Minnetonka Preparing Students for a Mandarin Future

Principal Lee Drolet walked through the halls of , waving to a group of first-graders leaving their classroom.  "Zai jian," she said. They responded, "Zai jian!" which means "good bye."

These students are enrolled in the school's Chinese immersion program where core subjects like math, reading and science are taught in Mandarin Chinese.  "Their day is spent reading, writing, speaking and listening to Chinese," Drolet said.  The goal is that by fifth grade each student is fluent in the language.

Mandarin is the most popular language spoken in the world, with over 800-million native speakers. That's more than the number of Spanish and English speakers combined. Recognizing the future demand for fluency in Mandarin Chinese, the Minnetonka school district began offering language immersion in 2007 at and .   

While the immersion program is available to any child, students must enter the program in kindergarten. "Immersion works best when children are young enough that their brain wiring is conducive to learning another language," Drolet explained. Between 40-50 percent of kindergarten families choose immersion.

Terese Ciaccio's son, Peter, is a kindergartner at Excelsior. "The business world is evolving," said Ciaccio. "When he is older there will be a demand for Americans fluent in Chinese."

Diane Smith drives 10-year-old Gabrielle to Scenic Heights from their Plymouth home. "We feel that Chinese ... will become of even greater importance in the future," said Smith.

Rebecca Adams enrolled her daughters at Scenic Heights because of the immersion program. "We like the school's focus on providing a worldly, culturally diverse experience," Adams said.  "Plus, we were looking for something unique, state-of-the-art."

According to the University of Minnesota's Center for Advanced Research of Language Acquisition (CARLA), immersion is the fastest growing and most effective type of foreign language program available in U.S. schools. Plus, students may gain more than a language. CARLA research suggests that immersion students exhibit greater non-verbal problem solving abilities.  "Bilingualism is linked with a stronger ability to focus and resist distractions on certain tests," said Smith. "I've seen this in Gabrielle, who has the best focus skills in our family."

Immersion teachers are native speakers from China and Taiwan. Though all instruction is done in Chinese, younger students may ask questions or respond in English until they grasp the new language. "Teachers use many visuals to help students understand a concept," said Drolet.  Students learn Chinese characters and pinyin, the spelling of Chinese words using the Roman alphabet.

While core subjects are taught in Chinese, classes such as art, music and physical education are taught in English.

"This is an amazing program," said Anne Vogel, mother of Excelsior fourth-grader, Nathan. "It's great brain food. We chose Chinese because it's different in the tonal qualities and it's not Latin-based."

How do English-speaking parents help their kids with Chinese homework? "We have online resources and the teachers communicate with us so we know what is happening in class and what homework is assigned," explained Adams. The language barrier may even boost self-motivation in students. "My daughter has developed a sense of responsibility as she has taken ownership of all her work," said Smith.

English instruction begins in third grade. An immersion student's English development in reading and spelling may lag temporarily, but CARLA research indicates that the discrepancy disappears within one to two years after English instruction is introduced. To boost English skills, Mary and Steve Midthun read to their son Tor at night. "This is his thing," said Mary Midthun. "I like the immersion program. It works for us."

In addition to the language, students have opportunities to learn about and discuss Chinese culture. Last year, Excelsior fifth graders hosted Chinese students from their sister school in Beijing. This winter, Excelsior will host a Chinese New Year celebration for the community. Parents are planning a trip to China for next year's fifth grade class. 

Drolet said these experiences allow children to become world citizens. "My son is more of a global thinker," said Vogel. "Things don't feel foreign to him."

Some parents even notice their children unintentionally speaking Chinese at home. Liz Vogstrom, mother of first-grader, Gavyn, recalls, "He woke up in the middle of the night talking in his sleep — in Chinese!"

For more information about Minnetonka's Chinese immersion program, go to www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/immersion