https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 03:25:24 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098898 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:52:03 +0000 AmandaB8 1098898@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a French immersion school, but for your first kid it's a lottery based system. We're going to try to get our first in, but if she doesn't make it, we won't put our other kids in it either. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098872 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:40:04 +0000 cranberryapple 1098872@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. High Heels: I'm similar in the sense that I attended weekend Chinese school for many many years, and even studied abroad in Hong Kong for a year when I was 11 years old. I'm sure I was fluent for a time-being, but nowadays, living away from home and having a non-Chinese DH, my Chinese is soooo crappy, I die inside listening to myself speak it! It is my (sad) belief that DS will not be able to learn Chinese because of his lack of exposure to it, and even if I did send him to Chinese school, I don't have much faith that he would retain it given my own failure to do so. (This is probably my own mental issue at hand here!) Ideally, I would love for him to be able to communicate with my parents and relatives, who are the older generation and don't speak much English, and then if DS were to have children of his own who don't speak any Chinese, it wouldn't really matter, ya know? I feel sad on the relationships he could be missing out on with my relatives, but....meh, I shouldn't complain since I'm not going to personally teach it to him. Plus, my semi-excuse is that Cantonese is harder to learn than Mandarin! LOL </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098845 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:29:46 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1098845@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@banana: I've read studies on the higher cognitive skills and IQs, but when we have these discussions/debates, we also weigh it against things like learning an instrument or other things that could also help boost their intellect. We don't want to overschedule our kids, so that's just something we take into consideration when trying to decide where to invest our time and money. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098797 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:15:51 +0000 banana 1098797@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. High Heels: Besides learning a 2nd language (which is awesome!), one of the other reasons for wanting to send my kids to a language immersion program is because research shows that it boosts overall cognitive skills and IQ. I read several articles about this while waiting for a tour at our local elementary school. So even if you daughter doesn't retain that 2nd language too well (hopefully not!), enrolling her in the program wouldn't be fruitless! :happy: </p> <p>ETA: Changed it this morning! Highlight of my day so far. haha </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098783 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:12:23 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1098783@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@banana: and you changed your avatar!! So cute! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098780 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:11:05 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1098780@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mamabear57: most likely! There aren't too many around here. :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098771 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:08:27 +0000 teamjse 1098771@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We plan to send our lo to the program as well</p> <p>@Mrs. High Heels: I think we may be looking at the same program. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098766 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:06:39 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1098766@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I plan to send my daughter to a Chinese immersion school and the lack of diversity wouldn't be a hindrance. Sometimes I do get discouraged thinking about it though because even though I grew up extremely fluent in Chinese (I didn't even know English until I started kindergarten), as an adult my Chinese is just conversational and sometimes I struggle to find the right words. I forgot so much of it over the years... and it doesn't help that I never use it anymore since my mom speaks perfect english and my in-laws and DH are Korean.</p> <p>DH's korean is the equivalent of my Chinese. I really hope sending her to a Chinese immersion school isn't fruitless because even our 2nd generation selves can't retain our languages very well... it makes us wonder how on earth our kids will be able to retain another language as 3rd generation kids. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098761 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:04:53 +0000 looch 1098761@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@banana: me as well, but it is not easy to find German immersion programs. They seem to be more readily available for mandarin and Spanish. So for us, it doesn't make sense. I do plan to send him to a weekend school of some sort.</p> <p>Eta: to answer the question, it would probably deter me, yes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098760 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:04:45 +0000 Mrsbells 1098760@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@banana: Oh I see.. thanks for explaining </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098755 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 16:02:06 +0000 banana 1098755@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: We're a bilingual household as well. But I want my kids to be very fluent and proficient in the language. Not just conversational like my DH and I. We can speak, read, and write but not super fluently. We're definitely more casual/conversational. And our reading/writing skills are more in the 4th or 5th grade level. My cousin came from Korea when she was in 7th grade and is SO fluent in both languages. I'd love that for my kids! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098678 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 15:32:44 +0000 looch 1098678@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No, we're not doing an immersion program because we are already a bilingual household. I would only consider it if it were in our other language, German. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098624 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 15:19:09 +0000 TemperanceBrennan 1098624@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would probably do it, even with the lack of diversity. </p> <p>Our public elementary school has a Spanish immersion program with 50% native Spanish speakers, and 50% native English speakers, so in addition to the teacher, the kids learn from one another. The curriculum is 50/50 as well. Our nephew is enrolled and this will be his first year. I am really interested to see how it goes because I would love our future baby to have the same opportunity. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098587 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 15:12:23 +0000 banana 1098587@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Bee: Saturday Korean school was awesome! That's how I learned to read and write! Not very well because I stopped going after 6th grade. But it was really beneficial for me! If we decide not to enroll him in the language program, we will definitely be doing Saturday Korean school. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098583 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 15:11:35 +0000 tinyperson 1098583@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're thinking French immersion, possibly...I did French immersion from preschool up, and it's an official language here! (Canada) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098579 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 15:10:47 +0000 Mrs. Bee 1098579@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we might put charlie in saturday korean school starting next summer when he's 4. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098573 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 15:10:13 +0000 banana 1098573@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sarac: It's very similar in our area. The language program has predominantly first generation Korean children and they don't speak English very well (if at all). And I hear the same about many of the other language programs around us. I have noticed that the Spanish and Chinese programs are a bit more culturally diverse. I'm assuming it's because these 2 languages are more popular to non-natives (learning these 2 languages would serve their kids well from a future business/corporate standpoint), whereas Korean or Russian or Armenian aren't favored as much. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098545 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 15:04:38 +0000 sarac 1098545@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Language immersion programs where the majority of the children are native in the target language can be problematic. I'd been considering the local Russian immersion for my daughter someday, but I've been told that it is mostly first generation Russian children who don't actually speak a ton of english, and the instruction is geared for them. That's just one experience, but it certainly steered me away. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098398 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 14:38:38 +0000 banana 1098398@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lamariniere: Thanks for weighing in! My son understands both languages very well right now (Korean and English). But he mainly only speaks English. And I think with a little more schooling, he can pick up Korean very quickly. So from an academic perspective, I'd love to enroll him. I just wish the program wasn't 95% Korean enrollment (I think there is one non-Korean kid in the program). =\ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098385 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 14:36:45 +0000 blackbird 1098385@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have some around here and they are pretty cool! But they are at LEAST 30 minutes away. So it's not gonna happen. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098383 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 14:36:24 +0000 lamariniere 1098383@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would definitely do it despite the lack of diversity. </p> <p>In our situation we are already a bilingual household but we don't speak the local language, which is German. DS goes to a bilingual German/English preschool. It is astounding how much he already understands, and he has only been going half days since he started in January. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098379 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 14:35:06 +0000 mrsjazz 1098379@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There's a Spanish immersion and French immersion pre-school/day care in my area. Nothing beyond that pre-school though. We are looking into the Spanish immersion program since DH speaks Spanish. It's mostly white kids (some of whom are Hispanic/Latino). I'm not worried about diversity because our area is super diverse and the two public schools we like are also very diverse. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098373 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 14:33:45 +0000 banana 1098373@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrsbells: Yes, they are learning another language! The children are enrolled in the program beginning from Kindergarten where they are taught 80% in the foreign language and 20% in English. As they move up, the English language exposure increases to where they are learning and speaking 50/50 by the time they enter 6th grade. That's how it works in our school district and I'm sure it's very similar is other districts as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098362 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 14:32:03 +0000 regberadaisy 1098362@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It would. It's important to me that she sees cultural/racial diversity on a regular basis. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098361 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 14:32:01 +0000 T-Mom 1098361@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I really wanted to enroll my kids in a Chinese language immersion school but I don't think it's in the cards for us. We'd have to move to the other side of town. That school actually is very culturally diverse and not all Chinese. If it was all Chinese, I would probably not be as interested. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098359 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 14:31:48 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 1098359@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The elementary school in my neighborhood has a Spanish immersion program that I would love to put my kids in. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098354 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 14:31:12 +0000 Mrsbells 1098354@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@banana: I dont think I've ever heard or language immersion. Are they learning a second/third language? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-plan-on-enrolling-your-child-in-a-language-immersion-program#post-1098346 Thu, 19 Sep 2013 14:29:53 +0000 banana 1098346@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're thinking about enrolling my son in a language immersion program starting from Kindergarten. But the drawback is that 95% of the kids in the language immersion program near us are Asian. And diversity is really important to us so I'm not 100% sold on the idea. Typically these kids are in the same program from K-6 so he'll be around the same Asian kids for at least 6 years. Not sure how I feel about that!</p> <p>I hear the same about other language immersion programs. My co-worker enrolled her daughter in an Armenian language immersion program and she said 100% of the kids are Armenian.</p> <p>Would this deter you from looking into the program? </p>