Immersion Education
Our language immersion program is one in which the children spend part of their day learning, in a natural way, Spanish language. The immersion approach to teaching a second language maximizes the time the children get to practice the language they are learning. We believe children develop cognitively and linguistically when activities include all learning domains; we know that children learn by doing, interacting, and expressing.
Benefits of Being Bilingual
A foreign language is one of the best gifts you can give your child!
Young children are natural language learners. While adults may struggle with language acquisition, children have the innate ability to learn several languages seamlessly and simultaneously. Not only can children process a new language effortlessly, they also inherently acquire native pronunciation.
Studies have show there are many additional benefits to the exposure of a second language in early childhood beyond the acquisition of the language itself. Bilingual children have demonstrated increased problem-solving abilities, better working memory, and improved capacity for abstract thinking, among other benefits. Having the opportunity to experience a foreign-language environment also expands children’s multi-cultural awareness, stimulates their curiosity about other parts of the world, and fosters an appreciation for understanding multiple points of view.
Why Spanish?
Spanish is the second largest language in the United States. In a world that is increasingly bilingual, it makes sense that your child should be, as well. Not only will learn Spanish help children understand more people around them, it may play a large role in their career opportunities in the future.
How Does an Immersion Program Model Work?
Immersion is the best way to learn a new language. Children learn a second language by experiencing it naturally, by being immersed in it.
The teacher is vocally responsive to children’s activities and will speak to them in the target language for a good part of their day. With a native speaking teacher leading the class, the child will begin to understand words, then phrases, then sentences. Children will also begin to answer simple questions, speak in short phrases and then engage in simple conversations. When children have mastered the vocabulary needed to express their needs and thoughts, they naturally want to use their new, exciting language.
Hola Knoxville Bilingual Academy offers second language acquisition in a real-life context and through hands-on experience. Our classroom brings materials that engage and inspire exploration in the various centers; blocks, dramatic play, fine motor skills, music and movements, art, reading, and games, etc. Children get to hear Spanish and English and use words for objects and ideas every day in the classroom.
Language is inevitably tied to culture; therefore, our curriculum has a strong cultural influence. The children are exposed to different instruments, music, folklore, customs, special holidays and arts from different countries around the world. With our curriculum, activities, love, care, and the influence of different cultures your child will be impacted for the rest of his/her life.