过去的三年里，我家孩子尝试过多家中文学校，也历经过很多位老师。立石中文是其中最好的，没有之一。林老师富有磁性的声音，和对中文语言文化饱满的热情，深深吸引了孩子们走进沉浸式的中文学习氛围，也从一开始就给我留下了深刻印象。孩子们正是好动顽皮的年纪，林老师与孩子们的互动总是亲切和蔼，严格而不严厉，温柔但是坚持原则，坚持不给孩子压力，而是用魅力和鼓励让孩子们发自内心的喜欢中文，喜欢学习。立石独特的教育方式，一方面坚持美式教育中的素质教育，人格教育，强调开放包容的文化态度。另一方面，传递给孩子们我们中国优秀的传统价值，重视亲情，重视文化的传承，帮助华裔孩子们从小树立文化自信，文化认同。这一年来，林老师和王老师精心准备的系列课程，除了系统的中文识字，诗词，歌唱的课程，还穿插了围棋，中国传统服装，传统益智玩具等多个系列知识类和手工类课程，孩子们都非常喜欢踊跃参与。一年来，Aidan在学习中中文的进步很多，而且对中国文化和历史产生了浓厚的兴趣。我很惊讶，Aidan还告诉我以后他想去当一名中文老师。我想这是林老师，以及立石的中文教育带给他了很强的价值认同和很多的精神收获。谢谢立石，谢谢林校长！
Dan q., PARENT OF A 6 year old
我们家的小朋友非常喜欢立石双语学校，我觉得和她们独具特色的沉浸式教学方式有很大的关系。在沉浸式的学习氛围中，小朋友并没有感觉到她们在学习一种很难的语言，而是不知不觉之中运用了中文的听、说、读和写。比如有一次小朋友拿回家一幅画，画上有池塘，荷花和大白鹅。不过，令我惊讶的是，画上还有抄写了一首《咏鹅》的诗！对于一个幼儿园的小朋友来说，如果我在家里让她把诗抄写一遍，她肯定是不肯的，但是在立石，她居然做到了，而且最重要的是还觉得很有趣！而且，立石老师很有经验，富有爱心和耐心。每次看到老师批改的作业和评语，我都不禁感叹她们的认真。 此外，立石的文化课也很有特色，比如围棋、书法等等，我们家的小朋友也很喜欢的！
Diana g., PARENT OF A 6 year old
立石双语学校沉浸式课程对生活中缺乏中文环境的孩子学习中文很有帮助，是“学与玩”。我家把孩子送到立石的目的是希望孩子可以用生活化的汉语进行交流，了解一些有趣的中华文化。希望孩子学习另外一种语言是个有趣的经历，而不是个额外的负担。
孩子喜欢立石的课，觉得好玩儿，比如老师精心设计的活动和游戏。玩玩乐乐之间学到很多汉字。孩子有时候会用汉字写个字条给我，会给我讲一些中国地理的常识， 还会提到一些地方小吃。语言本来就是个工具，孩子愿意也能够主动用汉语和我们交流，我们很高兴。他还让我帮他找一些在中国的小朋友进行视频交流。
作为家长，我喜欢立石个性化的课程设计，根据孩子们不同的中文水平，将孩子们分组教学。老师会批改孩子们交的作业，并及时反馈给家长，非常负责任。
yang l., PARENT OF A 8 year old
我的女儿今年8岁，参加了Bilingual Rock Immersion School在Sprague School的Mandarin immersion program, 收获很大。她三岁半来到美国，很快适应了英文语言环境，虽然家长在家坚持说中文，但孩子在学校时间更长，中文退步严重，我们很着急，于是给她报名了这个项目。这个项目就在孩子学校办，非常便利。老师按照孩子的中文水平分成不同组，有针对性地教学。除了培养中文技能，还加入了书画、音乐、棋类等中国传统文化的熏陶，孩子很喜欢。每周与家长的沟通，让我们了解教学进程，帮助孩子在家巩固学到的知识。孩子对中文的学习兴趣因为这个项目提高了，很希望这个项目能够继续在学区的其它学校继续下去。
CINDY W., PARENT OF A 8 year old
People would wonder why send the kids to learn Chinese in school while the parents are Chinese themselves. Yes, we do speak Chinese at home, but it is only limited to listening and speaking, and just about our daily life. Learning the language is far more than this. The immersion program not only teaches them the basic language skills like listening, speaking, reading, and writing so that they can reinforce their skills, but it also exposes them to the Chinese cultures, so they can understand diversity of our world. They celebrate traditional Chinese holidays, discuss about Chinese food and fun places to visit, tell interesting stories, and etc.. They even invite guest speakers to the classroom for special topics too. My kid is definitely having fun.
YICHENG w., PARENT OF A 6 year old
All four of my children take Mandarin. In the beginning I was concerned about one of my children taking Mandarin because he has an IEP and I thought language acquisition might be difficult for him. However, since Mandarin is picture based with characters, he picked up the language with relative ease.
I used to be a teacher myself, so I have been exposed to a lot of research on learning a second language. The sooner a person is exposed to a second language, the better. Mandarin uses both sides of the brain which is wonderful, and if you learn any language as a child, it imprints on the brain differently than acquiring a second language as an adult.
Mandarin, specifically, aligns itself better to math than most languages. This is because many of the numbers are one or two syllables making it easier for kids to recall the numbers. Additionally, twenty in Mandarin translates to two tens, thirty is three tens and so on. As a result, it is easier for kids to understand fractions when they get to that point. Two tens sounds a lot like two tenths. So when a child is thinking about 20/100 or 2/10ths, it is fundamentally similar in Mandarin. As a result, I would hear my kids doing math problems in Mandarin and switch over to English because it was easier for them to think about math in Mandarin than it was in English.
Also, they enjoyed speaking in Mandarin. They would talk to their friends in the car in Mandarin and sing songs in Mandarin. It was really sweet!
Additionally, when my kids meet people who are native Mandarin speakers, the native Mandarin speakers always talk about what terrific Mandarin accents my children have and say that they sound like Chinese children when they are speaking.
There are so many benefits to learning the language as a young child and Mengmeng makes the process fun and interesting. My children love spending time with her!!!
-Desiree W., parent of a 10 year old twins, 11, and 15 year old
Our children love learning a second language. They enjoy teaching their friends words in Chinese and showing off their skills. As parents, we feel that starting them in an immersion program at a very early age has had HUGE benefits. Our children began learning Chinese at just five years old and it came so easily to them - they are like little sponges at that age. It is proven that exposing children to a second language is not only good for their brain development but can also improve their overall academic performance. We are also convinced that by studying Mandarin, our son and daughter will have a better cultural awareness of others and a more diverse worldview later in life. Our kids have been thriving at school - learning Chinese has boosted their confidence and is something that they are very proud of. We are blown away by what they have learned and look forward to seeing where it will take them.
-Lisa L., parent of a 5 and 8 year old
Why Choose Immersion?
There is no better, faster way for children to learn a language than through immersion. Children have a window of a few years during which it is tremendously easy for them to learn languages. They will learn much, much faster than if they wait until they are older. If you want them to absorb more, it makes sense to send as much their way as soon as possible. The sheer volume of the foreign language being used in an immersion program is much higher than an non-immersion approach.
Immersion approach allows the children to learn in the same manner as they learned their first language. It gave our children an opportunity to very quickly learn and communicate in Mandarin. They aren't just learn vocabulary, rather they are learning in an environment where only Mandarin is spoken and their capability to speak the language takes off very quickly.
Why Chinese Mandarin?
It is well-known that more people speak Mandarin than any other language and that the Chinese economy is on pace to become the largest in the world. We feel our children will have a wealth of opportunities in this world--professional, cultural, academic--because of their foundation in Mandarin. Additionally, the uniqueness of Mandarin in composition and its tonal nature have led to different types of cognitive development.
Why send your child to learn a second language early?
I have tried to learn Mandarin along side my children and it is very difficult. I can memorize the characters and learn how to speak but correct pronunciation is very difficult for adults. Children hear the slight differences in tones and pick up on them quickly. It becomes second nature to them. Learning Mandarin at a young age is very easy. As you get older it becomes more difficult.
Any positive effects in their lives of knowing a second language?
Our children are very proud they speak Chinese--a language most children don't know. They love talking with each other in Mandarin and have really embraced learning about Chinese culture.
We were fortunate to have the chance to go to China after our children had had 2 years of immersion mandarin. We were struck by their ability to maintain 30 minute conversations with locals. Our guides thought we were expats living in China because of how strong our children's language skills are.
Even after only 1 year of immersion mandarin, our child was able to hold conversations with locals, negotiate in markets, and order food in restaurants in China. We were amazed by what he could understand and how well he could communicate after just one year of immersion!
Any suggestion for other parents?
We are so grateful our children have had the opportunity to learn Mandarin through immersion at such a young age. Their eyes have been opened to a big world--one with different cultures, customs, and languages. Not only will they become fluent in reading, writing, and speaking Mandarin, but they have a real appreciation for Chinese culture. Mandarin immersion has opened the door for many great opportunities for our children.
Lin Laoshi is one of the best mandarin immersion teachers! She makes learning Mandarin fun! Our children always look forward to being with her. She is engaging, dynamic, energetic and always focused on creating a positive and fun learning environment.