We got the lowdown from the teachers on what makes Singapore American School’s Chinese Immersion Program so unique (and got to see the results in practice - cue amazing spoken Chinese from the pupils!)...
As parents, we’re all about creating opportunities for our kids to become global citizens and what better way than by learning a new language? But what’s the best way to do it? We took a visit to see the Chinese Immersion Program in action at Singapore American School (SAS), where pupils showed us their mastery (and gave us a lesson in a phrase or two!)
So what does the Chinese Immersion Program at SAS really mean? Well, just that. Littlies will get fully immersed in the language from the get-go. Using a 75/25 model, 75% of subjects, including maths, science and language arts, are all taught in Chinese. Pretty cool, eh? And just a little bit different from our childhood memories of learning a language!
What does the average day look like for immersion learners? Well, it’s pretty awesome. Kids meet and greet their teacher, and each other, in Chinese. Classrooms are bright and spacious, displaying everything from the Chinese characters to popular cultural references (we love the panda artwork on display!). Whether it’s decorating lanterns and practising colours in Chinese or sitting down for storytime, kids are getting to grips with the language at every opportunity.
And language acquisition isn’t the only big plus of the program. Ying Chu, who teaches first grade, explains, “bilingualism has significant benefits; it provides our kids with two ways of knowing, thinking and being, helping to create purposeful, motivated and goal-directed learners.”
As you might have guessed, it’s a real team effort to deliver such an amazing program. Julie Zhang, a fourth-grade teacher, says: “Chinese immersion uses the common SAS curriculum to deliver our content. It’s a collaborative effort to make the program a success”.
We don’t know about you, but we’re pretty keen to learn Chinese now! See the program in action for yourself and sign up for a school tour! 到时候那里见 (See you there!)
This post is in partnership with Singapore American School.
