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(609) 375-8015 |
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A: It's an important question. Please refer to the "why Chinese" section under "Resources."
A: According to the Center for Applied Linguistics, immersion programs are the fastest growing and most effective type of world language program currently available in U.S. Students develop proficiency in the target language by hearing and using it to learn school subjects rather than by merely studying the language itself. The goal is for students to become proficient in both English and the target language and develop increased cultural awareness and metacognitive skills while reaching a high level of academic achievement. Read more about "immersion at YHIS".
A: Two-way Immersion (TWI) is sometimes called dual immersion, bilingual immersion, or dual language immersion. In this type of program and by the example of our school, student population consists of native English speakers, native Chinese speakers, and Chinese heritage students (whose parents use primarily Chinese in the home). A 1:1 ratio is considered ideal for the two language groups of English speakers and Chinese speakers, but a minimum of one-third of each language group (i.e., a 2:1 ratio) is essential. An academically challenging learning environment is provided to bring children from two different language groups together to learn from and with each other in an integrated setting. The languages of instruction involve both English and Chinese language. Click here for more information, including advantages for your child in a Two-way Immersion Program (Source: The Two-Way Immersion Toolkit).
A: At YHIS, no prior knowledge of Chinese is required of students entering grades from pre-school through first grade. Starting in second grade, a student will need to have a basic understanding of the Chinese language in order to benefit from the rigorous and challenging bilingual curriculum.
A:There is no evidence to indicate that learning in two languages will confuse or slow a student's rate of progress. There is, however, significant research to indicate that immersion education have major advantages. Click here for a helpful FAQ prepared by Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition.
A:Our programs are designed for children of English-speaking families as well as for families whose dominant language is other than English. For families where Chinese is not spoken, additional effort may be made to bring Chinese into their homes, from watching educational programs in Chinese, to participating in celebration of Chinese language and culture.
A: Parents can support students at home by making sure that they have the right environment and tools to get homework done (e.g., a quiet space and enough time, paper, dictionaries in both languages, writing utensils, and art supplies such as construction paper, paste, tape, and colored makers). Parents can also ask questions about the homework in the language spoken at home, thus giving the students opportunities to explain the assignment in their first language. School will also provide homework support in the form of frequent communication between the teacher and the parents. The teachers also describe the topics that are being taught and provide an overview of homework assignments for the week, along with written guidance for complicated assignments (and perhaps some models of completed assignments). Teachers may also set up a class buddy system, matching an English-speaking student with a Chinese-speaking student. If your child stays for the after-school program, homework support is also provided there on a daily basis.
A: In any school, there is variability in student achievement in any given subject. Factors such as family, time invested, and outside exposure all play a part. We see students that consistently outperform their counterparts in general education, as well as students needing a period of adjustment. Research shows that immersion actually reinforces English language development in the long term. After three to four years, immersion students typically do as well as or better in English than their peers in general education.
A: As an independent school, YHIS does not participate in state standardized testing. Starting in the 3rd grade, we evaluate our students through the ERB (Educational Records Bureau) tests which are used nation-wide to test private school students and some high achieving, academically-oriented public school students. Furthermore, our curriculum has been mapped to New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards while following the framework of inquiry-based, internationally-focused International Baccalaureate. We do not teach to the test, but use the state standards as guidelines. Our unique curriculum gives our teachers and students greater flexibility for in-depth, engaged, and rigorous learning.
A: For our regular school-year program, children of 3- and 4-year olds can choose from full-day (9 am - 3:30 pm) and half-day (9 am - 12:30 pm) schedules. Children of kindergarten and up are required to attend school 5 full days, with the options of before- and after-school care. We offer a multi-week Chinese immersion summer camp from late June to late August every year, and daily after-school program throughout the school year.
A: Please contact us during school hours at (609) 375-8015 or through email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Personal tours of the school can be arranged by appointment. There are also school events such as Open Classrooms, Chinese New Year Celebration, Language Delight, and so on that are open to the community, where you can experience YHIS in an authentic and in-depth way.
A: It's an important question. Please refer to the "why Chinese" section under "Resources."
A: According to the Center for Applied Linguistics, immersion programs are the fastest growing and most effective type of world language program currently available in U.S. Students develop proficiency in the target language by hearing and using it to learn school subjects rather than by merely studying the language itself. The goal is for students to become proficient in both English and the target language and develop increased cultural awareness and metacognitive skills while reaching a high level of academic achievement.
Read more about "immersion at YHIS".
A: Two-way Immersion (TWI) is sometimes called dual immersion, bilingual immersion, or dual language immersion. In this type of program and by the example of our school, student population consists of native English speakers, native Chinese speakers, and Chinese heritage students (whose parents use primarily Chinese in the home). A 1:1 ratio is considered ideal for the two language groups of English speakers and Chinese speakers, but a minimum of one-third of each language group (i.e., a 2:1 ratio) is essential. An academically challenging learning environment is provided to bring children from two different language groups together to learn from and with each other in an integrated setting. The languages of instruction involve both English and Chinese language.
A: There are three major advantages for students of both language backgrounds.
The first advantage is that students develop full oral and reading and writing proficiency in two languages. This allows them to see their first language in a comparative perspective, which in turn helps them analyze and refine their language use.
A second advantage is that students not only achieve at levels that are similar to or higher than those of their monolingual peers on standardized tests of reading and math in English, but in addition they are able to read and write at or near grade level in another language. This in turn positively affects general academic performance.
The third advantage is attitudinal: students in TWI programs develop positive attitudes about people of other language and cultural backgrounds, and positive attitudes toward themselves as learners. These students usually show a great deal of diversity in their friendship choices. In a very real sense, students in TWI programs become more confident because they are better prepared to engage in a global society that values multiculturalism and bilingualism. (source: The Two-Way Immersion Toolkit )
A: At YHIS, no prior knowledge of Chinese is required of students entering pre-school through first grade. Starting in second grade, a student will need to have a basic understanding of the Chinese language in order to benefit from the rigorous and challenging bilingual curriculum.
A: There is no evidence to indicate that learning in two languages will confuse or slow a student's rate of progress. There is, however, significant research to indicate that immersion education have major advantages. Click here for a helpful FAQ prepared by Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition.
A: Our programs are designed for children of English-speaking families as well as for families whose dominant language is other than English. For families where Chinese is not spoken, additional effort may be made to bring Chinese into their homes, from watching educational programs in Chinese, to participating in celebration of Chinese language and culture.
A: Parents can support students at home by making sure that they have the right environment and tools to get homework done (e.g., a quiet space and enough time, paper, dictionaries in both languages, writing utensils, and art supplies such as construction paper, paste, tape, and colored makers). Parents can also ask questions about the homework in the language spoken at home, thus giving the students opportunities to explain the assignment in their first language. School will also provide homework support in the form of frequent communication between the teacher and the parents. The teachers also describe the topics that are being taught and provide an overview of homework assignments for the week, along with written guidance for complicated assignments (and perhaps some models of completed assignments). Teachers may also set up a class buddy system, matching an English-speaking student with a Chinese-speaking student. If your child stays for the after-school program, homework support is also provided there on a daily basis.
A: In any school, there is variability in student achievement in any given subject. Factors such as family, time invested, and outside exposure all play a part. We see students that consistently outperform their counterparts in general education, as well as students needing a period of adjustment. Research shows that immersion actually reinforces English language development in the long term. After three to four years, immersion students typically do as well as or better in English than their peers in general education.
· Q12. If YHIS does not participate in NJASK (New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge), how will I know if my child is meeting New Jersey standards for his/her grade level?
A: As an independent school, YHIS does not participate in state standardized testing. Starting in the 3rd grade, we evaluate our students through the ERB (Educational Records Bureau) tests which are used nation-wide to test private school students and some high achieving, academically-oriented public school students.
Furthermore, our curriculum has been mapped to New Jersey core curriculum standards. We do not teach to the test, but use the state standards as guidelines and benchmarks to meet. We believe this gives our teachers and students greater flexibility for in-depth, engaged, and rigorous learning.
A: For our regular school-year program, children of 3- and 4-year olds can choose from full-day (9 am - 3:30 pm) and half-day (9 am - 12:30 pm) schedules. Children of kindergarten and up are required to attend school 5 full days, with the options of before- and after-school care. We offer a 10-week Chinese immersion summer camp every year, and daily after-school program is also available.
A: There are many useful resources online that can help answer questions you may have about immersion education. You may start with the FAQ prepared by Language Immersion Education Research, Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA): http://www.carla.umn.edu/immersion/FAQs.html The "Two-way Immersion Toolkit" prepared by Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL): http://www.cal.org/twi/toolkit/index.htm
