TO IMMERSION
OR NO T
TO IMMERSION?
That is the question on many area parents’ minds
BY JENNIFER MARINO WALTERS
ALL ABOUT IMMERSION
Area schools offer two types of immersion
programs: one-way and two-way programs.

One-way immersion programs include
mostly native English speakers who are
learning the target language. Two-way
programs combine native speakers and
learners of the target language.

In both types of programs, students
spend at least half their day learning in
the target language. In partial immersion
programs, students learn math, science
14 Washington FAMILY MARCH 2020
and health in the target language and
the rest of the subjects in English. In full
immersion (less common), all instruction
is in the target language.

The benefits of language immer-
sion are plenty. According to the Center
for Applied Linguistics in Washington,
D.C., learning a language at an early age
enhances children’s brain development,
expands their cultural awareness, helps
them think more flexibly and increases
job opportunities later in life. Bilingual
children outperform monolingual kids in
problem solving, pattern recognition and
divergent thinking.

Studies by the RAND Corporation and
researchers at George Mason University
in Fairfax, Virginia, have also found
that immersion students score better
on standardized reading and math tests
than their non-immersion peers by late
elementary school.

Elisabeth Harrington, supervisor of
the World Languages Office at Arlington
Public Schools (APS), says that APS stu-
dents enrolled in language immersion
programs also eventually outperform their
non-immersion peers in standardized
tests. But she says that’s not usually the
case in the earlier years.

“The benefits of immersion are long-
term,” Harrington says. “Test scores
might be lower at first, so parents just
have to trust the process.”
VARIED EXPERIENCES
When my husband and I were making our
decision, our biggest concern was what
actual immersion families thought of the
program. And we found that while some
families loved immersion, others felt it
wasn’t right for their children.

Melissa Chabot’s son is in the kinder-
garten Spanish immersion program at
Bailey’s Elementary School for the Arts
and Sciences in Falls Church, Virginia. “We
are having a wonderful experience,” she
says. “My son is getting to know kids with
diverse backgrounds and experiences and
learning about other cultures. He loves it.”
Sarah Clark’s sixth-grade daughter and
second-grade son love being in German
immersion at Orange Hunt Elementary
School in Burke, Virginia. Clark’s daugh-
ter is in advanced math and can hold
conversations with her German relatives.

GETTY IMGEAS/E+: SPEECH BUBBLES: MRPLISKIN; CHILDREN: SHAPECHARGE
hree years ago, my husband and I
agonized over a decision—whether
or not to enroll our twin boys, then
in kindergarten, in a Spanish immersion
program the following year. Their school
is one of 17 Fairfax County Public Schools
(FCPS) that offer language immersion
starting in kindergarten or first grade.

And FCPS is not alone. Several school
districts throughout the D.C. area offer
their own language immersion programs
(see sidebar). The enrollment lotter-
ies for a lot of these programs are now
open, which means many local parents are
currently facing the same dilemma we did.




“The kids have a great sense that differ-
ent people have different perspectives,”
says Clark. “They know that there is more
than one way of looking at something.”
But Mary Oborski pulled her son out
of German immersion at Orange Hunt in
second grade because she felt his teachers
weren’t a good fit for him. Since there’s
usually only one set of immersion teach-
ers at a school, switching an immersion
child to a different class typically means
pulling him or her out of the program.

“My child was much calmer and hap-
pier after I switched him,” Oborski says.

“He is currently in fourth grade and is
doing great.”
Another mother, who asked to remain
anonymous, also pulled her second-grade
daughter out of Spanish immersion at
Ravensworth Elementary in Springfield,
Virginia, in the early ‘90s because the
child was getting stressed about not
understanding her homework and projects.

“Many of my friends also took their
children out of immersion because they
were developing upset stomachs and had
lots of tears and frustration,” she recalls.

Though Harrington acknowledges
that not every parent and child will like
immersion, she says parents shouldn’t
automatically count children out based on
their personality or learning disabilities. “I
believe every child is capable of succeeding
in language immersion,” says Harrington.

Ultimately, we decided to enroll our boys
in Spanish immersion, and we are thrilled
with our decision. They are thriving in
third grade, and they get through their
math homework just fine (with a little help
from Google Translate). And this year, we
have already entered our kindergarten-age
daughter into the lottery.

“Our world is getting smaller because of
connectivity,” says Harrington. “So if you
want your children to be global thinkers
who are more accepting and understand-
ing of other cultures, then language
immersion is a gift you can give them.” ■
Jennifer Marino Walters is a freelance
writer specializing in parenting and
lifestyle topics. She is also the author of
12 books for children, with two more on
the way. Jennifer lives in Burke, Virginia,
with her husband and three children.

When she’s not writing, she loves to
explore the D.C. area with her family!
Immersion students
score better on
standardized reading
and math tests than
their non-immersion
peers by late
elementary school.

Considering Immersion?
Here are some tips from parents who have been there, done that.

1 Figure out transportation. Some school districts (like APS) offer bus service
for immersion kids, but many don’t. So if your kids will be going to a school
that’s not their zone school, figure out how you’ll get them there. “It takes us
an hour round-trip each day for drop-off and pickup, plus extra for any evening
activities,” says Clark.

2 Consider friendships. Clark says most of her kids’ classmates live near the
school, so she has to drive their children to friend’s houses. Therefore, they
don’t know kids in their own neighborhood very well.

3 LOCAL IMMERSION
PROGRAMS Below are four area school districts
that offer language immersion
programs. These programs are
typically filled via lottery systems,
and some of those lotteries are open
now. If you don’t see your child’s
school district on the list below,
just ask the administrators if an
immersion program exists.

Arlington Public Schools
apsva.us/world-languages/ immersion-program/
Grade at time of entry: K and
middle school
Language: Spanish
Lottery deadline: Feb. 3–April 15 for K;
middle school has a separate
enrollment process
District of Columbia
Public Schools
dcps.dc.gov/DL Grade at time of entry: K or 1 (except
at Columbia Heights Education Campus,
which has a structured late-entry
program) Language: Spanish
Lottery deadline: The deadline was Feb.

3 for high school and March 2 for grades
K-8, but visit myschooldc.org to
learn more.

Fairfax County Public Schools
fcps.edu/academics/world-languages- immersion-programs
Grade at time of entry: K or 1, depending
on the school
Languages: Spanish, French, German,
Japanese, Korean
Lottery deadline: March 20 for grade
K; late registration opens April 2.

Registration for grade 1 closed Feb. 20;
late registration opened March 5.

Late applications will be added to
the end of the waiting list in the order of
date received.

Meet the teachers. Oborski recommends meeting the immersion teachers at
your child’s potential school ahead of time to determine whether they might
be a good fit for your child.

Montgomery County Public Schools
4 5
Grade at time of entry: K-5, middle school
Talk to parents. Reach out to parents of immersion students at the potential
school to hear about their experiences.

Give it a shot. Still not sure about immersion? Just give it a try. You can
always take your child out of the program. “If it doesn’t work for your child,
don’t think twice—pull him or her out,” says Oborski. ■
montgomeryschoolsmd.org/ curriculum/specialprograms/
admissions/immersion.aspx Languages: Spanish, French, Chinese
Lottery deadline: April 24; middle school
has a separate enrollment process ■
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