Marlboro, NJ: Foreign Language Ciriculuum On The Way For Students Grades K-3

The state of New Jersey is requiring a world language program be provided for students in kindergarten through third grade, as explained recently to the public by administrators of the Marlboro, NJ K-8 School District.

Members of the Board of Education heard the administration's proposed plan for these grades during a Nov. 11 workshop meeting.

School administrators believe that some additional staff will be necessary to deliver the foreign language instruction.

An overview of the plan to introduce students in younger grades to a variety of languages was given by Victoria Andalucia, the district's supervisor for world language.

• American Sign Language would be introduced into the classroom for kindergartners at the Marlboro Early Learning Center.

• Students in grades one through three would receive exposure to three languages.

*First graders would learn Mandarin Chinese*

*Second graders would be taught Spanish*

*Third graders would be taught French*

• Third grade students currently choose between French and Spanish to continue with for fourth through eighth grade.

• Board members said the Marlboro district prefers to conform its foreign language selections to the options that would be open to those students upon entering the Freehold Regional High School District.

• The instruction for these languages would take place through video programming, like the Salsa program, which teaches Spanish, and the BBC's Muzzy program in French.

• For American Sign Language, there are staff members at the Marlboro Early Learning Center who know basic signs and that developmental programs are offered for the language. With the other two language options, school administrators would like to see support offered to those particular teachers.

A survey was recently offered to parents concerning the language program. 1,557 parents took the survey which asked what language they'd like their child exposed to. 13% of the respondents selected French, 22 % selected Mandarin Chinese and 59 % selected Spanish. Administrators may consider incorporating a language like Italian into the program in the future, to satisfy popular demand by a large # of parents.

Information courtesy of:

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