Does anyone have language immersion regrets?
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Anonymous
Yes, Mandarin and French immersion is kind of goofy in DC if you don't have a strong connection to one of those languages or cultures. |
Anonymous
Agreed. There are private options for French immersion, though. Not sure about Mandarin; I’ve only heard of that new school, Whittle. |
Anonymous
I regret spending middle school, high school, and some college learning French now that my kids are in a Spanish language charter. I wouldn't be fluent still but would be able to talk with teachers and understand PTA meetings (before they translate into English). French was fun but I didn't use it enough to remember it well. I was worried about my kid this year ... started in PreK4 instead of PreK3 like most the class and no Spanish speaking adults at home, unlike most their class. But all a sudden, after winter break, he is using much more Spanish vocab. Hopefully the teachers will report understanding better too. Regardless, we will do Spanish summer camp and supplement as necessary. Right now we just require any TV time to be in Spanish or that he watch the same show first in Spanish and then English. In terms of regret, even with my worries, I have none. Cognitively he's made huge leaps this year, doesn't mind when he can't understand something, and we love the school. Love love it. |
Anonymous
Oh, for the love of all things. Don’t let your own agenda get in the way of facts. I assume you are responding to me, though I never said anything about my child’s proficiency. We do have Chinese-speaking friends, in fact, one of my dearest friends and oldest colleagues is Chinese and I have been to China many times for work. I have taken my kid with me twice with this friend, since our children are friends. She is the one who hooked us up with our tutor, as she is very involved with a heritage school in Rockville (her kids are MCPS). I know my kid speaks okay, not great, Chinese. We are not sure if we will continue with DCI as my kid has other strengths and we have always planned on private school for HS. However, I have zero regrets about YY—as I mentioned before it’s a great little school and has given us a wonderful education. Sometimes elementary school is just elementary school, you know? It’s not necessary to freak out too much. PS my friend has some very funny insights into the Chinese community and the entrenched hatred toward YY that I do not have permission to share. Suffice it to say that I am not in any way delusional. Cheers! |
Anonymous
+1. If we moved for a few years to Mexico or Spain or wherever, and we put our kids in the local schools, no one would say how terrible that is for our kids because we have no intention of living in Mexico, Spain, et al for the rest of our lives. People would say, "Oh what a great experience for them." |
Anonymous
Trust me, they don't. But that's ok, they're only in PK. They get the gist because that's how it works. They may know one word, and respond to the gesture and expressions and tone. But that is how language is slowly acquired. It's not a problem although don't assume they really understand each and every word. |
Anonymous
I don't think I'm the PP you're responding to either. Don't have permission to share, please. The Metro area bilingual Chinese community doesn't hate YY - waste of time. The way the program runs make it irrelevant to immigrants and ABCs whose families speak Chinese at home. These families focus on taking advantage of strong MoCo ES academics, especially "compacted math," and MS and HS Mandarin with dialect transition support. The heritage school people who've heard of YY (like us) tend to know that the program doesn't attract bilingual admins or students, but does draw a really small number of Chinese-speaking parents. They also know that YY has no interest in developing ties w/the ethnic community and their heritage programs. Enough said. |
Anonymous
What you’re conveniently forgetting is that you’re not contributing anything back to the community. All you gringos with a few years of Spanish or French or whatever under your belt don’t remember is that there are parents whose kids really do speak that target language. And due to regulations imposed by Congress, our kids don’t get any preference at all. I really don’t care so much when I see parents trying hard and getting tutors or traveling to improve language skills (and starting at PK3). However, parents like the two PPs have low expectations and prevent the class from really achieving biliteracy, because they’re struggling with the remedial skills of your English speaking kids, really really bother me. I feel that schools should make parents sign a contract saying they will learn the target language also, and that they will do everything they can to support the language. Also, if you’re at an immersion school, you should be volunteering or donating money or doing what you can to help the immigrant community that is helping to educate your kids. |
Anonymous
PP- you’re right. Parents who put their kids in Yu Ying should give back to the ethnic Chinese community here. Couldn’t agree more. |
Anonymous
I do feel it's really unfortunate that there is no preference for at least ELL and language dominant for these schools. Not sure about signing a contract, but it is a little offensive when parents are so blase about the language part yet they are in essence taking a spot from a speaker of that language who really needs the school. |
Anonymous
I am one of the prior posters, and I assure you we are not blade about the language part. Not sure why you think that from my post. The whole reason we are in the program is that we think learning a second language is very important. And maybe my child will someday use those skills to 'give back to the community,' as you suggest. It's more likely than if he were not learning a language. I really can't understand why people get upset at other's desire to learn to communicate with people outside of their native language. Isn't it a good thing?? |
Anonymous
| Just ignore the hate, pp. It is weird how angry people get when a white (or black) kid learns a second language. Some of us don't have the means to hire tutors and travel to other countries. I know I don't ans neither do many of the kids in my DD's class. So I guess some of you would be happy to take away the opportunity for our kids to learn another language and give it to "someone more deserving". I can't tell if this is sour grapes or hatred or something else. |
Anonymous
NP. For those of you who speak a second language spoken by your family, or have parents or grandparents who speak the language whatever it might be. I have a question for you guys in response to the post above. Would you enroll your kid in an "immersion" program built around your family's language where senior admins don't speak the language? Where there are a handful of children, of hundreds, who primarily speak the language in the home? Where the school doesn't connect with the ethnic bilingual community in this Metro area? My family speaks Italian and I'm going to have say NO to a half-baked Italian immersion charter for my children if one gets set up in this city, however desperate I might get for a good public school. Sounds like most of you would say YES. That's your choice. But is it a good thing? Not in MHO. Way too much is getting lost in translation some of our current "immersion" charters. |
Anonymous
| Oh FFS. Do you want to insist that every parent who enrolls their kid in Reggio Emilia promise to give back to the arts community or only enroll kids who are going to study art through college and beyond? Nobody knows what our PK3 kids are going to be good at or what path our families are going to take. Get over yourselves. |
Anonymous
| I’m very happy with our DS’s Spanish immersion program. They are taught (and talk) in Spanish all day, he is reading in Spanish at grade level, and doing age appropriate writing in Spanish. Out neighbor is Spanish speaking and they have conversations in Spanish. Great program. |