How are the Mandarin Immersion programs structured?
The District’s current schedule is given on the final page of this document. The goal is to get students to a strong command of Mandarin by the end of 3rd grade, then introduce more subjects taught in English. This is based on the work of Dr. Stephen Krashen, an influential bilingual researcher and educator, whose research helps form the underpinning of most bilingual and immersion programs. One of Krashen’s principals is that it’s important to solidify a students grasp of the target language (in this case Mandarin) before pushing on to more work in English.
The District’s current schedule is given on the final page of this document. The goal is to get students to a strong command of Mandarin by the end of 3rd grade, then introduce more subjects taught in English. This is based on the work of Dr. Stephen Krashen, an influential bilingual researcher and educator, whose research helps form the underpinning of most bilingual and immersion programs. One of Krashen’s principles is that it’s important to solidify a student’s grasp of the target language (in this case Mandarin) before pushing on to more work in English. For more information about Krashen’s research, see www.languageimpact.com/articles/rw/krashenbk.htm. However please understand that the curriculum is a work-in-progress and as the years progress the teachers, curriculum specialists, parents and principals may make small changes to better serve the students. This is entirely consistent with the District’s General Education programs, which are also tweaked yearly to better serve stu
