No. Most of our students report they are not native Mandarin speakers at home. There is no screening done since we are still a public school. Research shows that mixing native and non-native speakers can have long term benefits in a bilingual program. (Padilla, Fan, Xu, Silva, 2013)

Yes and no. The children do learn a language other than English. Unlike French Immersion, the children learn 50% Chinese and 50% English throughout the school year.

Yes, the student will be allowed to switch to the regular English program depending on the enrollment numbers in the neighbourhood English program. This switch typically occurs at the beginning of a new school year.

The outcome will be different based on individual student. It really depends on the level of commitment, time, participation in the class, and interaction with peers. Each child has his/ her own unique learning style.

Knowledge of Mandarin is not expected. Students are expected to acquire the language through input from class activities and instructions. Therefore, class participation is very important for students to succeed in the program. However, there are many other ways to assist your child in learning this second language. Little steps of progress can be celebrated with your child at home. Learn with your child by asking him/her to share with you what they learned at school. We are very fortunate to live in a multicultural city where a lot of ongoing cultural events. Take your child to different cultural activities and encourage them to speak the language.