Post by richardkelsey on Jan 16, 2008 12:36:51 GMT -5
newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2008/0116/Schools/032.html
Schools place emphasis onworld language study
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
FREEHOLD - School district administrators are determined to keep Freehold Borough pupils on equal footing with children in this area, as well as with youngsters around the country and around the world, and they are hoping a new world language program will help them to achieve that goal.
World language studies were previously offered to Freehold Borough pupils in grades six, seven and eight.
The new world language curriculum has all pupils in kindergarten through eighth grade participating in the language study program that bilingual supervisor JanetMorales said will not only help them to learn a different language, but also learn to embrace the culture of that country as well.
The program has three teachers. Diana Suarez and Denise Furlong teach world language at the Freehold Intermediate School and Hilka Collazo teaches world language to K-5 pupils at the Freehold Learning Center elementary school and the Park Avenue Elementary School.
Sixth-grade pupils at the Freehold Intermediate School watch a presentation about Puerto Rico during a world language class. After offering a foreign language course only to students at the intermediate school, the Freehold Borough School District has expanded the program so that youngsters in the elementary grades now also receive instruction in a foreign language.
Morales, who is the supervisor of the Bilingual/English as a Second Language program and the school district's community liaison, said she took on the task of heading up the world language program for several reasons.
"I took on this project because I wanted to help all of our students become bilingual," Morales said, adding that the project has been a group effort, which includes the efforts of Superintendent of Schools Elizabeth O'Connell, administrators, principals, staff members, teachers and parents.
Morales said she understands parents want their children to graduate from the eighth grade as bilingual students, proficient in more than one language. She said this program will achieve that goal.
"The goal of this program is for every child to become bilingual and literate in that language and to use that knowledge and skill in a functional manner, which includes using it for a job or for leisure and travel," she explained, adding that the program will help children to eventually participate in a global economy.
"This skill will make them more marketable later on. It will also make them more competitive with students in other schools and in other countries. That's the goal," she said.
At the present time the district's world language program only offers Spanish as a foreign language. All pupils in the district are receiving instruction in Spanish.
Morales said she created the curriculum to allow for future addition of French, Russian and Mandarin Chinese studies.
"In terms of other languages, Mandarin Chinese is in the highest demand to learn right now due to the global economy," she said. "We want our kids to be able to compete in the global market."
Morales said pupils will be taught how to communicate with language skills and to understand social and cultural mores.
"It's not just about learning the language. It's also about understanding the language by listening to others speak it as well," she said.
Morales said pupils will learn to engage in conversation, understand and interpret spoken and written language, present information, concepts and ideas while making connections with other disciplines, and compare the language and cultures being studied with their own language and culture.
She said the Freehold Borough School District has just completed an adult class during which instruction in English and Spanish was offered.
"This program is very important to us because it reinforces our commitment to ensuring the local community understands the importance of embracing other languages and cultures in order to better prepare our studies to become active members of our global society," Morales explained.
