MOCO no foreign language for Elementary School

[Anonymous]

Thoughts on this? Seems odd in a time when there is so much emphasis on early foreign language instruction. We are comparing private with public in our area (Seven Locks Elem) and this is standing out as a big negative. How do other Mont. County parents handle foreign language instruction with their elem. school aged kids? Thanks in advance. (BTW I noticed the Fairfax CO has fairly vibrant instruction for the grade school crowd)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thoughts on this? Seems odd in a time when there is so much emphasis on early foreign language instruction. We are comparing private with public in our area (Seven Locks Elem) and this is standing out as a big negative. How do other Mont. County parents handle foreign language instruction with their elem. school aged kids? Thanks in advance. (BTW I noticed the Fairfax CO has fairly vibrant instruction for the grade school crowd)

Hello Poster,

I don't have an answer for you. I am in your same position, -- trying to decide b/w private and public. My DS would also go to Seven Locks under the new boundary plan (assuming options 3 or 4 are adopted). What do you know about the school? (I know it is scheduled for renovation, to be completed in 2012). Looking for info on teachers, PTA, etc.

Also, do you mind me asking which privates you are considering? The language issue also concerns me. We are currently assigned to Potomac Elementary, which has a fantastic Chinese immersion program. But I was horrified at the facilities and was so happy that we are being reassigned, but now realize that we are giving up a good language program.

Thanks

[Anonymous]

I'm not OP but I believe that the Potomac Chinese program is by lottery and there are tons of applicants so there was only a slim chance you would have gotten into it.

[Anonymous]

OP, look at Jabberu (expensive) or Rosetta Stone's home school edition, which is quite good.

[Anonymous]

This can't be right, can it?

Can someone give me some context for the original post? It makes it sound as if MoCo has decided that there will not be any foreign language classes in any elementary school (although then another poster talks about a Chinese immersion program, so it can't be both, right?)

Whatever happened to FLES? Is this program not offered? Is the OP hoping for school-day instruction? Do the before and after school "bonus" programs still exist?

[Anonymous]

There are immersion programs in various schools, but 1) the lotteries are quite popular, so it's not easy to get in; and 2) the schools are scattered all over MoCo, so you have to decide how far is too far for your kid to travel each day.

Apart from the immersion programs, my understanding is that foreign language is not part of the official curriculum in elementary schools (and therefore, as far as I can tell, is not taught during the school day). On the other hand, I think many schools have after school programs where spanish is one offering.

It's something that bothers me too, but it doesn't seem likely to change soon. (Although, note, I think some private schools start foreign language in 5th grade).

[Anonymous]

7:52 poster mentions the FLES program which is available in many of the MoCo public elementaries I visited in th e Bethesda/CC area. BUT, FLES is not part of official MoCo curriculum during the school day? FLES is usually a before school language class program that takes place 1-3 days a week. It may not always be before school -- I have seen some schools ask for it in the afternoons, but don't know any who do it that way at the moment (only seen a limited # of schools). Varies by school what languages they teach.

FLES is totally different level of class than immersion, but IMO it's better than no language at all at early age.

[Anonymous]

FLES is a good program in theory. My daughter took a one-day-a-week morning class for French. I don't think that it did anything more than just slightly reinforce the French we speak at home. I thought it would do good to have a 'classroom' experience for grammar, learning tense and so forth but when I audited a couple of the classes it just seemed too lax in instruction. Nothing formal, no insistence on the absense of English during class. For the $180 bucks, it was not a waste of money, but not the best use either!

Immersion is the best way to go, but you cannot get that in Mont. Co. public schools.

[Anonymous]

My understanding was that there are several immersion language programs in MoCo -- Maryvale (FR), Sligo Creek (FR), and Rock Creek Forest (SP) come to mind, as well as a Chinese immersion program in Potomac. These are application/lottery programs.

It is not true that you can't get immersion in MoCo. See http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/elementary/index.shtm for a complete list.