Yu Ying Waitlist Movement

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We moved up 26 spots. So I guess since we know not all 26 will turn down spots it is unlikely we will get a spot this round. We are in a tough spot, this is our first choice school. However, we were totally shut out for all DCPS and charters where we applied. We have to commit to private school by May 31 or we are on the hook for a full year tuition. We really don't want to go this path but this school (where we are now in the 40s) is the closest we are by far (in the mid 100's and 200's for the rest). Any advice is appreciated. We at least feel lucky our best number is at our first choice.

i also think the wait list is going to move but not until lae in May at the earliest. The school is providing classroom tours to accepted families in late May and they have their spring festival in mid May. I know many families (ourselves included) are waiting for these events to make their final decisions on admission.

I know of 6 PK children who are in the "accepted" but still "figuring out what we've going to do" category---waiting on DCPS, other charters, etc. But things will move---wait lists are moving as of this week (even at JKLM and the other top charters). So some kids are getting multiple acceptances as of this past week. I many families are excited about Yu Ying but when the rubber hits the road will accept another, easier (closer to home, non-immersion, more "proven", etc) option.

I'm sorry for being vague but I don't want to identify myself or those I know. However I really feel that YuYing will likely go deep into the PK wait list when it's all said and done come September.

[Anonymous]

PP, I agree. Everyone who wants in will likely get in. People don't want to give up a spot yet but will by September.

[Anonymous]

Poster with the number in the 40s here - Thank you all for your feedback and suggestions. I really appreciate it. I am feeling more hopeful that we will get a slot. I think I will plan on calling the school the last week in May to get their input. Right now, we have no public school fall back option. We definitely would not do our inbound school. For out of bound our best number is 80s at a school where all slots were filled with sibs (so very unlikely for us to get in) then we are at best in the mid-100s for the outer DCPS and charters where we applied.

Good point to the poster for us to weigh losing a year tuition (which would be very painful) if it means getting in for a number of years. And even more so because our child has a younger sibling (so savings are doubled). More to consider.

And yes, anyone who is holding multiple slots, PLEASE, try to narrow down your choices and communicate to the schools.

[Anonymous]

LAMB just notified their wailistees, and we have to make a decision before Friday May 6th, so I expect there will be more Yu Ying waitlist movement this week.

[Anonymous]

Great info re LAMB timing. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Am I elitist?

I cannot imagine turning down Mandarin for Spanish.

[Anonymous]

Only you can answer that question! Spanish is far, far more practical than Chinese. I learned both (Spanish in high school and Chinese in university/study abroad) and definitely enjoyed both. Bilingual education is great in a lot of different way and learning any language stimulates the brain but unless I really saw my child studying or working in China, I would choose Spanish. With Spanish, there are opportunities everywhere to practice, both in DC and the fact that Spanish-speaking countries are relatively easy to travel to. One of my most vivid childhood experiences was going on a spring break exchange to my city's sister city in Mexico and living with a family who spoke no English. My confidence level soared - to find that I could not only function but thrive in a second language. My fear with Chinese is that the child would have far fewer experiences like that. It is one thing to use a language in the classroom but another in "real life." Also, in general, one will have far greater professional and personal opportunities with Spanish. Yes, Chinese is useful but having studied in China and lived in Hong Kong, I met many, many businesspeople and other foreigners doing well in both countries who had limited or no Chinese. Obviously speaking the local language is a huge advantage anywhere so of course Chinese can be extremely helpful, but mainly just in China. Unless the family is really committed to Chinese for whatever reason (connections to China, love the language, parents studied or worked there), I would choose Spanish.

[Anonymous]

Pp, well put.

[Anonymous]

I speak more than one language. My preference for learning Chinese in school is partly out of practicality because Chinese is so much harder than Spanish. In my experience, as an English-speaker, one can pick up the essentials of Spanish within a couple of semesters and a limited experience abroad is enough to confer practical fluency.

Mandarin, on the other hand, requires years of study and practice in order to attain mastery over the "tones." If you can't get this when you're young, you may never truly get it at all.

I think it's a matter of prioritization. Go after the most challenging language first, and everything else will come easy.

[Anonymous]

For me personally, this isn't about attaining practical fluency but near native/"bilingual" fluency. I think that can be much easier done with Spanish than with Chinese given the reasons I cited previously. Perhaps a couple of semesters of Spanish in college can achieve "practical" fluency (getting around as a tourist, having a basic conversation) as you cite but to me that would just a general/basic conversational level, not near native level that one could use in a variety of careers.

I found Chinese challenging for two reasons: tones (because I'm convinced I'm tone-deaf ) and reading (it takes a lot of time to memorize the characters - yes, there are radicals and history behind the characters but it does just take a lot of time). But I personally didn't find that it takes years to "master" the tones. If you have a good ear, you'll be fine. I didn't and I struggled (but I've also struggled with music; I'm convinced that's because I started lessons when I was a bit older (10)). But I was almost the only person in my class that did struggle. Also, Chinese grammar wasn't hard. So yes learning the tones at a young age (or for that matter learning a language at any age - I'm currently abroad and my daughter has picked up the local accent (in English). But I notice when she speaks to me that she speaks in a more American accent. It makes sense. They learn through mimicry so it isn't surprising that they can pick up accents, tones so effortlessly. However, the majority of the college students in my Chinese class didn't struggle with the tones like I did. Some people are blessed genetically with a better "ear" and there are other ways to train your "ear" as well (music, etc.).

Yes, you are right about prioritization. Why exactly do you want your child to learn Chinese? Or Spanish? What is your end goal?Fluency? Chinese requires a huge commitment that may not be worth the time invested if one's vision of the future doesn't include a great deal of dedication from both the parents and child. Since it is quite easy to forget languages without constant exposure, it is likely that unless there is continual exposure for many years, the child will forget the language. There is still a benefit to the brain so it won't be wasted time (not to mention the overall exposure) but perhaps it would be more productively used with another language that you know is easier to support.

I am proficient in a few languages but even though I can manage a conversation and can speak reasonably well, I don't feel comfortable using the language. So even though yes, it is possible to learn Spanish to a level of basic functionality, nothing can replace the feeling that the child will have if s/he acquires near native fluency. One can engage with the people and culture on an entirely different level.

And yes, I agree that it is about prioritization in general. Every family/child is unique with different circumstances as well as goals. There is no right answer of course because of that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Am I elitist?

I cannot imagine turning down Mandarin for Spanish.

Depends, what are you resasons? My guess would be that you are elitist simply because you implied it.

[Anonymous]

website wait list just updated. tuesday may 3. no movement in preK, the other 3 grades had slight movement

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For me personally, this isn't about attaining practical fluency but near native/"bilingual" fluency. I think that can be much easier done with Spanish than with Chinese given the reasons I cited previously. Perhaps a couple of semesters of Spanish in college can achieve "practical" fluency (getting around as a tourist, having a basic conversation) as you cite but to me that would just a general/basic conversational level, not near native level that one could use in a variety of careers.

I found Chinese challenging for two reasons: tones (because I'm convinced I'm tone-deaf ) and reading (it takes a lot of time to memorize the characters - yes, there are radicals and history behind the characters but it does just take a lot of time). But I personally didn't find that it takes years to "master" the tones. If you have a good ear, you'll be fine. I didn't and I struggled (but I've also struggled with music; I'm convinced that's because I started lessons when I was a bit older (10)). But I was almost the only person in my class that did struggle. Also, Chinese grammar wasn't hard. So yes learning the tones at a young age (or for that matter learning a language at any age - I'm currently abroad and my daughter has picked up the local accent (in English). But I notice when she speaks to me that she speaks in a more American accent. It makes sense. They learn through mimicry so it isn't surprising that they can pick up accents, tones so effortlessly. However, the majority of the college students in my Chinese class didn't struggle with the tones like I did. Some people are blessed genetically with a better "ear" and there are other ways to train your "ear" as well (music, etc)......

Thank you so much for this...I was going to create a new post asking these exact questions - we are choosing now between LAMB and Yu Ying and I keep going in circles about the marketability, utility, difficulty, etc of each language - and my kid is FOUR. We already speak spanish at home and DC is in a bilingual PS now - so I am committed to a bi or multilingual education. We keep going in circles, with people saying we would be crazy to pass up LAMB and then the exact same thing about Yu Ying. And it seems that it could be a hugely defining decision in terms of my kid's life in general. Both are going to be in new campuses, with new staff (I assume), big new classes of kids. I guess either way we can't go wrong and I am grateful that we at least have a choice, which is way more than a lot of families get in DC.

[Anonymous]

In deciding between YY and LAMB, I'd encourage you to look beyond the language, and look more broadly at the school. I passed up LAMB because I felt my child would not learn well in a Montessori classroom. I selected YY because the IB curriculum really appealled.

It wasn't so much Chinese vs. Spanish. As the whole package. I can't support either language at home, so if my child ends up learning some Chinese, great. If not, at least the benefits of an IB curriculum, engaged teachers, fellow students/parents that share culture (tiger moms or not. . .), were what decided me on YY. Even if language fluency does not result, the tonal and character work should enhance the developing brain more than a western language. Plus appreciation of the asian culture.

You may look at the 2 schools and decide that your child would thrive in Montessori, that self-directed fine motor work would be great.

Good luck deciding.

[Anonymous]

Did you pass up your LAMB spot this year or a previous year?