Moving to VA - Mandarin enough in Chesterbrook / Shrevewood and Longfellow / Kilmer schools ?
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yonster
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Hello helpful moms and dads,
We are heading to VA this summer in time for next school year in Fall 2015. We have children who have been learning Mandarin regularly for the last few years and we would like to continue after we move. I have 3 kiddos who will in the upper elementary grades. 3,5,6 grades. My two younger ones are currently in a advance math "track" My main question is... Is mandarin offered in Chesterbrook or Shrevewood and the middle school enough? Did the school test the students to put them in a proper level? Do you have supplemental outside lessons to keep up with the language? Currenly our school has 2 - 30minutes lessons so we supplement it with 2-1 hour lessons 1:2 private lesson. I just feel with laguage you need a lot of exposure... (ps we, the parents, do not speak mandarin) If you are supplementing, can you let me knwo where you are taking them or who you are using? Thanks!!!!! |
Anonymous
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According to the FCPS website
"The FCPS FLES model develops students' language proficiency by providing language instruction that supports the concepts taught in the subject areas at the respective grade level. Generally, programs have 30 minutes of instruction two to three times per week, which is articulated through middle and high school. FCPS FLES model is based on the research that shows that students are not only able to learn but are also highly engaged in learning content through the target language. In addition, the culture of the target language is integrated into instruction." I don't how it is done in practice. The oldest kids in the program are in MS now and haven't hit HS. Longfellow currently offers Chinese, but only to Chesterbrook matriculating students. I don't know if they plan to expand that. I know McLean HS is aware of them and plans to offer Chinese as a foreign language. German is the most likely to be dropped as Longfellow already dropped it a few years ago. |
Anonymous
| I had a child in Mandarin FLES. It's only a couple days a week so they don't learn that much. It sounds like your child might be ahead if you've had outside tutoring. I'm not positive, but I don't think our school had anything extra for the kids that were ahead (which one of my child's friends was). You might call the school before you make a decision based on Mandarin being at the school. It might be easier to have your child just learn Mandarin outside of school. |
Anonymous
There is no differentiation in FLES. Kids are learning Chinese as it relates to their lessons. It's twice a week for either 30 or 45 minutes so not a lot. I believe most of the class is taught in Mandarin though so a child who knew more could probably pick up more words being said. |
Anonymous
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The FLES program in only about an hour twice a week. You might want to look into Northern Virginia Chinese School for supplementation.
After elementary, Kilmer offers Mandarin and Marshall has a "Chinese academy" program offering courses all the way through high school. |
yonster
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This is OP, Thank you for your comments and help.
So the best option for me is to choose a best school then just supplement with outside mandarin? I feel like more exposure the better. I'm looking around rent/buy and the area for Chesterbrook is quite small and is very limited and expensive. I might consider other McLean schools (or even oakton/vienna) if I can get a good outside mandarin program. Can anyone recommend me?? Is the "northern virginia chinese school" the only other option other then private tutoring which I can't afford in the states ($75/hr a norm???) Thank you all, you are all so helpful! |
Anonymous
Are you Chinese? What's the point of learning Mandarin in elementary schools, otherwise? It's not a very useful language unless you think your children will some day live in China... |
yonster
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Nope not Chinese. Korean American actually but we've been living in ASia for the past 11 years and everywhere we go we hear Chinese. EVERYWHERE. I want to give my kids the option to be whereever they want when they are in their career stage. Learning one of the most difficult language would be something that's easier to acquire at the earlier age and I don't want them to lose what they have already. It's more of a maintenance. They have an understanding of Korean and can read Korean slowly as well. Chinese is something we picked up on the side and was able to continue very cheaply so we definietly want to keep it up. As my kids are third culture kids, there's a higher chance they will roam around and not stay put in one place... Thanks for your comment. |
Anonymous
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Chinese mom here.
I'd suggest you check out local chinese schools, which are usually held in weekends. There are actually many in this area. For example, hope chinese school offered at various locations in northern virginia and the nearest one for you may be at fairfax. Mandarin lessons are offered at different levels for both native speakers and those as second language. The tuition is cheap like <200 dollar per semester plus you can register other classes such as math, writing, public speaking, tennis, basketball, chess, violin, drawing etc. Good luck. |
Anonymous
This. Find a good Chinese school that fits with your kids (and your) learning level and abilities. There are tons in the close in Maryland suburbs (Rockville, Gaithersburg, etc.) and there are a number in Fairfax county. I've found that the MD ones are older, more developed and have fractured into serving different demographics while the VA ones are more recently established schools that serve a narrower demographic. That is to say in MD you can find schools that teach Taiwanese chinese (!) to ones that cater to native speakers (or those who speak Chinese in the home) to ones that cater to children of ABC parents (who have pretty low levels of Chinese themselves) and children who come from non-Chinese American households. Our kids go to Rockville Chinese School and I would put it into the ABC/Non-Chinese American demographic as its raison d'etre. About 1/3 of the kids in the first level class (kindergarten) come from non-Chinese American households. We also attended Hope Chinese School in Annandale and sensed that it catered to native Chinese speakers and more recent mainlander immigrants - the skill level was way to high for our kids to keep up with. |
Anonymous
Do you speak Chinese at home? Do you guys live in one of these mandarin laguage elementary schools districts? Do you think once a week is good enough to maintain mandarin? It's either I spend 4000 on rent in McLean and send them to mandarin program elementary school or spend a bit less in oakton or Vienna and send them to the Chinese school on the weekend. Or I live in McLean and do both. That's hard core mandarin upkeep! |