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Curriculum:
Foreign Language
In the Long Beach Unified School District, we provide a variety of programs at all levels - elementary, middle, high school and beyond -to help make this national vision a reality.
Consider the importance of these efforts. Foreign language was listed with five basics (English, mathematics, computer science, social studies, and the natural sciences) as essential to a well-rounded education (National Commission of Excellence in Education).
In 1987, only one in five elementary schools taught foreign language. Now, at least one in three provide this instruction. Supported by research which shows that math scores of children studying a second language improve and that learning a foreign language enhances children's overall mental development, more and more schools are offering second-language study especially in the early grades. More than four million children studied foreign language in 1997.
The more years children can devote to learning a language, the better they become at it, all the while enjoying better grades in other subjects too. Studies in America and Canada show learning a second language can help students:
Helping students master a foreign language takes time and a focused, well-planned curriculum. Waiting until high school to begin the study of a second language, though preferable to not studying one at all, tends to result in a less natural process of learning. Language is easier to acquire at a young age, when students are more likely to develop native-like pronunciation.
Ideally, foreign language study begins in kindergarten and continues through high school up to the highest levels, including Advanced Placement. Ideal instruction also is coordinated for a smooth transition from high school to college-level studies. The Long Beach Unified School District offers a number of choices to meet these needs.
Through school of choice, magnet programs and waiver application, an alternative program option is available offering dual immersion in English and Spanish at DeMille, Henry, Lafayette, Robinson, Webster and Willard schools. The English/Spanish Dual Language program offers students, beginning in kindergarten, the chance to learn how to read, write and speak two languages. Robinson also offers French or Japanese in addition to Spanish.
Students develop: speaking, reading and writing skills in two languages; critical thinking skills in all subjects; and multicultural acceptance and enrichment. Enrollment for these programs is open to both native English and native Spanish speakers who want to learn a second language. Initially, all students learn to read and write in Spanish. English literacy skills are added as students progress through the grade level as follows:
| Grade | Language of Instruction |
|---|---|
| K-1 | 90% Foreign Language (FL), 10% English |
| 2 | 90% FL, 10% English |
| 3 | 90% FL, 10% English |
| 4 | 90% FL, 10% English |
| 5 | 90% FL, 10% English |
Lafayette offers 50-50 percent instruction throughout the elementary grades. A different program at Lowell Bayside Academy in Long Beach offers Spanish twice a week for 15 minutes in kindergarten, leading up to 30 to 45 minutes twice a week for fifth graders. This program is modeled after the widely known Foreign Language in Elementary School (FLES) model from Glastonbury, Connecticut.
Foreign Language Exploratory (FLEX) programs are for children who haven't studied foreign language prior to sixth grade. Students may sample a variety of languages or concentrate on one language. These children are not expected to attain fluency, but they are preparing themselves for later language learning. Several middle schools now offer FLEX as part of a group of electives.
Middle school students are encouraged to begin their formal foreign language study in the seventh grade and continue into the eighth if they were unable to take part in an elementary program. This prepares students for further study in high school. Some middle schools have students begin their foreign language study in the eighth grade, where the program mirrors the first-year high school program. A student beginning at this grade can attain a high level of language study up to and including Advanced Placement.
Languages now offered at middle schools include French and Spanish and Spanish for Spanish Speakers. It is recommended that children from English/Spanish dual immersion elementary programs be placed in the literacy-based Spanish for Spanish Speakers classes at middle school. This helps them to further develop and maintain their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.
High school offerings include Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Khmer for Khmer Speakers, Latin, Spanish and Spanish for Spanish Speakers, ranging from first-year level (1-2) up to and including AP Spanish Language, AP Spanish Literature, AP German Language, and AP French Language. Not all languages are available at all sites. After high school, students wanting to attend most universities or colleges are required to demonstrate foreign language proficiency equivalent to two years of high school study. A student can do this by earning a grade of C or better in two years of a foreign language.
Long Beach Unified has entered into articulated or coordinated agreements with Long Beach City College for Chinese, French, German, Japanese and Spanish. High school juniors and seniors who complete their high school courses with a grade of B or better in foreign language can then take the appropriate level community college course(s). If students then earn a grade of C or better in the community college course, they become eligible to receive three to five units of community college credit for their previous high school course(s).
Similar agreements have been established with California State University, Long Beach for students who have completed Spanish, German and French as well as AP Spanish Language, with a grade of B or better. Students who do not take the AP Spanish Language Examination will need to present a portfolio to be approved by CSULB administrators in order to receive any credit.
For further information, please contact Elizabeth Hartung-Cole , Foreign Language Curriculum Leader, at (562) 997-8000 x.2904.
