Immersion classrooms: a great adventure

As you may know, this school year we have started an innovative method to reinforce the Magic Dragon project: Language Immersion classrooms. Aldeafuente is the first school among Fomento de Centros de Enseñanza, that dares into this adventure.

This methodology, which includes developmental bilingual and other dual language programs, is characterized by an instructional day that includes several activities, in which students spend 50 percent of their time learning in a second language. The research is clear: Immersion programs, wherein students work amazingly well in developing their fluency and skills.

The key to the students’ success is the full immersion approach to English. That means learning the language through culture, art and music with less emphasis on more common teaching methods like rote vocabulary memorization. The ultimate goal is biliteracy: the idea that students can completely understand and speak in both languages.

In addition to the benefit of bilingualism, learning a second language activates different parts of the brain, and students who participate in Language Immersion programs get a cognitive boost. The advantages to providing kids with quality Language Immersion programs are labor intensive, but they also produce results.

We are all really excited with this initiative, and looking forward to the amazing results that may happen!!