Email sent to all 90 Oregon legislators on 6/15/09:
Utah is moving ahead with foreign language
immersion programs. I know proposals in the current Oregon legislative session
to expand Mandarin programs and to create a Go Global High School Study Abroad
Program for Oregon students are, unfortunately, dead in committee. But other
states are moving ahead. Here is a recent article from the Salt Lake Tribune
(in full) (here):
Gov. Jon Huntsman's
appointment as ambassador to China isn't Utah's only Far East bragging right.
We have the nation's
highest percentage of public-school students studying Mandarin, mostly at the
high-school level. And now Mandarin is trickling into elementary schools,
securing Utah's leadership role and signaling a renewed focus on bilingual
education, say state education officials.
"Dual
immersion" programs in Mandarin, French and Spanish are coming to 21
elementary schools next year. As the name implies, students at those schools
will spend half of every school day immersed in a world language, learning
math, science and social studies. Reading and language arts are taught in
English.
It's a program that
"teaches the regular, core curriculum through the medium of a second
language," said Gregg Roberts, state world-language specialist.
Students start young, in
the first grade, which 40 years of research shows is the best way to gain
proficiency in any language.
"It also happens to
be the least expensive," said Roberts, noting the only costs associated
with the program are for supplies and up-front teacher training.
By the sixth grade,
students will be "bilingual, biliterate and bicultural," said
Roberts.
Learning
a second language is no longer something people do for pleasure or travel. It's
a must for those hoping to compete in the global marketplace, said Sen. Howard
Stephenson, R-Draper, who believes Utah's predominance in Mandarin will bring
new jobs and business opportunities to the state.
The Draper Republican
carried legislation last year to expand dual-immersion offerings.
This year, about 3,500
Utah students were learning Mandarin, said Stephenson. By next year, that
number will reach 6,000.
French and Spanish are
equally popular and important, said Roberts.
There are 55 countries
on five continents where French is used regularly for business, including
Canada. And Spanish programs have the added benefit of bringing native Spanish
and English speakers together to bridge cultures and learning styles, said
Roberts.
America is behind the
rest of the world when it comes to bilingualism, with only 9 percent of the population
reporting fluency in a second language, compared with 52 percent of Europeans,
according to a research review by University of Wisconsin professor Francois
Victor Tochon.
English is spoken by
about 15 percent of the world's population, but its "postulated
ubiquity" is a "myth," writes Tochon. "On average,
bilinguals earn more in the United States and, more recently, in the United
Kingdom."
There are also cognitive
and academic benefits.
"It's just amazing.
My daughter has learned math in Spanish," said Nate Alder, president of
the Utah State Bar and member of the school community council at William Penn
Elementary in Millcreek Township.
William Penn and other
schools in Granite School District were dual-immersion pilot sites.
Alder said initially,
some parents were nervous about their kids falling behind in reading and math.
But two years of test scores show students in the program are on par or a few
points ahead of their peers.
Learning a second
language keeps gifted learners engaged and sparks a fire in others, believes
Alder, who says before the program his 7-year-old daughter was a reluctant
reader. "Now she reads both English and Spanish books for pleasure.
Spanish is her thing."
Doing dual immersion
right takes trained teachers and a watchful eye over the curriculum to ensure
that once students achieve proficiency, they don't lose ground.
After elementary school,
students are encouraged to continue language instruction and take the AP exam
in the ninth grade, said Roberts. Time in high school can be used to begin a
third language.
Nationwide, there's a
shortage of qualified teachers. But Roberts said that hasn't been a problem in
Utah, home to Brigham Young University, a major American center for language
study.
Utah will accept only
native speakers or teachers tested as highly fluent, said Roberts. This year,
five teachers were imported from mainland China. Next year, 22 are expected to
teach in the Beehive State.
The program is optional;
schools that offer it also offer traditional classes, said Roberts. "This
is about parent choice."
Most of the slots for
next year are full. But schools have waiting lists; the Mandarin program at
Wasatch Elementary in Provo had so many applicants, the principal opened a
second class.
Four elementary schools
in the Granite School District are still accepting applications: Morningside,
Diamond Ridge, Calvin Smith and Spring Lane.
Thank you for your attention.
Respectfully – Dave
Porter
PS: Links
(1)
Another article titled
“Provo school ready for Chinese
immersion” in the Daily Herald has more details here.
(2) A slide show on the development of Mandarin
programs in Minnesota and Utah is here.
(3) Access to Utah’s 2008 Governor’s Language
Summit is here..
Language immersion for children at a young age is always a great idea. I am also glad to see that Utah is making significant strides to reach out to the Chinese community. I just read Malcolm Gladwel’s book Outliers, and he extensively examines how eastern cultures and languages allow students in countries like China to learn at different rates and paces than we are accustom to in the US. It can be a great benefit to our educational community to borrow some of these practices, while immersing children into a culture they might not normally have any access to experience.
Posted by: Tracy | June 16, 2009 at 01:36 PM
Language immersion is a great idea! Learning Mandarin has great career opportunities. Lots of students are now interested to study abroad in China.
My cousin sister is learning Mandarin at Minds Abroad http://www.mindsabroad.com/ , a Chinese learning school in Kunming.
Posted by: Account Deleted | July 22, 2009 at 03:30 AM
I am a big believer that we need to transform our elementary schools to also include foreign languages, where kids would soak it up more quickly.
Posted by: arizona carpet cleaners | August 13, 2009 at 06:12 PM
Doing dual immersion right takes trained teachers and a watchful eye over the curriculum to ensure that once students achieve proficiency, they don't lose ground.
Posted by: christian louboutin | May 03, 2011 at 02:02 AM
The program is optional; schools that offer it also offer traditional classes, said Roberts. "This is about parent choice."
Posted by: pandora | May 03, 2011 at 02:04 AM
and he extensively examines how eastern cultures and languages allow students in countries like China to learn at different rates and paces than we are accustom to in the US. It can be a great benefit to our educational community to borrow some of these practices, while immersing children into a culture they might not normally have any access
Posted by: pandora Bracelets | May 03, 2011 at 02:06 AM
Four elementary schools in the Granite School District are still accepting applications: Morningside, Diamond Ridge, Calvin Smith and Spring Lane.
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Nationwide, there's a shortage of qualified teachers. But Roberts said that hasn't been a problem in Utah, home to Brigham Young University,
Posted by: Pandora Charms | May 03, 2011 at 06:00 PM
anguage immersion for children at a young age is always a great idea. I am also glad to see that Utah is making significant strides to reach out to the Chinese community. I just read Malcolm Gladwel’s book Outliers, and he e
Posted by: Pandora Charms | May 03, 2011 at 06:02 PM
Another article titled “Provo school ready for Chinese immersion” in the Daily Herald has more details
Posted by: Pandora | May 03, 2011 at 06:06 PM
Four elementary schools in the Granite School District are still accepting applications: Morningside, Diamond Ridge, Calvin Smith and Spring Lane.
Posted by: christian louboutin sale | May 03, 2011 at 06:06 PM
t can be a great benefit to our educational community to borrow some of these practices, while immersing children into a culture they might not normally have any access to experience.
Posted by: louboutin | May 03, 2011 at 06:07 PM
After elementary school, students are encouraged to continue language instruction and take the AP exam in the ninth grade, said Roberts. Time in high school can be used to begin a third language.
Posted by: Pandora Charms | May 03, 2011 at 06:08 PM