Do students at immersion become fluent?

[Anonymous]

How many kids that have support at home (camps, online tool/ buy non language speakers) really become fluent in the target language? Specifically Spanish. How many DCI students that have been at immersion since PK or so are fluent? Or are they more conversational?

[Anonymous]

Oh come on, PP. A little logic would go a long way here.

Kids can't become fluent in languages by studying them in DC public language immersion programs half the time they are at school. They can't even do this at Oyster, where around half the kids speak Spanish at home, let alone in programs where a much lower percentage of the kids are native speakers (e.g. MV or Lamb).

Unless an adult in the home speaks the language to the child, and requires him or her to consistently answer in the language in return, the kid won't become fluent by attending a DC public language immersion program. Families where adults don't speak the language who host au pairs who do speak the language for years and years are the ones where the kid comes out fluent. Period.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh come on, PP. A little logic would go a long way here.

Kids can't become fluent in languages by studying them in DC public language immersion programs half the time they are at school. They can't even do this at Oyster, where around half the kids speak Spanish at home, let alone in programs where a much lower percentage of the kids are native speakers (e.g. MV or Lamb).

I think you don't understand what fluency really means. It does not mean native or even near-native proficiency. Oral fluency generally means being able to communicate in the language well, without resorting to repetition, false starts, or fragmentation. It does not mean you have perfect grammar. Nearly every kid who attends Oyster from K-8 will be fully fluent in Spanish, even if they have no additional native speakers or supplements at home. This is likely true for nearly every kid who attends any other DC Spanish immersion school from PK-5. Obviously if your child only attends for a year or two, that may not be the case.

[Anonymous]

There are very few students at DCI who are fluent.

[Anonymous]

There are very few kids at oyster who are fluent.

[Anonymous]

Are some programs stronger than others? DD just got into DCI French.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are some programs stronger than others? DD just got into DCI French.

The French program is the smallest and gets the least attention from admin. The experience really depends on what teachers your child gets and the students in the classes. It’s really hit or miss, unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh come on, PP. A little logic would go a long way here.

Kids can't become fluent in languages by studying them in DC public language immersion programs half the time they are at school. They can't even do this at Oyster, where around half the kids speak Spanish at home, let alone in programs where a much lower percentage of the kids are native speakers (e.g. MV or Lamb).

I think you don't understand what fluency really means. It does not mean native or even near-native proficiency. Oral fluency generally means being able to communicate in the language well, without resorting to repetition, false starts, or fragmentation. It does not mean you have perfect grammar. Nearly every kid who attends Oyster from K-8 will be fully fluent in Spanish, even if they have no additional native speakers or supplements at home. This is likely true for nearly every kid who attends any other DC Spanish immersion school from PK-5. Obviously if your child only attends for a year or two, that may not be the case.

No, I don't think you understand what fluency means. What you're describing is clearly language proficiency, not fluency. Definitely not.

[Anonymous]

Only fluent if parents can support it at home or through a ton of tutoring and extracurriculars. Fluency is achieved when the language un/subconsciously (automatically) erupts from the psyche. That won't happen in a 25-50% immersion school setting.