Language immersion and the Montessori Method?

Question

Does anyone know of any research on language immersion programs and Montessori?

I ask because our daughter attends a new pre-school Montessori program that was originally planned to have a language immersion component.

There are three teachers in the school: one who speaks to the kids only in English, one just in Mandarin, one just in Spanish. And they had planned to have an after school (12:30-2:30 pm) immersion time, taught only by the relevant language teacher.

However, the folks running the school have decided that this approach goes against the Montessori method because children are not getting to choose which language to talk in during that immersion time.

However, we (and a number of other parents) feel that language is a very different animal from other subjects and that language immersion has such powerful benefits that it will be a real loss if the kids are able to opt out of it.

Anyone aware of research that would support either position?

Answer 1

Maybe this can help with your research

Contents [hide]
1 Philosophy
1.1 Concepts
1.2 Premises
1.3 Goals
2 Implementation
2.1 The classroom
2.2 Pedagogical materials
2.3 Lessons
3 Montessori in the USA
3.1 Montessori schools
3.2 Montessori programs in public schools
4 Criticisms
5 Famous Montessori students
6 See also
7 References
8 External links

Answer 2

I am a certified Montessori teacher. I feel that language immersion is a wonderful program for children. Maria Montessori believed in exposing children to language and language experiences at an early age. She felt it should be done in a natural not forced way. You will see that in the other areas of the classroom the language used to explain materials is very clear and exact. This allows the child to explore and learn while putting the appropriate language with those materials.

Children at this age are capable of learning many languages. If you are interested in doing some research on how children acquire language you could look at the works of Noam Chomsky or Vygotsky.

As far as the Montessori classroom is concerned, I think the teachers should speak the languages. They should not expect or require that the children speak the languages in the beginning But when they allow the children to answer in whatever language they choose the children then become comfortable with hearing the various languages, without feeling pressured to speak them. The teachers should respond to the child in the foreign language there by creating a conversation with the child. The child will use whatever language he feels most comfortable with, and sometimes this may be the foreign language.

Answer 3

I was raised bilingual (Spanish/English) and I truly believe it will be a great loss for the kids if it's taken away. In fact I would love to find a fully bilingual immersion Montessori school near Glenview, Illinois. If anyone knows of one. My ID on yahoo messenger is kira1ar.

I think kids are smart enough to figure out the teacher "doesn't speak" the same language and when they chose to communicate with her they will eventually use that language. You have to remember that the kids won't understand the teacher at first but this won't last for ever. I remember when my kid brother started school he came back and told my mom that they had a stupid teacher that just went blah blah blah blah bah and no one undertood what he was saying. This didn't last too long.

As for myself I can't even remember when I didn't uderstand english, my second language.

Kids are curious and us humans are always trying to comunicate with one another wether it is by language or signs. When you travel to a foreign country you'd try anything, signs, simple words, even words in different languages. I just don't forsee any conflict with the Montessori method. Some kids might take longer than others to try and comunicate with the teacher but it will probably happen. To me the important thing is to have the teacher and the materials in the language available for when the kid decides it would be intersting to learn and use the language. Maybe not all kids will want to try but you can't take that away from those who would be willing to. If the teacher can get 1 kid intersted I believe that could create a snowball effect and soon, most of the kids will want to learn, the teacher just has to make it fun. Really how many kids haven't tried a secret language. The teacher just has to make it fun.

The younger you are the easier it is to learn another language, language immersion programs work best in my opinion, you simply learn how to think it that language, so it becomes second nature. Plus once you know 2 languages the 3rd come much easier. I hope you can talk them out of it!

Answer 4

Language immersion isn't hyped up as a fashion of studying a foreign places language. for my area, it rather is and has constantly been the terrific approach for studying a sparkling language. Knowlege might properly be obtained by way of remark, yet a skill can purely be found out by way of repetition. conversing a language is a skill. while you're in an enviroment (say a lecture room) the place you consistently pay attention, examine and communicate the language you're studying, you will study the language swifter.