Frequently Asked Questions
“How will my child learn the English skills (s)he needs if they spend all day learning in Spanish?”
From-Rebecca Gomez- Pella Christian School
1. The transfer of knowledge theory.
Simply put, this is the idea that if a person learns a concept in one language, it will transfer to another language. For example, if a child learns what the idea of gravity is in Spanish, that child doesn’t have to relearn the concept of gravity in English…that knowledge transfers between languages. (For more information: check out Jim Cummins’ linguistic interdependence theory 1978.
2. Research shows that studying in an immersion setting is not detrimental to a student’s first language abilities.
“…research is consistent in showing that [immersion] students generally achieve as well as, or better than, their peers in mainstream programs;…demonstrating levels of L1 [first language] proficiency and academic achievement that are at least as high as their peers in mainstream programs,” Lindholm-Leary & Genesee, 2014, p. 175).
3. English is introduced to our students starting in third grade.
All of our 3rd, 4th, and 5th-grade students receive one content area of instruction in English and this subject taught in English not only includes the content of that subject but also includes differentiated English Spelling instruction, as well as, instruction in English grammar and mechanics embedded into the content area instruction so that it is more meaningful to students.
4. Because immersion students must become experts at discovering and describing their second language, their first language skills often become stronger.
They are used to noticing grammar and word patterns within Spanish and this practice often transfers to their first language once instruction in that language is introduced. Knowing how languages work (because of how they are taught in Spanish) makes their English language skills stronger!