- Immersion Being Seen More Often in US Classrooms - Dave mcmt
According to the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), the number of foreign language immersion programs available in the United States has grown from one in 1962 to over 300 available in 2010. Consequently, such programs are among the fastest growing foreign language curriculums available in U.S. schools. Modeled after Canadian French immersion programs developed in the 1960s, immersion programs are based upon the idea of teaching at least half of a child's school subjects completely in a foreign language. CAL divides U.S. immersion programs into three categories:
- Total immersion
- Partial immersion
- Two-way immersion
Types of Immersion Programs
In total (or full) immersion programs, teachers use no English at all in early grades. As stated by Diane Tedick and Tara Fortune in their August 2003 article "What Parents Want to Know about Foreign Language Immersion Programs," found in the Education Resource Information Center (ERIC) Digest, it is not until the second grade that teachers introduce English language arts and reading, typically for one period a day. Courses and instruction in English increase in upper grades.
Partial immersion programs are characterized by a school day being divided equally between English and the immersion language. This occurs throughout the elementary grades.
Two-way immersion programs are divided between English and a non-English language, with equal emphasis on both. Also, in these programs, one to two-thirds of the students are native speakers of the non-English language.
Goal of Immersion Programs
In today's increasingly interdependent global society, there are few educators who would deny the importance of learning a second language. In immersion programs the goal is to provide students with an education that supports academic and linguistic development in two languages. It is through this education that students are also expected to develop a better appreciation of their own cultures. As Tedick and Fortune state, "One of the key principles of immersion education is that linguistic and cultural knowledge is a resource– the more you know, the better off you are."
Languages typically seen in U.S. immersion programs include Spanish, French, and Cantonese. Research published on the CAL website indicates that the immersion experience also results in enhanced English development.
Benefits of Immersion
As stated previously, a growing global market makes being bilingual an important commodity and "opens the door to communication with more people in more places...," according to Tedick and Fortune. However, in addition to the social and economic benefits associated with being a bilingual speaker, studies have shown that immersion students also benefit cognitively, and due to the nature of subjects being taught in a foreign language, students are forced to "pay closer attention and think harder."
Parents may fear that early grades being taught solely in a foreign language may result in hindered English development. Tedick and Fortune address this by observing that while a child's English development may lag temporarily in reading and spelling, this discrepancy disappears in later grades once instruction in English language arts is provided. Immersion educators also stress the importance of consistent exposure to English at home and in daily life outside of school.
Growth of Immersion
Immersion programs have grown consistently in number and availability in recent decades. With the need for bilingual speakers continuing to grow in today's workforce, it is reasonable to assume that such programs in their various forms will continue to increase in number as parents seek to provide their children with every opportunity for success.
Kelsey Anderson - Kelsey Anderson is a stay-at-home mother of two, who has done everything from retail sales management, to substitute teaching, to law ...
