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GVA's World Language Program

Learning Language Through Immersion

Immersion is the method by which we all learn our native language. As infants, we are surrounded by people speaking a specific language, like we are surround by the air we breathe, and we learn our first language rapidly and with ease. Immersion education in a second language takes the same approach. At Global Village Academy, students spend 40% of the day immersed in a second language as they use their natural ability to learn the new language. Learning a second language in this way when young is much easier than learning it later in life.

Benefits of Learning a Second Language

  • Academic achievement levels of children education in a second language using a immersion program often surpass those of children education solely in English
  • Learning a second language when young enables a language-learning part of the brain to mature and then to facilitate other language learning throughout life
  • The exposure to multiple languages and cultures creates a learning environment that is engaging, challenging, exciting, and one that children thoroughly enjoy
  • Children who were adopted internationally or who have extended family who speak a different language are able to learn the second language and stay connected with that culture and with role models from that culture
  • Learning a language in elementary school enables the student to speak without a “foreign” accent, like a native speaker
  • Our world is becoming more global and interdependent, and there will be increased demand for people who can understand other cultures and communicate with people in other languages

Which Language Will Parents Choose for Their Child?

Only 9% of American can speak their native language plus another language fluently, as opposed to 53% of Europeans. There is a shortage of language professionals in the U.S. diplomatic corps, military, and intelligence agencies, as well as in business. The national deficiency in the languages and cultures of critical areas around the world is compromising American security and business interests at home and abroad.

Global Village Academy offers students a choice of one of three world languages: French, Mandarin Chinese, and Spanish:

French –

  • French is spoken by 75 million people as their first language and another 190 million people as their second language
  • While it ranks 6th in terms of the number of speakers worldwide, it ranks 2nd in the world after English based on influence. Because of this French is also considered a critical language by the US government
  • French is spoken in 53 countries. In 26 of those countries it is the official or co-official language. This includes Canada and Haiti as well as a number of countries in Africa
  • French is the second most popular language studied in middle and high schools in the United States, as well as at the college level
  • French as a foreign language is the second most frequently taught language in the world after English
  • Most graduate schools require knowledge of at least one foreign language, and French remains the most commonly used language after English
  • French is an official working language of the United Nations, NATO, and the European Union

Mandarin Chinese –

  • Global Village Academy teaches standard Mandarin Chinese (pu tong hua) using simplified characters (han zi)
  • Mandarin is spoken by 1.1 billion people as their primary language, and another 20 million as their second language. It is the #1 language in the world based on the number of speakers and is spoken infive countires
  • Mandarin currently ranks 6th in influence, but its influence is expected to increase dramatically
  • Mandarin has been designated as a critical language by the US government

Spanish –

  • Spanish is spoken by 417 million people worldwide, including 28 million in the United States, making the US 5th worldwide in terms of the number of Spanish speakers
  • Spanish is the most studied language in the United States with over 4 million high school students and 750,000 college students
  • It is the official language of 22 countries, most notably in Mexico and Latin America. With close to 106 million first-language speakers, Mexico has the largest population of Spanish speakers in the world
  • Spanish is an official working language of both the United Nations and the European Union