Walk into a kindergarten math class at Maryknoll School, and you might find yourself wondering if you’re in the right room. Bright-eyed kids are speaking Mandarin with ease, counting cheerfully from one to ten together with their teacher, Mrs. Jane Luo. The Chinese immersion program at Maryknoll School is the first of its kind in Hawaii, where students learn the world’s most widely spoken first language during the school day. The initiative was launched in August 2017, driven by school president Perry Martin’s passion to offer innovative educational options for Hawaii’s keiki. The school already had a Mandarin program in place and evolving it into an immersion program was a natural transition, offering the best chance for students to develop their best proficiency through an immersion experience. Jill Canfield, Director of International Programs, says, “We chose Chinese because we know the importance of the language in the world today and, also because many of our students have some Chinese heritage. We want our students to be global citizens who are prepared for a more interconnected world.” Parents have the option to enroll their students in either a traditional or Chinese immersion program. Today, 50 students have joined the Chinese immersion program – a 50-percent increase from last year’s count of 33. Another change from last year: the program is now offered to first graders as well as kindergarteners. In the 2019-2020 school year, the program will be offered to kindergarten to second grade students. Here’s how the immersion program works: Core subjects are balanced evenly in English and Mandarin, working with a 50/50 dual language model. Mandarin literacy, science, and math are taught in Chinese; religion, language arts, and social studies are taught in English. Overlapping
concepts and vocabulary are always reinforced in both languages, ensuring the students’ comprehension. From just the first month, kindergarteners can already match Chinese characters to English numbers. As the program continues, students start to deduce how different characters can be combined to make new words. More importantly, perhaps, students begin to develop a remarkable ability to think more critically, decode and become a more flexible learner. “It’s not just about advanced proficiency,” says Canfield. “While it’s exciting that we’re already seeing students being comfortable in Mandarin, it’s really about developing the cognitive benefits. There’s lots of research about how having a bilingual brain leads to more focus, higher levels of critical thinking and problem-solving.” She adds, “It’s also about being exposed to another culture.” “We’re very thankful to have parents who are very committed and willing to participate in this innovative program,” says Chris Loomis, Grade School Principal. “They’ve told us that their children come home and share the language they’ve learned in class. Parents who do speak Mandarin are very happy to see the results of their children being willing to converse in Mandarin.”
“While it’s exciting that we’re already seeing students being comfortable in Mandarin, it’s really about developing the cognitive benefits. There’s lots of research about how having a bilingual brain leads to more focus, higher levels of critical thinking and problemsolving. It’s also about being exposed to another culture.” Jill Canfield
Loomis and Canfield are excited for the program’s future and committed to provide this option through middle school. Their goal is that the children will take and pass the AP Chinese test in ninth grade and earn college credit during high school. Loomis says, “We’re also very thankful to our teachers Mrs. Kimberly Gonzales, Mrs. Jane Luo, Mr. Milton Makishi and Ms. Jinyi Wu, for their dedication and commitment to the program. We plan to always provide professional development where needed, as we believe it’s a key factor in having a successful program.”
THE KNOLLER
67