous]

I think that my kids would be interested in Japanese or Korean, because of the K pop and J pop. They also like the anime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that my kids would be interested in Japanese or Korean, because of the K pop and J pop. They also like the anime.

So because of their interest in K/J Pop you would be happy for you child to learn their core content classes in Japanese? I get having Japanese as a language option to study just like some schools offer Spanish, French, or Chinese but as an immersion school?

[Anonymous]

I'll get to that. I just want to hear what people have to say.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've seen a lot of post of language choices but no reason why? Why would a child be interested in your choice. Only one mentioned that Japanese is popular with kids interested in manga and anime. For example, what would make Arabic cool for a child to stick with Arabic?

There are far more Arabic speakers in the world than Japanese, so I can see why a parent would opt for Arabic. That said, DD would not have chosen French, but I chose it for her. Now it's just part of her world and something she has in common with friends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let us forget about economics and politics.

As a parent East of the River that understand the problems in ward 7 & 8 schools, what would make the best language immersion choice that will inspire children to learn and stay interested? Put yourself in the child's shoes. What will make the child say I'm interested in this language?

Ward 8 parent here. I could see Spanish, Portuguese, and French on our end. Spanish is a very practical language, French and Portuguese have significant ties to other people of African descent with similar stories...I bet immersion trips to Salvador or Dakar would be nice for kids to learn about things that tie to their own history. Not to mention the music.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let us forget about economics and politics.

As a parent East of the River that understand the problems in ward 7 & 8 schools, what would make the best language immersion choice that will inspire children to learn and stay interested? Put yourself in the child's shoes. What will make the child say I'm interested in this language?

Ward 8 parent here. I could see Spanish, Portuguese, and French on our end. Spanish is a very practical language, French and Portuguese have significant ties to other people of African descent with similar stories...I bet immersion trips to Salvador or Dakar would be nice for kids to learn about things that tie to their own history. Not to mention the music.

Music is great. the best. As well as dance, and sports, as African countries are getting better in soccer. But the most important thing that I would agree is to show that black people have a much bigger culture than what is portrayed in America. The wealth of countries they helped build, in North, Central and South America, Africa and now Europe. Spanish, English, French and Portuguese culture. None of these cultures are White cultures any longer. They are White and black. Blacks in America need to take the debate from a civil rights thing and bring it to a: We have an amazing culture as well, and we are a huge part of the American culture as well.

Otherwise whites will always see themselves above black folks.

P.s. I am not black, I am just in favor of integration. full integration

[Anonymous]

If you did not choose French for DD, what choice would DD make? If she had to make a choice of a language. What would be the reason for DD's choice?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Japanese is the one of the least accessible languages in Washington DC. There are no language immersion programs east of the Anacostia River. I would love to see this happen.
Give me your opinions.

I would suggest high-demand world languages first, specifically Spanish and Mandarin. Japanese is valuable, but more esoteric.

English
French
Chinese
Arabic
Russian

These are the languages used at the UN. All interpreters must know at least three of these languages. Sounds like the best place to start.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Offering Japanese AND korean would be a draw. They are very similar. Share many similar words and sentence structure.

Yeah, maybe take a history lesson or two there--those two countries aren't exactly on the best of terms. And the languages are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. None of the words are similar and they use completely different writing systems. Japanese uses Chinese characters along with two unique Japanese writing systems.

Korean uses a much simpler system of writing than Japanese that is based on phonetics, not on memorizing characters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s already hard enough for the current language immersion schools to attract and retain teachers. Especially ones who are proficient and educated in the target language. Will Japanese be easier?

Its hard to retain teachers because they are underpaid, illegally. If you pay them, they will come.

[Anonymous]

Its hard to retain teachers because they are underpaid, illegally. If you pay them, they will come.

I know 2 fully accredited Japanese teachers in the DC area that are looking for a school change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let us forget about economics and politics.

As a parent East of the River that understand the problems in ward 7 & 8 schools, what would make the best language immersion choice that will inspire children to learn and stay interested? Put yourself in the child's shoes. What will make the child say I'm interested in this language?

Ward 8 parent here. I could see Spanish, Portuguese, and French on our end. Spanish is a very practical language, French and Portuguese have significant ties to other people of African descent with similar stories...I bet immersion trips to Salvador or Dakar would be nice for kids to learn about things that tie to their own history. Not to mention the music.

Music is great. the best. As well as dance, and sports, as African countries are getting better in soccer. But the most important thing that I would agree is to show that black people have a much bigger culture than what is portrayed in America. The wealth of countries they helped build, in North, Central and South America, Africa and now Europe. Spanish, English, French and Portuguese culture. None of these cultures are White cultures any longer. They are White and black. Blacks in America need to take the debate from a civil rights thing and bring it to a: We have an amazing culture as well, and we are a huge part of the American culture as well.

Otherwise whites will always see themselves above black folks.

P.s. I am not black, I am just in favor of integration. full integration

+1. Yes, this! So many of my friends (we're in a francophone country, but returning to our Ward 8 home) learned English through music and TV growing up.