Bringing Chinese Immersion to Western Massachusetts

Autor/in	Wang, Kathleen
Titel	Bringing Chinese Immersion to Western Massachusetts
Quelle	In: Learning Languages, 15 (2009) 1, S.18-19 (3 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1083-5415
Schlagwörter	Charter Schools; School Activities; Immersion Programs; Rural Areas; Reading Ability; Grade 6; Mandarin Chinese; Literacy; Elementary Education; Middle Schools; Second Language Learning; Second Language Instruction; Massachusetts; United States + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Charter school; Charter-Schule; Immersionsprogramm; Rural area; Ländlicher Raum; Reading competence; Lesekompetenz; School year 06; 6. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 06; Alphabetisierung; Schreib- und Lesefähigkeit; Elementarunterricht; Middle school; Mittelschule; Mittelstufenschule; Zweitsprachenerwerb; Fremdsprachenunterricht; Master-Studiengang; USA
Abstract	This article describes the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School (PVCICS), a regional public charter school in western Massachusetts, which opened in 2007 and the only Chinese immersion school in New England. The school draws students from over twenty-five towns and cities in a predominantly rural area of Massachusetts that includes the largest and poorest city in western Massachusetts, and the poorest county in Massachusetts. In 2008, it received a five-year FLAP (Foreign Language Assistance Program) grant in partnership with the University of Massachusetts. The school currently serves grades K-3 and 6. The 6th grade is the inaugural class of its middle school program. Each year two grades, one at the elementary and one at the middle school, will be added. When the school first opened, it had 42 students in K and 1st grades. Each year the school has doubled in size and its current enrollment is 150 students. As a public charter school, it is tuition free. There are no entrance criteria and admission is by lottery. Each year, it has had a waiting list for enrollment. Students may enter the school in K, 1st or 6th grades. PVCICS's program is a one-way immersion program. Over 95% of students do not have Chinese language support outside of school and most are not ethnically Chinese or Asian. This student body is somewhat representative of the region of service though more ethnically diverse. The few students who do have Chinese language support outside of school typically enter the school with oral proficiency in social language but little or no ability to read or write Chinese characters. This is expected as most are entering K or 1st grades when literacy skills are emerging and because most were born in the United States. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	National Network for Early Language Learning. Winston-Salem, NC. e-mail: nnell@wfu.edu; Web site: http://nnell.org/journal.php
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10