A: Mandarin Chinese is the language spoken by the most people in the world. U.S. citizens, by and large, have had few opportunities to learn fluency in Mandarin Chinese, which is defined by the Foreign Service Institute of the US Department of State as a Category 3 language as it is one of the most difficult to learn for native English speakers. Fluency in Mandarin requires 2200 to 2400 class hours, which can currently be found in Mandarin immersion programs. Please see this "Languages Comparison Chart."
A: According to the Center for Applied Linguistics, immersion programs are the fastest growing and most effective type of world language program currently available in U.S. Students develop proficiency in the target language by hearing and using it to learn school subjects rather than by merely studying the language itself. The goal is for students to become proficient in both English and the target language and develop increased cultural awareness and metacognitive skills while reaching a high level of academic achievement.
A: Two-way Immersion (TWI) is sometimes called: dual immersion, bilingual immersion, dual language immersion, two-way bilingual, or developmental bilingual education (a term used by the U.S. Dept. of Education). In this type of program and by the example of our school - student population consists of native English speakers, native Chinese speakers, and Chinese heritage students (whose parents use primarily Chinese in the home). A 1:1 ratio is ideally maintained for the two language groups of English speakers and Chinese speakers, but a minimum of one-third of each language group (i.e., a 2:1 ratio) is essential. An academically challenging learning environment is provided to bring children from two different language groups together to learn from and with each other in an integrated setting. Instruction through Chinese is viewed as an enrichment experience for all, not as remedial or compensatory education for the Chinese speaking students. The languages of instruction involve both English and Chinese language.
A: There are three major advantages for students of both language backgrounds, all tied to the goals of TWI education (e.g., Howard & Christian, 2002). The first advantage is that students develop full oral and reading and writing proficiency in two languages. This allows them to see their first language in a comparative perspective, which in turn helps them analyze and refine their language use (Cazabon, Lambert, & Heise-Baigorria, 2002).
A second advantage is that students not only achieve at levels that are similar to or higher than those of their peers enrolled in other programs on standardized tests of reading and math in English, but in addition they are able to read and write at grade level in another language. This in turn positively affects general academic performance.
The third advantage is attitudinal: Students in TWI programs develop very positive attitudes about students of other language and cultural backgrounds, and positive attitudes toward themselves as learners. For example, Cazabon, Lambert, & Heise-Baigorria (2002) found that TWI students showed a great deal of diversity in the friendship choices that they made, and that the dual language educational experience produced students who became comfortable with speaking the second language and interacting with members of other ethnocultural groups. In a very real sense, students in TWI programs become more self-confident because they are better prepared to engage in a global society that values multiculturalism and bilingualism. (source: www.alliance.brown.edu/pubs/twi/)
A: Among the many models of immersion programs, YHIS adopts the "90/10 two-way immersion model". Two-way immersion model integrates native English speakers and Chinese speakers and provide instructions in both languages for all students. Following the 90/10 guidelines, children of 3- and 4-year olds at YHIS are fully immersed in Chinese except for a daily circle time of 30 minutes at the 4-year-old level given by a certified English teacher. Kindergarten and 1st grade students receive instruction in English about 20% of their school time and 2nd and 3rd graders about 30%. By the end of elementary grades, the time spent in English and Chinese will be evenly split. For more information about immersion programs, please visit the Center for Applied Linguistics website at www.cal.org.
A: YHIS implements the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum framework while seeking the official authorization. The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), founded in 1968, is a prominent leader in the international education. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, it is a non-profit, mission-driven foundation working with 2,601 schools in 134 countries to develop and offer rigorous elementary, middle, and high school programs to over 707,000 students aged 3 to 19. For more information about IB, please visit IBO website at www.ibo.org.
A:At YHIS, no prior knowledge of Chinese is required of students entering pre-school (3 years old), pre-kindergarten (4 years old), and kindergarten levels. Starting in first grade, a student will need to have a basic understanding of the Chinese language in order to benefit from the rigorous and challenging bilingual curriculum in the elementary grades of YHIS.
A:There is no evidence to indicate that learning in two languages will confuse or slow a student's rate of progress. There is, however, significant research to indicate that immersion education have major advantages. For a helpful FAQ prepared by Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition, visit http://www.carla.umn.edu/immersion/FAQs.html.
A:Our programs are designed for children of English-speaking families as well as for families whose dominant language is other than English. For families where Chinese is not spoken, additional effort may be made to bring Chinese into their homes, from watching educational programs in Chinese, to participating in celebration of Chinese language and culture.
A: Parents can support students at home by making sure that they have the right environment and tools to get homework done (e.g., a quiet space and enough time, paper, dictionaries in both languages, writing utensils, and art supplies such as construction paper, paste, tape, and colored makers). Parents can also ask questions about the homework in the language spoken at home, thus giving the students opportunities to explain the assignment in their first language.
School will also provide homework support in the form of frequent communication between the teacher and the parents. The teachers also describe the topics that are being taught and provide an overview of homework assignments for the week, along with written guidance for complicated assignments (and perhaps some models of completed assignments). Teachers may also set up a class buddy system, matching an English-speaking student with a Chinese-speaking student. If your child stays for the after-school program, homework support is also provided there on a daily basis.
A: Although the amount of English instruction in the beginning years of this immersion program is relatively low, students do learn English from a variety of channels because we live in a place where English is the dominant language. For most of the immersion students, English remains their native or first language throughout this learning process.
A: Parents often ask if the teacher slips in a word or sentence in English in the immersion classroom. On rare occasions, if a child becomes very emotional and needs to be comforted, it can be done in English by taking the child aside and speaking softly to him or her. But as a rule, it is extremely important that only the target language is used in the immersion classroom. Speaking English may help comprehension at a particular moment, but in the long run, it becomes a hindrance to learning the target language because the child may constantly feel a need to have a translation of everything said. If English is used in the classroom, the child will wait for the English and will not focus on the target language instructions being given by the teacher.
A: For our regular school-year program, children of 3- and 4-year olds can choose from full-day (9 am - 3:30 pm) and half-day (9 am - 12:30 pm) schedules. Children of kindergarten and up are required to attend school 5 full days, with the options of before- and after-school care. We offer a 10-week Chinese immersion summer camp every year, and daily after-school program is also available.
A: There are many useful resources online that can help answer questions you may have.
You may start with the FAQ prepared by Language Immersion Education Research, Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA): http://www.carla.umn.edu/immersion/FAQs.html
The "Two-way Immersion Toolkit" prepared by Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL): http://www.cal.org/twi/toolkit/index.htm
