Making Child's Play of Speaking Spanish, French, German and Chinese
By Nicole Plegge
For most 3-year-olds, exposure to a foreign language is limited to the half-hour each day they spend with Dora the Explorer or Ni Hao, Kai-lan.
Three-year-old Flora, on the other hand, spends five mornings a week completely immersed in the Spanish language, becoming bilingual as she colors, learns her numbers and plays on the jungle gym.
These preschools don't simply teach children Spanish, they teach them in Spanish. From the moment children enter through the doors, they are spoken to only in Spanish, allowing them to learn the language naturally, just as they learned English as toddlers.
The International Schoolhouse immediately made an impact on Flora. Said her mother, Kelly Eidson of University City, "Her teachers present Spanish to the children in such a gentle, natural way, the children can't help but emulate them. Flora and her classmates don't sit at desks and practice conjunction tables. They engage in all the normal activities any child would at the preschool level; they just do it in an environment where Spanish is all around them."
According to Carolina Diaz-Silva, founder and director of the International Schoolhouse, immersion learning not only introduces children to a new language, it helps them develop both from a social and an educational aspect.
"There is a substantial amount of research indicating that learning two languages strengthens cognitive flexibility in other academic areas - math and music, for example. Not to mention, becoming bilingual is definitely an advantage in terms of social development. I believe learning a second language is the best way to introduce children to other cultures and expand their social awareness."
At the St. Louis Language Immersion Schools, director Rhonda Broussard found the desire for immersion schools in St. Louis to be overwhelming. This St. Louis charter school grew organically from conversations with parents who heard about immersion learning in other cities and wanted to provide their children with the same opportunities to experience new languages and cultures. In other words, said Broussard, "Conversation created the demand for the school."
The school opened in August 2009, offering both Spanish and French immersion classes for children in kindergarten and first grade. The plan is to add a grade in both languages every year so that the children who finish first grade in 2010 will be the first students to graduate from a St. Louis language immersion charter high school.
While the idea of immersion is intriguing, some parents may believe bilingualism at an early age can deter their children's English language development. Not to worry, said Cindy Brantmeier, associate professor of Applied Linguistics and Spanish at Washington University.
"Learning several languages as a child is not a cause of language delay and will not negatively impact acquisition of the first language. It is quite normal for children to listen for long periods of time before producing understandable output in any language. Many children go through a period where they will switch back and forth between languages and will also mix the languages. This is also normal and will not hinder learning of any language. The advantages of learning multiple languages as a child far outweigh any disadvantages."
Another concern is that English-dominant children might not excel in language immersion if the foreign language is not spoken at home. However, Broussard prefers that her English-speaking families limit the amount of Spanish and French spoken in evenings and on weekends.
"More than 80 percent of our families don't speak French or Spanish. I tell them your No. 1 job at home is to speak and read in your home language. There is the natural anxiety from English-speaking parents - Is my kid learning enough? How do I get them to learn better? - that leads some to introduce more French and Spanish at home. This actually can create more stress for language immersion students who need a break from the immersion environment. At the end of the day, all parents need to do is love their children in their home language."
For parents who want to introduce their children to a foreign language but are not ready for them to become fully immersed, numerous organizations in St. Louis offer classes in a variety of foreign languages. Alliance Française de St. Louis on Delmar, for instance, offers both beginning and advanced French lesson for children ages 3 and up, allowing kids to build French skills through play, songs and crafts.
Children as young as age 1 can participate with a parent at Spanish Clubhouse for Kids - which goes beyond its name by hosting classes in German and Mandarin too - and classes continues up into elementary age groups, with 40 or 45 minutes of instruction once a week at its location in Kirkwood and at area schools.
At the St. Louis Chinese Academy, School Board Chairperson Christine Tseng sees her students broken down into three categories: "children of immigrant families who already speak the language at home, children from China and Taiwan adopted into American families and students who desire to learn Chinese as a foreign language."
The world of tomorrow is much smaller than the one of today. Developing foreign language skills at a young age can help children prepare for the global future ahead of them.
Whether you are interested in foreign language immersion or extracurricular language classes for your child, there are plenty of opportunities currently available in St. Louis, including:
St. Louis Language Immersion Schools Rhonda Broussard, Director 4011 Papin St., St. Louis 314-533-0975 www.sllis.org
The International Schoolhouse Carolina Diaz-Silva, Director 9733 Olive Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63132 314-374-7468 www.internationalschoolhouse.com
Casa de Niños Montessori Bilingual Academy Veronica Greene, Director 105 Lock Dr., Ballwin 314-954-0104 http://casamontessori.info
Spanish Clubhouse for Kids Sara and Abby, Co-Owners 112 W. Jefferson, Suite 134, Kirkwood 314-965-8936 www.spanishclubhouseforkids.com
Alliance Française de St. Louis Isabelle, Team Leader 8505 Delmar Blvd., Suite G, University City 314-432-0734 www.alliancestl.com
St. Louis Chinese Academy Christine Tseng, School Board Chairperson Social Science Building, St. Louis Community College-Meramec 11333 Big Bend Blvd., Kirkwood 314-322-3737 www.stlchineseacademy.com.
This story appears in our Winter 2009/Parents Sourcebook 2010 issue.
