Redding School of the Arts - Mandarin Program

Mandarin Immersion Program

A visual and performing arts public charter school open to all children K-8.

Tailor-made educational program for students who have an interest in the visual and performing arts and/or Mandarin Chinese. Established in 1999.
Mandarin Immersion Program Admission Requirements

Immersion education is a family commitment, a family
investment, and a family experience.

Achieving high levels of oral, reading, and written proficiency in a second language is a long-term process. Parent and student commitment to the program is essential for success and for the school. Immersion programs depend on long-term commitment to control attrition.

In addition to it’s general admission requirements, RSA has the following special requirements for families in the immersion program:

Commitment by the parent/guardian to keep their student(s) in the immersion program at least throughout the elementary grades (K-5).
Recognition by the parent/guardian that the student will have unique opportunities and challenges in this program and a pledge to be both supportive and understanding of the student and the program goals.
Commitment by the parent/guardian to read to the student in English every night at home to reinforce English language development.

Mandarin Immersion Program Goals

Students will be bilingual, bicultural, and biliterate.
Students will be able to meet or exceed state and local content standards in all subject areas.
Students will be at or above grade-level in English language skills.
Students will develop high Mandarin fluency & literacy.
Students will develop an increased cultural awareness.
Students will be sensitive to and appreciative of our diverse society.

Mandarin Immersion at RSA

RSA’s Mandarin Immersion Program is a comprehensive, partial immersion pro-gram with 50% of the curriculum taught in English and 50% taught in Mandarin.
All instruction follows the California curriculum frameworks and meets or exceeds California and local content standards in all subject areas.
School day is approx. 8:00am to 3:00pm.
The curriculum is maximized to increase proficiency in both English and Mandarin across all grade levels.
Language does not exist in a vacuum – it both shapes, and is shaped by, the culture of the people who speak it. Therefore, RSA’s curriculum includes elements of Chinese culture and activities such as arts, food, crafts, traditions, poetry, holidays, music, etc.

Benefits of Early Bilingual Education

Studies show that the human brain is more open to linguistic development in the early years, and children who learn a language before adolescence are more likely to develop native-like pronunciation.
Bilingual learning enhances elementary students’ intellectual development and basic skills and performance, and improves a child’s understanding of his/her native language.
Studying a second language has positive effects on memory, listening, and critical thinking skills.

It is our responsibility to educate students to have knowledge of other world regions, cultures, and global issues, to have skills in communicating in more than one language, and to have respect and consideration for other cultures and peoples.
Why Mandarin Chinese?

The US Government classifies Mandarin Chinese as a Category IV language - one of the most difficult languages for native English speakers to learn. It is best learned in elementary school.
Research suggests that the more difficult the language to learn, the greater the overall cognitive benefits.
Research shows that attaining fluency in a second language, particularly more difficult languages, makes learning a third or more languages much easier.
The four most widely spoken languages in the world:
Chinese: 2 billion+ (Mandarin Chinese: 1 billion+)
English: 514 million
Hindustani: 496 million
Spanish: 425 million
The growth and market potential of China, Taiwan, Singapore and other Mandarin-speaking countries are well known, and the most successful marketing always takes place in the language of the target country.

Immersion Education

Immersion language learning is different than the traditional US model for learning foreign languages of an isolated language class one hour a day several days a week.
In partial immersion programs, a portion of the regular school curriculum is taught in English and a portion is taught in the second language; the new language is the medium for instruction rather than merely the object of instruction.
Immersion teachers initially use engaging teaching techniques to communicate their meaning, and students quickly catch on and understand the new language and the lessons taught.
Students in immersion programs reach higher levels of fluency and literacy than those in traditional language classes.
Immersion learners benefit cognitively, exhibiting greater nonverbal problem-solving abilities and more flexible thinking.
Research consistently shows that immersion education actually enhances English language development over time.

Language is at the heart of the human experience. To relate in a meaningful way to another human being, one must be able to communicate.

To study another language and culture gives one the powerful key to successful communication --- knowing how, when, and why to communicate what with whom.