ALL ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF CHARLOTTESVILLE
My first foreign language exposure came through an extracurricular Saturday morning program. There, we shellacked our drawings of the French flag onto squares of painted wood one week and baked French bread another. But it’s only because of a French conversation class my husband and I are currently taking that I know the words dessiner, le drapeau, cuisiner and le pain.
Language immersion, becoming bilingual, and global citizenship weren’t part of my childhood. But these ideas define the mission at the International School of Charlottesville (ISC).
Language Immersion at the International School of Charlottesville
What does language immersion education look like?
Students usually enter the program at 2 or 3 years old. According to ISC’s Head of School Tini Bennett, whose children are students there, their days look like any typical preschooler’s. “The main difference,” says Bennett, “is their whole day is in Spanish or their whole day is in French.”
The ISC is the area’s only language immersion school. The ISC currently offers French and Spanish immersion experiences for just over 140 preschool through 3rd-grade students. The school plans to add a grade each year until it tops out at 5th grade.
Meet the Staff
Teachers in the program hail from 14 different countries. These include France, Argentina, Chile, Togo, Canada, Spain, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Together, teachers bring both language expertise and cultural richness. Students absorb that richness alongside their language acquisition. They learn to appreciate, for example, how different places celebrate the same holidays differently, or how some places celebrate entirely different holidays.
LANGUAGE LEARNING AT THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
How do children approach learning in a language they don’t yet know? “It’s really just like how you learn everything else,” says Bennett. “You practice your language in every aspect of your day. You acquire your language, but you’re also in the process of acquiring other skills. You can’t separate the two.”
Children begin with no prior exposure to the target language and gain fluency over the next few years. “It’s just woven naturally into the day. The natural discussions of the day, interacting with the children, it’s all in that target language,” says Director of Admissions Danielle Schaeber. “They’re such sponges in those younger years, they really absorb everything, and because the structure of the day is the same every day, they pick up on social cues, too.”
When children are learning their native languages at home, we echo their words back to them, correcting by example rather than pointing out errors. Similarly, says Schaeber, “Teachers repeat a lot, too, which is a big way for children to develop and understand language.”
If they’re learning a language at school, does that mean parents need to be learning or speaking it at home, too? “Parents don’t need to be able to speak the language at home,” Bennett says. In fact, sometimes it’s better if they don’t. “The children who are most successful in a new language are really strong in their native language,” she says. “The best thing you can do for your child is to continue to practice their home language.”
Progressive Education at the International School of Charlottesville
Aside from language immersion, the rest of the learning experience feels like most other progressive education experiences. Classrooms are organized into learning centers. Students learn to read and write, and to develop math skills. They go outside, rain or shine, to play, explore, and exercise. They grow and learn and make friends. And, at the ISC, they become bilingual along the way.
“They learn by absorbing at the beginning,” says Bennett, “and then by speaking. We typically see fluency happening somewhere between 1st and 2nd grades.”
Language acquisition is the name of the game at the ISC. But when students graduate from the program and move into more traditional schools, Bennett says the transition is generally simple since kids have already been learning the subjects they need for any academic environment. “We’ve developed our curriculum based on our children having a successful transition from 5th grade into middle school,” says Bennett.
Advantages of Learning Languages Young
There are many advantages to learning a language so young. Little kids are learning sponges because their brains and bodies are still developing. As we grow, our vocalizations shape our vocal cords and the body parts that we use to make sounds. This tunes our bodies for the sounds of our own languages. “If children start younger,” says Bennett, “they can acquire a new language without an accent.” They’re tuning their bodies to make those other sounds, too.
Early language learning transfers to language aptitude later, too. “A lot of research shows, if you grow up bilingually, by the time you hit 4th and 5th grade, your linguistic ability in any language takes off,” says Bennett. Plus, early exposure builds children’s curiosity about other languages. “It helps with a lot of basic skills, such as spelling, understanding and deciphering new words, finding root words,” says Bennett.
Mastery of skills like these sets students up for long-term success.
Mastery of skills like these sets students up for long-term success. “Proficiently bilingual people have statistically better scores [on SATs and similar tests],” says Bennett. Recognizing language root words pays off for students learning math and science terms, too.
Language skills have benefits outside the classroom, too. “Some of the parents who come to visit the school didn’t take another language, or they took it later in life, and they see themselves at a disadvantage,” says Schaeber. “They want their children to learn another language so they don’t feel at a disadvantage if they decide to travel the world, and also to expand them culturally, to open their eyes to all the places these languages are spoken in the world.”
The Link Between Language & Global Citizenship
This is where global citizenship comes into play. A major aim of multilingual education is, Bennet says, “understanding the world is made up of lots of different languages, lots of different cultures, different worldviews. We want [our students] to have an innate understanding of differences across cultures.”
In our increasingly multicultural world, such understanding is a priceless skill. Did you know that the population of Charlottesville City Schools includes speakers of 39 different languages? There are 81 languages spoken in Albemarle County Public Schools. This diversity of languages comes from the University of Virginia student and faculty community, as well as Charlottesville’s immigrant resettlement programs. Even our area’s thriving hospitality and viticultural industries draw chefs, restaurant workers, hoteliers, vintners, and vineyard workers from around the world.
The ISC’s philosophy of embracing cultural diversity is what attracts many families to the school. “Understanding that the world is made up of lots of different cultures,” says Bennett, “creates a culture of openness and acceptance and leads to a more peaceful worldview.”
HISTORY OF THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
The ISC began in 1998 as La Petite Ecole, a mostly parent-driven preschool. It has since grown into a fully staffed and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accredited language-immersion preschool and elementary program. The school is moving toward International Baccalaureate accreditation as well. Its brand-new building, off Linden Avenue in Charlottesville’s Belmont neighborhood, opened its doors to students January 2.
Building and Classrooms
Before moving into their new forever home, “We spent 20 years in the basements of old churches with suboptimal lighting and suboptimal plumbing,” says Bennett. With so much time to imagine their ideal space, the result fits the school’s needs to a T. “It’s a very purpose-built space,” she says.
Every light-filled classroom has its own bathroom, built-in sinks, and access to the outdoors. Children can enjoy the school’s playground and even spill into the adjoining four acres of Rives Park. Their multipurpose area includes separate visual arts and performance arts spaces. These can be joined into a single space large enough to gather the entire school community. They can also host special events, such as the recent Lion Dance that Laughing Dragon Kung Fu performed to celebrate Lunar New Year.
Building a Close Community
Despite their recent growth, the ISC is committed to sustaining the family-like culture that has defined the school since its inception. “We know all the kids by their name. We’ve met their siblings. We know their dogs’ names,” Bennett says. Schaeber adds, “We want all our families to feel like they’re part of this community.” With their own children at the school, when Bennett and Schaeber say the school feels like family, they know what they’re talking about.
Small class sizes, with a 1:10 teacher-student ratio, are one source of the school’s close-knit vibe. Another is after-school programming. This includes opportunities for alumni to return for lessons to maintain their language proficiency, allowing families to stay connected after their students age out of the program.
A mutual commitment to raising global citizens also brings people together. “As a mom, I’ve made really great friends here,” Bennett says. “We align philosophically on what world we want our children to grow up in. We want them to be global citizens, open-minded.” These shared values deepen the friendships in the community.
THE FUTURE OF THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF CHARLOTTESVILLE
Now that the ISC has secured its home base, it’s time to reach out. In addition to helping its students become global citizens, the school wants to act as a resource for the Charlottesville area. “We really want to be a community asset,” says Bennett.
One particularly valuable resource is their teaching staff. “We have teachers here who are language immersion experts,” Bennett says. This could make the ISC an excellent resource for other area language programs. Their building is another resource. “Our school isn’t utilized in evenings or on weekends,” Bennett says. This lets the school offer free meeting space for the International Rescue Committee and other local agencies that align with the school’s vision.
In all that they do, preserving their close community is paramount. “We’ve just grown,” Bennett says, “but we’re not a big school, and we’ll never be a huge school.”
is a mom who has chaperoned her share of school tours and local historic places, and every time she learns something new. Viva la history! Learn more about her writing at jodyhobbshesler.com.