MANDARIN IMMERSION PROGRAM

Intensive Mandarin

Leading immersion schools have moved to intensive exposure to Chinese, especially in the earliest grades. Even with heritage families who may speak Chinese at home, this exposure is needed in the U.S., where, incidentally, exposure to English will inevitably grow as children get older. The Chinese environment in the early years helps to provide a lot of input, which helps the child to have a strong, intuitive sense of pronunciation and exceptional listening comprehension and sets the stage for an expansive vocabulary in the future. 

At IFS, Mandarin Immersion Works

In 2023, 100% of IFS 2nd graders met the Intermediate level by national ACTFL (American Council on Teaching Foreign Languages) standards in speaking and listening. This means our 2nd-grade graduates can engage in conversation on concrete topics, such as their self and family, daily activities, and personal preferences. 

Because they began study early and have already achieved a high level of proficiency for their age group, with continued study, they are on track to reach the highest levels of language performance. “Time as a critical component for developing language performance” graph

Formal assessments begin with kindergarten at IFS. Our 2023 kindergarten and first graders also reached high levels of Mandarin proficiency in speaking, listening, and reading, putting them on the same trajectory as our second-grade students. 

The Right Amount of English

Despite only 10% English instruction time in preschool, 15% English instruction time in kindergarten, and approximately 25% English instruction in 1st to 3rd grade, 75% of our first graders and 70% of our second graders tested at grade level or higher.

Instructional Language

Early Childhood Program

Preschool & pre-kindergarten

85% Mandarin

10 % English

5% Spanish

Elementary Program

Kindergarten

80% Mandarin

15 % English

5% Spanish

First Grade

75% Mandarin

25% English

Second Grade

75% Mandarin

25% English

Third Grade

70% Mandarin

30% English

The amount of English instruction increases as our students continue in the program. By 5th grade, 50% of the program is in English and 50% in Chinese. 

Temporary Lag for Immersion Students
Research has shown that a temporary lag in English appears for students in immersion language programs. However, as their English instruction increases this lag disappears. Recent research has shown that by 5th grade immersion students outperform monolingual peers by 7 months.