Yu Ying - Do/Can Non-Native Kids Actually SPEAK Chinese?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You sound like the bitter one. Commentators have offered constructive criticism and thoughtful and reasonable comments on this thread. If you're that unhappy with certain posters, report them to Jeff or, better yet, stay off YY threads on DCUM.

Not a YY parent and I couldn't care less about Chinese. But I don't think any of these comments are thoughtful or constructive. It's just a weird circular repetition of demands that there be a native speaker preference, which is not something YY has control over.

[Anonymous]

Doesn't sound like you're read through most of the posts.

There were a bunch suggesting how YY could actually move to raise standards for Chinese teaching (beyond adding full immersion Pres3 4 years ago) and learning, especially by introducing and upholding standards for speaking.

It's good that YY has dropped to #5 in WL length among charters,down from #2 a few years ago. More DC parents drawn to language immersion are starting to question the way things work there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't sound like you're read through most of the posts.

There were a bunch suggesting how YY could actually move to raise standards for Chinese teaching (beyond adding full immersion Pres3 4 years ago) and learning, especially by introducing and upholding standards for speaking.

It's good that YY has dropped to #5 in WL length among charters,down from #2 a few years ago. More DC parents drawn to language immersion are starting to question the way things work there.

The common lottery also enables people to prioritize their choices versus just applying to every school. Theoretically we should see families matching better with schools across the board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't sound like you're read through most of the posts.

There were a bunch suggesting how YY could actually move to raise standards for Chinese teaching (beyond adding full immersion Pres3 4 years ago) and learning, especially by introducing and upholding standards for speaking.

It's good that YY has dropped to #5 in WL length among charters,down from #2 a few years ago. More DC parents drawn to language immersion are starting to question the way things work there.

I read that. Lots of poorly thought out non-solutions. Sorry you guys don't seem to know what you're talking about, especially when it comes to IB.

[Anonymous]

OK, so what's your solution under the circumstances? Status quo and watch the DCI advanced Chinese track students go on to nail AP and IB Diploma Standard Level examinations?

When it comes to IB what?

[Anonymous]

Not the I "read that poster." I don't see solutions on the horizon because powers that be behind the schools, and at least 90% of the parents, don't see problems with the Chinese instruction!

We were the only YY family at the 2-week Concordia MN Chinese immersion camps we enrolled DS in (twice). DS attended with kids whose immersion public schools out West had raised the money for all the kids in a certain grade to attend, e.g. 4th or 5th.

YY would rather spend parents' money on splashy trips to China (running families double what a Concordia immersion camp would have).

We didn't stay for DCI in the new building.

[Anonymous]

NP: There's just something about the tone of some of the YY critics that is so obviously about more than just asking questions about the school or naming concerns/criticisms. Some "YY kids can't speak Mandarin" posters sound like they really have something to prove, really want to convince the world that YY is no good.

This is not to say there aren't several really valid criticisms of YY or places YY could really improve. And there's nothing wrong with naming those concerns, wherever you're viewing them from.

But the whole "I can't let it go and must respond to every single positive point with negatives, some of which make no sense" and the added bizarre and ludicrous "YY parents are jealous of American-born Chinese parents" all adds up to the conclusion: some people need healthier hobbies than carrying a grudge for a school your kids haven't attended in years (if they ever attended it).

[Anonymous]

Agree, some people here need healthier hobbies, particularly you, master of thin-skinned defensiveness and thinly veiled resentment. There's something about your tone that belies real concern about how well your child(ren) actually speak Chinese after years of immersion study.

Please get more serious about the Mandarin already or give it a rest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree, some people here need healthier hobbies, particularly you, master of thin-skinned defensiveness and thinly veiled resentment. There's something about your tone that belies real concern about how well your child(ren) actually speak Chinese after years of immersion study.

Please get more serious about the Mandarin already or give it a rest.

I'm the PP you're talking to, you're funny! Can't tell if you're serious or not, but since that was my 1st post in this thread and I'm not concerned about my kids' Chinese (since they don't speak it at all), you seem to be confusing me with someone else. I'm just reporting on my takeaways after reading a few of the 24 pages of crankiness that's here. But you are funny, serious or not, so thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree, some people here need healthier hobbies, particularly you, master of thin-skinned defensiveness and thinly veiled resentment. There's something about your tone that belies real concern about how well your child(ren) actually speak Chinese after years of immersion study.

Please get more serious about the Mandarin already or give it a rest.

I'm the PP you're talking to, you're funny! Can't tell if you're serious or not, but since that was my 1st post in this thread and I'm not concerned about my kids' Chinese (since they don't speak it at all), you seem to be confusing me with someone else. I'm just reporting on my takeaways after reading a few of the 24 pages of crankiness that's here. But you are funny, serious or not, so thank you!

Agree with you PP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP: There's just something about the tone of some of the YY critics that is so obviously about more than just asking questions about the school or naming concerns/criticisms. Some "YY kids can't speak Mandarin" posters sound like they really have something to prove, really want to convince the world that YY is no good.

This is not to say there aren't several really valid criticisms of YY or places YY could really improve. And there's nothing wrong with naming those concerns, wherever you're viewing them from.

But the whole "I can't let it go and must respond to every single positive point with negatives, some of which make no sense" and the added bizarre and ludicrous "YY parents are jealous of American-born Chinese parents" all adds up to the conclusion: some people need healthier hobbies than carrying a grudge for a school your kids haven't attended in years (if they ever attended it).

Meant to cosign this post. These were my exact takeaways and my kids don't speak Chinese either.

[Anonymous]

Much indignation over tone and unpleasantness on the part of native speakers who vote with their feet while real and pressing problems stare us in the face. Best to see the forest for the trees and direct energies toward pushing DCPC to get its act together where DCI goes. Summarizing the best post on this thread, back 15 pages:

There are 3 sets of problems at DCI:

1- The school admin and teachers are not sufficiently committed to demanding appropriate non-disruptive behavior in the classroom. Motivated kids are not able to learn because the classroom has many kids who are not interested in learning and are disruptive, and are not controlled by staff. Some parents on this thread roll their eyes and find this absolutely normal, and consider that this is what diversity is. That is a problem.
2- There is no tracking in non-language subjects, which makes absolutely no sense at all, and is harmful to kids of all levels.
3- There are many students who show up in high school after nine years of language immersion and don't know how to speak the language. The immersion elementary and middle schools did not do an adequate job making their students fluent in the larger languages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Much indignation over tone and unpleasantness on the part of native speakers who vote with their feet while real and pressing problems stare us in the face. Best to see the forest for the trees and direct energies toward pushing DCPC to get its act together where DCI goes. Summarizing the best post on this thread, back 15 pages:

There are 3 sets of problems at DCI:

1- The school admin and teachers are not sufficiently committed to demanding appropriate non-disruptive behavior in the classroom. Motivated kids are not able to learn because the classroom has many kids who are not interested in learning and are disruptive, and are not controlled by staff. Some parents on this thread roll their eyes and find this absolutely normal, and consider that this is what diversity is. That is a problem.
2- There is no tracking in non-language subjects, which makes absolutely no sense at all, and is harmful to kids of all levels.
3- There are many students who show up in high school after nine years of language immersion and don't know how to speak the language. The immersion elementary and middle schools did not do an adequate job making their students fluent in the larger languages.

DCI also tracks for math in middle and high school (math is taught in English).

[Anonymous]

Yes they do, but not all that much.

English, science and social studies classes mostly serving SES Latino kids who struggle with English don't meet the needs of advanced learners. Asian "tiger parents" may be disliked, even despised, on these threads, but I'd give a lot to have a boatload of their kids at DCI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes they do, but not all that much.

English, science and social studies classes mostly serving SES Latino kids who struggle with English don't meet the needs of advanced learners. Asian "tiger parents" may be disliked, even despised, on these threads, but I'd give a lot to have a boatload of their kids at DCI.

Caveat emptor. Why did you enroll? Neither the lack of tracking nor the student poverty should have been a surprise to you.