Originally published on 21 January 2016 in the Pasadena Independent, Arcadia Weekly, Monrovia Weekly, and Sierra Madre Weekly
There has been a sea change in the employment landscape in the past decade as evidenced by shifts in what’s available to people looking for work. Some positions that today’s youth would one day fill may not even exist yet, or may be located in foreign countries.
The Alhambra Unified School District has been actively finding opportunities for its student population to be ready for 21st century job requirements. This Fall, AUSD is rolling out its Dual Immersion Program to add to its slate of initiatives to make their students competitive in the global community.
Leading this charge is Jim Schofield, Program Director. He says, “Dual immersion is critical because future jobs could be in other parts of the globe. More and more, we do business with other countries, and knowledge of the local language is essential. An employee who can speak, read, and write in the dialect is much more valuable to the company.”
Schofield cites research to advance the case for dual immersion, “Although the majority of the world is bilingual, statistics show that only 17 percent of Americans speak another language; 56 percent of Europeans and 36 percent of Brits do. Being bilingual puts one on a higher tier in the American job market.
“Health-wise,” continues Schofield, “it protects one against diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s. A 2012 study conducted by the University of California, San Diego, revealed that of the 44 elderly participants who could speak both Spanish and English, those with higher proficiency in both languages were less likely to have early onset of either disease. While it doesn’t necessarily mean that being bilingual is the magic cure-for-all, it may help keep diseases at bay longer. Besides, it makes for a more enriching cultural experience; and being able to communicate is the best feeling in the world.”
According to Dr. Gary Gonzales, Assistant superintendent for AUSD, the Dual Immersion plan started two and a half years ago as a collective effort by his division. He postulates, “We felt the AUSD is perfect for this initiative because of the diversity of our enrollment. Additionally, if we are to prepare students for participation in a global economy, bi- or tri-literacy is essential.”
Based on AUSD’s research, students who are bi- and tri-lingual develop a high level of thinking, listening, speaking, reading, and writing proficiency in the targeted language and English beginning in transitional kindergarten through high school.
Dual immersion also inspires students to strive for academic excellence in all subject areas and meet or exceed California State Standards District assessment results. They also develop positive attitudes and appreciation for world languages and cultures, which promote their involvement in world issues.
And so, in March of last year, Schofield, who at the time was the principal at San Gabriel High School, was tapped to head the initiative. He went through a transition period and in July was fully on board. He and other AUSD administrators, instructional specialists, and teachers visited several schools with dual immersion programs to get ideas and to see for themselves how it’s working.
Schofield remembers one particular school they went to in Venice and relates what they encountered. “We went there three months into the school year and the students were responding to their teacher in Mandarin. It was amazing how quickly they absorbed a new language! This is why we decided to start Dual Immersion in transitional kindergarten, when it is developmentally best to start introducing a different language.”
AUSD chose Spanish and Mandarin because their research showed that 26 percent of California’s population speak Spanish, with two percent speaking Mandarin. Says Schofield, “While two percent doesn’t sound like a huge number, it is the second most-spoken language after Spanish. And the reality of the state of the economy is that so much business goes to China. It’s safe to say that the U.S and China have a codependent relationship.”
The teaching method AUSD is adopting is a 90:10 and 50:50 model. The first number refers to the amount of instruction time initially spent for teaching in a partner language. The second number is the percentage of time for instruction in English. In a 90:10 model, the amount of time in the partner language decreases annually by ten percent until a 50:50 balance is achieved in the duration of the program.
Schofield, describes AUSD’s model, “Each class will ideally comprise one-third English-speaking only students, one-third partner language learners, and one-third native speakers. The Spanish classes will be based on a 90:10 model – in kindergarten all the subjects will be taught in Spanish except for English Development, which is ten percent of the students’ day. As students move on to 1st grade, 80 percent of their subjects will be in Spanish with 20 percent of reading and writing development, and so on as they progress each year until they reach 50:50 in 5th grade.”
Adds Schofield, “We are comfortable with having students learn using the 90:10 model because Spanish and English are both rooted in Latin and use Roman alphabet; there’s more transference with Spanish.”
The first Alhambra elementary school | Image taken from AUSD website
The Mandarin model, will be 50:50 at the outset. Schofield explains the rationale for this, “Mandarin is made up of characters which students have never seen or encountered. Students will have Chinese language development, math, science and culture taught in Mandarin; English language, math and social science instruction in English.
“We have also determined to start educating in traditional Mandarin then switch to the simplified version. I presented our plan to district constituents, parents, and students who wholeheartedly embraced our thinking,” Schofield continues.
AUSD administrators are currently on the curriculum-building stage on their Dual Immersion initiative, deciding on instructional materials. Schofield says they will be holding site meetings with the initial group of parents who have shown interest in the program. “They will have a lot of knowledge and input. In March, we will have the first official parents meeting with those whose children have been accepted into the program.”
To ensure students receive a high-quality education, educators in the dual language program will receive the same training in state standards and strategies all AUSD teachers get. The district will also hire only teachers who are authorized to educate on the specific language.
They are hoping there would be enough community demand for the program as the district is committed to see it go all the way through 12th grade.
“It will take 14 years to get there and by then I might be retired. But it would have been a great honor to be asked to lay the foundation for this program. If successful, AUSD students who have participated in it would be better equipped to enter in the competitive global community. And that would be a very satisfactory and gratifying outcome indeed,” Schofield concludes.
A San Gabriel Valley Inquirer 