Next fall, more than 2,300 kindergarten through third grade students will be enrolled in Governor Jack Markell’s World Language Expansion Initiative, as six more schools across the state begin offering students the opportunity to participate in an elementary immersion program studying either Mandarin Chinese or Spanish.

The initiative launched in the 2012-13 school year with four programs in three elementary schools. An annual investment of $1.9 million will support programs reaching nearly 10,000 students in K-8 immersion programs by 2022.

“We know that the most natural language learning and the most effective language instruction happens when students start the process as early as possible. By continuing to expand language learning in Delaware, we have the chance to provide our kids an edge in a multilingual and multicultural workforce and meet our need to build a talent base in Delaware that will compete, lead and win on a global stage,” said Markell, who announced the expansion this afternoon at an event celebrating a new partnership with Wanxiang that will give Delaware high school students the chance to study abroad in China.

Schools already participating in the initiative include: Caesar Rodney School District’s McIlvaine Early Childhood Center, Frear Elementary and Simpson Elementary (all Mandarin Chinese); Capital School District’s South Dover Elementary (Spanish); Christina School District’s Downes (Mandarin Chinese) and Pulaski (Spanish) elementary schools; Indian River School District’s Clayton and East Millsboro elementary schools (both Spanish); Red Clay Consolidated School District’s Lewis Elementary (Spanish); and Seaford School District’s Blades and West Seaford elementary schools (both Spanish).

An additional six schools in five districts will begin offering the program for the 2015-2016 school year. They are:

• Spanish Immersion Programs
  • Appoquinimink School District’s Townsend Early Childhood Center continuing to Silver Lake Elementary
  • Appoquinimink School District’s Townsend Early Childhood Center continuing to Townsend Elementary
  • Brandywine School District’s Claymont Elementary
  • Capital School District’s East Dover Elementary School
  • Colonial School District’s Wilbur Elementary
• Mandarin Chinese Immersion Programs
  • Colonial School District’s New Castle Elementary School

In addition, students participating in the first year of implementation of Spanish immersion at McIlvaine Early Childhood Center will continue their involvement at Brown Elementary School.

Delaware’s immersion model includes 50 percent instruction in the world language and 50 percent in English. Classes have two teachers – one for each language. The program includes one-way immersion, with predominantly native English speakers, as well as two-way immersion, with two language groups such as native English and native Spanish speakers. In the program, children are taught academic content in both languages. The focus is to build proficiency. The Delaware kindergarteners entering the program will be able to continue their immersion study into middle school and achieve Advanced Placement credit in ninth grade. In high school, they will be encouraged to study an additional language as well as continue their immersion language study through dual credit offerings.

Appoquinimink Superintendent Matt Burrows is excited his district will be offering two programs next year.

“Giving our students exposure to an internationally-focused education and fluency in more than one language means Delaware grads will be highly sought after by top colleges, universities and employers not only for their language skills, but for their ability to interact effectively with people around the world in either their first or second language,” he said.

Learn more about Appoquinimink’s immersion program by watching this video (http://www.apposchooldistrict.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=248404&type=d).

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Partnership with leading Chinese company is part of expansion of world language education opportunities

Wilmington, DE – Having made it a priority to offer Delaware students the best opportunities to learn a second language, Governor Markell today announced a China summer abroad program for high school students studying Mandarin. The Governor signed an agreement with representatives of Wanxiang Group, China’s largest auto parts manufacturer, for students to study at the company’s facility in Hangzhou, China, where they will take daily language classes, visit local schools, participate in cultural activities, and tour sites of science and technology companies.

“To prepare students for good-paying jobs in our global economy, the value of learning a second language is clear,” said Governor Markell. “And there is no better way to become immersed in another language and culture than to live it.

“This partnership provides an amazing chance for our young people to not only dramatically improve their fluency in a second language, but also become more familiar with a different culture in the world’s second-largest economy. I strongly encourage students taking Chinese and their families to consider this opportunity.”

Joined by students and teachers from Mandarin Chinese classes at Conrad Schools of Science, Markell signed an agreement with Wanxiang Project Manager Daniel Li, who represented Executive Vice President of Wanxiang Group Pin Ni. The document provides a grant from Wanxiang for about $450,000 to fund study abroad sessions in 2015 and 2016, with up to 24 students and four teachers participating each year.

“Governor Markell’s vision to bring World Language Chinese to Delaware has not only given Conrad students a leg up in the international science industry going forward, but has afforded our students the opportunity to see and experience another culture from an increasingly interconnected world,” said Mark Pruitt, principal of Conrad Schools of Science.

In outlining the mission of the initiative, the Memorandum of Understanding states: “All programs created as a result of this agreement will help students see language proficiency as a workplace skill that will allow them to compete in the global marketplace of the 21^st century. This partnership will also promote the study of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the field of environmental protection and clean energy solutions and provide opportunities for students to develop international leadership experience.”

Wanxiang, which has participated in President Obama’s 100,000 Strong Initiative to send more American students to study in China, will fund all travel, living, and educational expenses. The partnership with Delaware, known as the Delaware Summer Chinese LInCS (Language Initiative for Communicating STEM) program, is geared toward students interested in real-world opportunities to apply their Chinese language proficiency and cultural knowledge in a STEM context.

“Delaware has made an impressive commitment to world language education and specifically to Chinese language opportunities for its students,” said Pin Ni. “We are proud to partner with Governor Markell and the Department of Education to make available more educational resources for the state as we continue to support President Obama’s 100,000 Strong Initiative.”

Applications are due in March, and students will be chosen in April. Participants will depart in late June.

World Language Expansion in Delaware   Today’s signing ceremony builds on Governor Markell’s push to make Delaware the most bilingual state. At the event, he also announced growth of his World Language Expansion initiative, which gives students the chance to learn half of their subjects in either Spanish or Chinese from kindergarten through eighth grade. Participants aim to become proficient by fourth grade and pass the Advanced Placement language exam by ninth grade. Six new programs will open at schools next fall, bringing the statewide total to 17 programs with more than 2,300 students taking part in what will be the initiative’s fourth year. More details are available at news.delaware.gov.

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