A few days ago, a letter came to the house from my sons’
school. They were writing to inform me of their intention
to introduce a Language Immersion program at the
Kindergarten level. The five-year-olds will be taught
entirely in Chinese for half of the school day.
Needless to say, I was very excited; my baby Isaiah
started Kindergarten in the Fall...(Isn't he adorable?)
Here in Florida the Fall semester begun in late August.
We are the first elementary school in the entire state
to offer Chinese as an Immersion language.
Why Immersion?
“Immersion programs are the fastest growing and most
effective type of foreign language program currently
available in U.S schools. Most immersion students can
be expected to reach higher levels of second language
proficiency than students in other school-based language
programs.
Becoming bilingual opens the door to communication with
more people in more places, and more parents want to
provide children with skills tointeract competently in an
increasingly interdependent world community.”
-Eric Digest
Why Chinese?
“Earlier this year Rep.Rush Holt of New Jersey introduced
legislation calling for increased funding of programs for less
commonly taught languages. “For reasons of economics,
culture and security we should have much better facility
with Chinese languages and dialect,” he says.
The State Department has designated Chinese a “critical
language” but the most recent data show that only
24,000 students in grades 7 to 12 study Chinese, a
language spoken by 1.3 billion people worldwide.
-Newsweek…World News
The school administration held an informational meeting
last Thursday for parents interested in enrolling their kids
in either program. As the program requirements were laid
out to us, I heard disheartened groans and looked around
the room at a sea of disappointed faces.
You see, the program requires a family commitment. We the
parents have to become fully involved and learn the language
also! How else will be able to help our children with their
homework? This was something none of us had taken into
consideration.
The vast majority of parents in attendance are two income
families working outside of the home and cannot possibly
take advantage of the awesome opportunity of free lessons
offered by the school twice per week.
Even as their faces clouded over, I felt a huge smile burst
upon mine. Because of my decision to start building a home
based business three years ago and the action steps I took
to fully automate my business, I enjoy total freedom in my
personal life.
I enjoy the FLEXIBILITY that 95% of parents cannot. I can
sit in my son’s classroom all day if I so desire. My business
affords me the FREEDOM to do everything with my sons…
including learning Mandarin Chinese! Isn't life GRAND!!!
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Be REMARKABLE!
Sharon Mayers
"The richest people in the world look for and build networks;
everyone else looks for work". --Robert T. Kiyosaki, Author, "Rich Dad,Poor Dad"
2 comments:
I agree about Chinese being taught. I am learning Japanese and feel slightly annoyed that my cousins, who live in Australia were given the option of Japanese as a standard highschool subject. Why not here in the UK? Why not in America...??
Anyway, wishing you a great 2008
;->...
from
Gledwood
"Vol 2"...
I am not sure why "non-traditional"
foreign languages are not offered at least as an elective in schools here in America. It's only within the past two to three years that we have been offered an opportunity to expose our kids to Chinese here in the US...and I am very grateful that it is being offered here at Palm Bay Academy. Have a wonderful and safe New Year!
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