Language Immersion

Questions families often ask about Immersion

• Will my child fall behind in English?

  No. Research consistently shows immersion students perform as well as or better than non-immersion peers on standardized measures of literacy and numeracy in their first language. Learning in two languages strengthens the underlying thinking skills that support all learning, so English does not suffer. It benefits.
• What if we don't speak Spanish or Chinese at home?

  Most of our families don't, and it is not a barrier. Our program is designed for children with no prior exposure, and our students routinely reach fluency starting from zero. What matters far more than speaking the language yourself is showing your child that you are delighted to watch them learn it.
• Won't two languages confuse my child?

  Young children are extraordinarily well equipped for this. The brain is at its most adaptable in the early years, which is precisely why we begin then. Children learn to keep two systems separate naturally, and the effort of doing so is what builds the cognitive benefits research associates with bilingualism.
• What about learning to read and write in two languages?

  This is the question we hear most, and the one we are happiest to answer, because we can show you rather than tell you. Literacy is not something children learn twice. The underlying skills, decoding, comprehension, structuring a thought, building an argument, transfer between languages and reinforce one another. Our writing curriculum is deliberately built to develop those skills in both languages from the very beginning.

  We have documented exactly what that looks like, year by year, from nursery through grade 5. You can see real student writing at every stage, in English and in the target language, and watch the progression for yourself.

   See writing at Avenues

   

• My child already speaks Chinese or Spanish at home. Will they still be challenged?

  Yes. Heritage speakers often enter with strong conversational language but varying levels of reading, writing, and academic vocabulary. Our teachers differentiate instruction to extend each child’s learning, helping them develop sophisticated literacy and communication skills while continuing to grow alongside classmates with diverse language backgrounds.