Critical Thinking Paper

Foreign Language Education the in

Montgomery County Public Schools
System
Bridget Laas
CAP 9
Blue Group
March 20, 2016

The MCPS Board of Education must improve and expand the full foreign language
immersion program to give everyone in the county equal access to these programs because it is
easier to learn a second language before adolescence, learning a second language improves
students overall academic performance, and opens up opportunities that regular programs
cannot. An immersion program is where students are taught the curriculum in a second
language. Language is the medium for teaching content rather than the subject of instruction
(Potomac ES). In a partial immersion environment students learn a portion of the curriculum in
a second language, whereas a full immersion program teaches all core subjects in the second
language (Potomac ES). The Montgomery County Public Schools System currently offers full
and partial immersion education in only 7 out of its 133 elementary schools, 4 out of its 38
middle schools and offers no immersion options at the high school level (MCPS). Each
immersion elementary school admits about 26 to 52 new kindergarteners every year, depending
on whether there are one or two immersion classes per grade. This is not counting siblings of
students who have already passed through the program who automatically receive a slot in most
of these programs. Approximately 273 slots is simply not enough to provide ample immersion
opportunities for the thousands of incoming kindergarteners that enroll in MCPS elementary
schools each year (MCPS).
Immersion programs are exceedingly beneficial to students for a
number of reasons; for one, the earlier a child is exposed to a language, the
easier it is for that child to become fluent in that language. By the time most
kids start taking a foreign language, at 11 or 12, when they enter middle
school, it is often too late for them to become truly fluent (The Benefits of
Learning a Language Young). This is not to say that older students cannot

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acquire a second language, it just becomes much more difficult to develop a

mastery of the language if one begins later (Strauss). Young children have
the capacity to develop near native-like pronunciation and intonation in a
new language (Abbott), while older learners find this much more difficult
because they have missed their windows of opportunity or periods in which
the young brain seems more adept at absorbing language structure and new
sounds (Strauss).
Many people worry that learning a second language at a young age
could impede a students performance in their native language; in fact, quite
the opposite is true. While it is true that in many full immersion programs
where students do not take classes in English until 2nd to 5th grade, students
experience a temporary lag in specific English language skills such as
spelling, capitalization, punctuation, word knowledge, and word
discrimination (Fortune), it is also true that within a year or two after
instruction in English language arts begins, the lag disappears (Fortune). In
the long run, students who are enrolled in bilingual programs often outperform their non-bilingual counterparts not only in the cognitive linguistic
department, but also in verbal and, surprisingly to some, the math sections
of standardized tests (Caccavale). Early bilingual students also exhibit
better problem-solving skills, enhanced spatial relations, heightened
creativity, flexible thinking and communication skills, [effectively] helping
[them] consider issues from more than one perspective (The Benefits of
Learning Language Young).
Page 2 of 7

Along with these academic benefits, individuals who are fluent in a

second language can take advantage of many job opportunities that would
otherwise be considered unreachable. In the modern political, economic and
social climate the nation's changing demographics and the globalization of
the economy make it more important than ever for Americans to speak other
languages (Strauss). Modern technologies and communications sow the
seeds for a much more connected and interdependent world that requires
businesses [to] respond[..] to a greater number of people, both employees
and customers, who don't speak English (How Being Bilingual Can Boost
Your Career). Even with this increasing need for bilingual individuals in the
job market, the US never considered the ability to speak a foreign language
an essential talent (Berger); in fact, the US does not have a national
requirement for students to learn a foreign language in school, whereas
the typical European pupil must study multiple languages in the classroom
before becoming a teen (Devlin). Most European and Asian countries require
students [to] begin studying their first foreign language between the
ages of 6 and 9 (Delvin) while most Americans do not get the chance until
high school or in the grades just before -- at too advanced an age to soak in
quirky words and syntax with the nimbleness needed for fluency (Berger). In
the diverse modern world, the mainly monolingual United States is at a
disadvantage to the multilingual European and Asian Countries with whom it
competes.

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Not only are American students not nationally required to take a

foreign language, but the classes that are provided, are usually only
available at the middle and high school level, emphasize fine points of
grammar over conversation, and do not place the language in a cultural
context or make it relevant to students' lives which is a recipe for failure
(Strauss). According to Sheri Long, the interim head of the University of
Alabama at Birmingham's foreign language learning department, simple
phrases and grammatical structures will not help in real communication
because they will not help one remember a word because you have no
visual cue. Rather than focusing on grammar, simple or usesful phrases,
and vocabulary, schools should put young child[ren] in situations where
the second language surrounds them such as immersion programs provide
(Lang).
Immersion programs immerse students in a foreign language at a young age and allow
students to learn the language naturally through communicating with other students and teachers
in that language and reading complex texts and novels. Immersion students, especially full
immersion students are known to consistently develop native-like levels of comprehension,
such as listening and reading skills, in their second language (Fortune). Even though language
immersion programs are widely regarded as an ideal way to learn a second language, only
slightly over 100 public schools in the U.S. have foreign language immersion programs
(Caccavale). In MCPS, which likes to fancy itself as one of the best public school systems in the
nation, only 11 out of its 202 public schools include immersion programs and only three of those
are full immersion programs (MCPS).

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MCPS Language Immersion Programs

SCHOOL
Sligo Creek Elementary School
Maryvale Elementary School
Burnt Mills Elementary School
Rolling Terrace Elementary School
Rock Creek Forest Elementary School
College Gardens Elementary School
Potomac Elementary School
Gaithersburg Middle School
Silver Spring International Middle
School
Silver Spring International Middle
School
Westland Middle School
Hoover Middle School

LANGUA
GE
TYPE
French
Full
French
Full
Spanish
Partial
Spanish
Partial
Spanish
Full
Mandarin
Partial
Mandarin
Partial
French
Partial
French
Spanish
Spanish
Mandarin

# OF
STUDENTS
300
285
No Data
265
300
130
142
48

# OF
TEACHERS
13
15
No Data
10
13
4
4
2

Partial

80

Partial
Partial
Partial

60
88
25

2
2
1

"Directory of Foreign Language Immersion Programs in U.S. Schools." Center for Applied Linguistics, 3 May 2011

Immersion programs may be a better option than the typical middle and high school
language courses, but they still have their flaws; for instance, partial immersion programs are
less effective than full immersion programs, there are few middle school and no high school
courses designed for immersion students, and MCPS only offers three different languages
French, Spanish and Mandarin. In MCPS, partial immersion students only receive full day
foreign language instruction in kindergarten and sometimes first grade. After that, students spend
a maximum of half the day studying the foreign language in elementary school (MCPS). In full
immersion programs, on the other hand, students are introduced to English in fourth grade,
where they are given a total of 90 minutes of instruction in English per week and then about 3 to
4 hours of English instruction per week in fifth grade (Maryvale ES). As a result, partial
immersion students receive considerably less time honing their language skills and practicing
with their peers than full immersion students. It has been proven time and time again that the
more time spent learning through the non-English language, the higher the level of proficiency

Page 5 of 7

attained (Fortune). Partial immersion students not only receive less time studying the language,
but also spend their foreign language portion of the day studying the math and science
curricula (Rolling Terrace ES). If the purpose of learning a foreign language is to be able to
carry on conversations with individuals who speak different languages, knowing math and
science terminology in that language is largely unhelpful. When communicating with native
speakers, knowing Newtons laws in Spanish, French or Mandarin, for instance, is generally not
very useful because people do not usually discuss Newtons laws in every day conversation.
In the past, nothing has been done to remedy these problems and there seems to be a
general disinterest and neglect for nurturing, expanding, and improving the immersion programs
countywide. This needs to change. The MCPS Board of education must secure funding from the
state government to implement a fifteen-year plan to expand the existing full immersion
programs to all MCPS schools.
For this plan to work, the transition must be incremental and follow the full immersion
model of study. In elementary school, students will take all of their classes in the foreign
language until fourth grade, when they will have a total of 90 minutes of instruction in English
per week. The program of incremental expansion will begin by implementing a few kindergarten
full immersion classes the first year. The second year, immersion first grade classes can be added
for that first group of students and at the same time more kindergarten classes are added in other
schools.
Years 1-5 of my Plan

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# OF ELEMENTARY
SCHOOLS

YEAR

(Each color

1
2
2
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5

10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10

GRADES
OFFERED
K
K, 1
K
K, 1, 2
K, 1
K
K,1,2,3
K,1,2
K,1
K
K,1,2,3,4
K,1,2,3
K,1,2
K,1
K

represents a

different group of students)

As the color coded model above shows, after 5 years, 50 of the 133 MCPS elementary
schools will have immersion classes. This will allow for easier budgeting and staffing during the
implementation of the program; in addition, it will allow for the continual improvement of the
program each year through a lesson learned process.
At year 7, the first group of students will enter middle school and the program will
expand in a similar fashion. The same is true for year 10, when the first group enters high school.
Throughout middle and high school, students will take two immersion language classes. One is a
language and literature class where students explore culture and read culturally significant novels
and texts in the foreign language. The other is a grammar and oral interpretation class where
students learn the finer points of grammar as well as engage in debates and possibly even go out
into the community to converse with people who speak the language and perform community
service. The rest of their classes will be conducted in English.

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Students who are having difficulties performing up to standards on English standardized

tests should not be excluded from immersion programs; instead, measures such as afterhours
English support with one on one tutoring can be implemented to help students succeed. Dropping
the language usually is not the right option, studies show that learning a second language actually
helps one improve their own native language (Strauss).
The gradual ramping-up of the immersion program will allow the hiring of just a few new
teachers each year and many of those new hires would replace retiring teachers. Thus, the
program relies not so much on additional dollars, but on the reallocation of the existing budget.
Next year, this proposal could be brought before the annual budget hearings that are
usually held in the first three months of each year (MCPS). There, the MCPS Board of Education
could discuss and finalize necessary logistics of the plan and decide which languages should be
taught in immersion programs countywide.
Full immersion programs start students on a foreign language early by allowing them to
gain a level of fluency that would otherwise be difficult to obtain, improves students overall
academic performance, and open up a new realm of job opportunities once they graduate.
Although the benefits of immersion education are well established, the US falls behind most
other countries on language studies and bilingualism (Devlin). In order to break down this barrier
in global communication, the Montgomery County Public Schools System must do its part to
improve, expand and nurture a wide variety of language immersion programs throughout the
county.

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Works Cited
"The Benefits of Learning Language Young." Language Stars. Language Stars, n.d. Web. 20
Mar. 2016. <http://www.languagestars.com/program-overview/programs/parents-andtots/14-programs/curriculum/66-the-benefits-of-learning-language-young.html>.
Berger, Joseph. "Building a Nation of Polyglots, Starting With the Very Young." New York Times
[New York] 14 Nov. 2007: n. pag. ProQuest. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://search.proquest.com/docview/433725287/4628B407D0564929PQ/2?
accountid=1095#>.
Delvin, Kat. "Learning a foreign language a must in Europe, not so in America." Pew Research
Center. Pew Research Center, 13 July 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/13/learning-a-foreign-language-a-mustin-europe-not-so-in-america/>.
"Directory of Foreign Language Immersion Programs in U.S. Schools." Center for Applied
Linguistics. Center for Applied Linguistics, 3 May 2011. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://webapp.cal.org/Immersion/ImmersionList.aspx>.
Fortune, Tara Williams. "What the Research Says About Immersion." Center for Advanced
Research on Language Acquisition. University of Minnesota, 26 Mar. 2014. Web. 20
Mar. 2016.
<http://carla.umn.edu/immersion/documents/ImmersionResearch_TaraFortune.html>.
"French Immersion." Maryvale Elementary School. MCPS, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/maryvalees/frenchimmersion/>.
"Frequently Asked Questions." Potomac Elementary School. MCPS, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/potomaces/immersion/faq.aspx>. This

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gave helpful information about the Chinese immersion program.

"How Being Bilingual Can Boost Your Career." iSeek. Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.iseek.org/news/fw/fw6715FutureWork.html>.
"Immersion Programs Lottery Process Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)." MCPS. MCPS, n.d.
Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/curriculum/specialprograms/admi
ssions/Attachment%20D%20Immersion%20FAQs%20(2).pdf>.
Lang, Susan S. "Learning a second language is good childhood mind medicine, studies find."
Cornell Chronicle. Cornell University, 12 May 2009. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2009/05/learning-second-language-goodchildhood-mind-medicine>.
"Office of the Superintendent of Schools MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS."
MCPS. MCPS, 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/9VS5KV72BF3E/$file/Study
%20MCPS%20Choice%20Other%20Spec%20Progs.pdf>.
"Schools & Facilities." Montgomery County Public Schools. Montgomery County Public
Schools, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016. <http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/about/>.
Strauss, Valerie. "Language Classes Leave Students Tongue-Tied; Context Called More Crucial
Than Grammar in Learning to Converse." The Washington Post [DC] 3 June 2003: n.
pag. ProQuest. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://search.proquest.com/docview/409463553/F5F96BD2E23A46BEPQ/1?
accountid=1095#>.

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Annotated Bibliography
"The Benefits of Learning Language Young." Language Stars. Language Stars, n.d. Web. 20
Mar. 2016. <http://www.languagestars.com/program-overview/programs/parents-andtots/14-programs/curriculum/66-the-benefits-of-learning-language-young.html>. This
sight gave helpful background information about the benefits of learning a second
language before adolescence.
Berger, Joseph. "Building a Nation of Polyglots, Starting With the Very Young." New York Times
[New York] 14 Nov. 2007: n. pag. ProQuest. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://search.proquest.com/docview/433725287/4628B407D0564929PQ/2?
accountid=1095#>. This helped me gain insight into other immersion programs around
the country.
Bostwick, Mike. "What is Immersion?" Katoh Gakuen English Immersion/Bilingual Program.
International Baccalaureate, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016. <http://bilingual.com/about_us_0151.php>. This gave helpful insight into different interpretations
of what the term "immersion" means.
Brachfeld, Melissa J. "Chinese Immersion Program growing strong as an ox." The Gazette. The
Gazette, 4 Feb. 2009. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.gazette.net/stories/02042009/rocknew205555_32475.shtml>. This article
provided me with general information about the mandarin immersion programs in
MCPS.
"Burnt Mills Elementary School Instructional Program." Burnt Mills Elementary School. MCPS,
n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/burntmillses/news/Instru

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ctional%20Program%202014%202015.pdf>. This helped me corroborate what partial

immersion entails in MCPS and understand exactly what classes Burnt Mills immersion
students take in spanish and when.
Chen, Grace. "Full Language Immersion Programs in Public Schools." Public School Review.
Public School Review, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/full-language-immersion-programs-in-publicschools>. This article gave me general information about language immersion programs
nationwide.
Delvin, Kat. "Learning a foreign language a must in Europe, not so in America." Pew Research
Center. Pew Research Center, 13 July 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/07/13/learning-a-foreign-language-a-mustin-europe-not-so-in-america/>. This article provided essential information about how
language learning in the US compares to language learning abroad.
"Directory of Foreign Language Immersion Programs in U.S. Schools." Center for Applied
Linguistics. Center for Applied Linguistics, 3 May 2011. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://webapp.cal.org/Immersion/ImmersionList.aspx>. This sight was invaluable in
gaining exact data on the number of immersion schools in MCPS, the amount of students
that are part of immersion programs, and the types of immersion programs offered in
MCPS.
"District Directory Information (2014-2015 school year)." National Center for Educational
Statistics. U.S. Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences National Center
for Education StatisticsThe World of Statistics, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://nces.ed.gov/ccd/districtsearch/district_detail.asp?ID2=2400480>. These statistics

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helped me gain a general idea of how many, students, teachers, and schools there are in
Montgomery County.
Fortune, Tara Williams. "What the Research Says About Immersion." Center for Advanced
Research on Language Acquisition. University of Minnesota, 26 Mar. 2014. Web. 20
Mar. 2016.
<http://carla.umn.edu/immersion/documents/ImmersionResearch_TaraFortune.html>.
This article helped me gain valuable insight about the benefits and detriments of full
immersion programs.
"French and Spanish Language Immersion at Eisenhower International School." Foreign
Language Annals (Spring 2005): 146. ProQust. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://search.proquest.com/docview/216010163/F07EE69C08A4B7DPQ/7?
accountid=1095#>. This journal gave insight into the development of a few immersion
programs in Oklahoma.
"French Immersion." Maryvale Elementary School. MCPS, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/maryvalees/frenchimmersion/>. This
helped me corroborate what a full immersion program means in MCPS.
"The French Immersion Program." Sligo Creek Elementary School. MCPS, n.d. Web. 20 Mar.
2016. <http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/sligocreekes/french/>. This page
helped me understand what full immersion programs general entail.
"Frequently Asked Questions." Potomac Elementary School. MCPS, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/potomaces/immersion/faq.aspx>. This
gave helpful information about the Chinese immersion program.
"How Being Bilingual Can Boost Your Career." iSeek. Minnesota State Colleges and

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Universities, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.

<http://www.iseek.org/news/fw/fw6715FutureWork.html>. This article helped prove that
being bilingual opens up new opportunities as an adult.
"Immersion Programs Lottery Process Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)." MCPS. MCPS, n.d.
Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/curriculum/specialprograms/admi
ssions/Attachment%20D%20Immersion%20FAQs%20(2).pdf>. This gave insight into
how students are selected for immersion programs, how many slots there are and what
sort of education they receive.
Lang, Susan S. "Learning a second language is good childhood mind medicine, studies find."
Cornell Chronicle. Cornell University, 12 May 2009. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2009/05/learning-second-language-goodchildhood-mind-medicine>. This was helpful in finding relevant and reliable information
about language learning.
"Office of the Superintendent of Schools MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS."
MCPS. MCPS, 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/9VS5KV72BF3E/$file/Study
%20MCPS%20Choice%20Other%20Spec%20Progs.pdf>. This document helped me
obtain more current information about MCPS immersion programs.
Phillips, Melissa Lee. "Learning a Second Language." Neuroscience for Kids. Neuroscience for
Kids, 19 Aug. 2002. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/second.html>. This gives a scientific outlook on
why learning a second language early is best.

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"Rolling Terrace Spanish Immersion Program." Rolling Terrace. MCPS, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/rollinges/programs/spanishimmersion.a
spx>. This gave me specific information about the school and exactly what classes kids
take in Spanish and when.
"Schools & Facilities." Montgomery County Public Schools. Montgomery County Public
Schools, n.d. Web. 20 Mar. 2016. <http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/about/>. This
page gave me specific, reliable data for the number of elementary, middle and high
schools there are.
Scott, Kissau, Adams Jo Mary, and Algozzine Bob. "Middle School Foreign Language
Instruction: A Missed Opportunity?" Foreign Language Annals (Summer 2015)): 284303. ProQuest. Web. 20 Mar. 2016. <http://Middle School Foreign Language Instruction:
A Missed Opportunity?>. This journal was provided information about the flaws in the
US language education system and the benefits of learning a second language earlier
rather than later.
Shine, Nicole Knight. "THE STATE; Speaking of student success; Parents push Irvine Unified
for a language immersion program." The Los Angeles Times [Los Angeles, California] 24
Dec. 2014: n. pag. ProQuest. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.
<http://search.proquest.com/docview/1639832949/1F0B8304FE854E58PQ/9?
accountid=1095#>. This gave me background knowledge about immersion programs in
the US.
Strauss, Valerie. "Language Classes Leave Students Tongue-Tied; Context Called More Crucial
Than Grammar in Learning to Converse." The Washington Post [DC] 3 June 2003: n.
pag. ProQuest. Web. 20 Mar. 2016.

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<http://search.proquest.com/docview/409463553/F5F96BD2E23A46BEPQ/1?
accountid=1095#>. This provided valuable information about how and why the way we
learn languages in school is ineffective.
"The Time and Place for Learning a Foreign Language." The Washington Post [DC] 4 May 2006:
n. pag. ProQuest. Web. 20 Mar. 2016. <http://The Time and Place for Learning a Foreign
Language>. This shows how local parents see immersion programs.
Weise, Elizabeth. "The nations oldest public Mandarin immersion program." Mandarin
Immersion Parent Council. Mandarin Immersion Parent Council, 6 June 2013. Web. 20
Mar. 2016. <http://miparentscouncil.org/2013/06/06/the-nations-oldest-mandarinimmersion-program/>. This gave me insight into the history of MCPS Mandarin
immersion programs.

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