Frequently asked Questions about German-American Education
What is a German-American education?
An
education at GSP is an opportunity to widen your child’s world
through the unique experience of a dual language environment, where
both the German and the American languages and cultures are taught and
appreciated. We offer children the chance to experience the wonder of
another culture and an invitation to see themselves as part of a global
community. An education at GSP introduces your child to another
language that is spoken by over 120 million people worldwide through
the sciences, medicine, music, philosophy, and art. All of our core
classroom teachers have native or near-native fluency in the languages
and cultures they teach, and have received their education in Germany,
Austria or Switzerland. They hold a teaching degree from an accredited
U.S. or German institution and are additionally trained to be sensitive
to American culture and customs. Our faculty lives in the United States
by choice and is committed to the bilingual education of your children.
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What does immersion really mean?
In
the bilingual environment at GSP, the second language is not the
primary target of learning, but rather the vehicle of instruction. We
like to think of it as a dual language experience. Our goal is to
further a child’s academic, artistic, physical and emotional
development by building:
- Comprehensive skills and content area knowledge
- A high level of proficiency in German
- English language skills commensurate with the student’s age
- Positive attitudes toward all languages and cultures
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At what age does the “window of opportunity” close for a child to easily learn another language?
Recent
brain research indicates that there is a “window” for
learning language in the young child that has nearly closed by the time
he or she reaches the age of ten. Introducing a second language to a
young child during this critical period takes advantage of the unique
ability to learn it easily and naturally. Studies have consistently
shown that immersion students do as well as, and may surpass,
comparable non-immersion students on measures of verbal and math skills.
Immersion students have been found to:
- Experience positive effects on intellectual growth and attain a higher self-image
- Achieve equal or higher levels than their peers, even when testing is in English
- Perform as well as, or better than monolingual peers on math, science, social studies, reading and English tests
- Attain higher SAT and ACT scores, especially in verbal areas
In
addition, immersion students can be expected to easily fulfill the
newly mandated Oregon State Certificates of Initial and Advanced
Mastery of a foreign language.
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How quickly will my child develop German language skills?
The
rate at which your child will become fluent in German depends on a
number of factors. The more time a child spends in the German
environment, the more quickly language fluency will develop. It also
depends on the child; some children are natural language learners and
will start speaking rather quickly. Even after two weeks, children
generally understand the basic content of their classroom instruction.
In children’s own usage, words, songs and rhymes emerge quickly.
True communication usually begins after five or six months. Parents can
supplement school immersion by arranging play dates with German
speaking classmates or checking out tapes, books and videos from the
School.
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With immersion in German, will my child’s English suffer?
Research
in the US and Canada suggests that students¹ English language
skills do not vary significantly whether they are taught in English 20%
of the time or 50% of the time. However, the research concluded that
there is a significant drop in foreign language acquisition when
students are taught more than 50% of the time in English. Thus, we
teach in English approximately 35% to 40% of the time in order to
maximize both English and German language skills. Formal English
instruction begins in first grade to develop skills in both languages.
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What if I do not speak German?
Approximately
75% of our students come from families where no German is spoken in the
home. You can rest assured knowing that you can learn along with your
child, get involved with our School-community groups for exposure or
simply support your child with an open mind. We work hard to keep
language from being a barrier.
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