Parent+Testimonials


** - Thierry C., East Cambridge **
 * Notre fille suit le programme bilingue Anglais-Chinois maternelle de King School et va rentrer en 1ère année. Le programme me semble excellent, les 2 institutrices sont motivées, engageantes. Notre fille apprend non seulement le Chinois, mais aussi l'Anglais bien sur, avec l'histoire et la culture américaine qui va avec, ce qui me semble important. A la maison, je ne parle que Francais. Meme si ca peut paraitre un peu bizarre d'apprendre 3 langues, ca se passe très bien. On verra sur sur long terme ce qu'il en reste, mais ca n'est pas très grave : ca ne peut être qu'utile au XXIème siècle de comprendre la structure du Chinois, d'emmaganiser du vocabulaire, et tout simplement de ne pas avoir peur de le parler. A ma fille de décider elle-même plus tard ce qu'elle souhaite utiliser/approfondir !! **
 * (Translation in English) - Our daughter attends the bilingual Chinese English kindergarten program at the King School, and will be entering first grade. The program is excellent, and the 2 teachers motivated and engaging. Our daughter not only learns Mandarin, but also English along with American history and culture, which is important. At home, I speak French only. Even though learning 3 languages may appear a bit odd, it is going very well. We don’t know how much of her language skills will be retained in the long run, but it’s all right: In the 21st century, it can be useful to understand Chinese, build vocabulary, and just not be afraid of speaking. It is up to my daughter to decide later whether she wants to use and deepen her language skills. **


 * (中文翻譯）－ 我家的長女就讀金小學的中英雙語班，明年她會在同項目上一年級. 我和夫人大力推薦這個項目，因為任教的中文和英文老師對工作認真，熱誠，並有使孩子們熱愛學習的吸引力. 女兒不單學到了中文，她對美國歷史和文化也有了深入的了解. 在家裡，我只用法語跟家人交流. 儘管在美國三語三文同時發展是不常見的現象，目前的成果使我們有信心可以做到. 當父母的我們不能保證孩子們的語言能力能永遠保持頂尖的狀態，可是，我們堅信在二十一世紀中，能懂中文，對各種語言擁有一定的詞彙量，讓女兒建立用不同語言作交流的自信是必需的. 女兒長大後，她可以自由選擇是否運用她所會的語言，或對期中一種語言作更深入的認識，現在，我們能做到的是為她提供一個寶貴的學習和發展的機會. **


 * As parents of an MLK Kindergartner in the Mandarin immersion program, and as MIT professors of anthropology ourselves, we have been thrilled to see our child, Rufus, learning to speak and write in Chinese (a new language to him and to us), and also to see him learning about a vast history and culture that has been and is becoming newly central to our globalized world. We hadn't thought about Mandarin as a second language for Rufus until the MLK program became available, but once it became clear to us that he loved the 30 minute lessons he had been getting as a JK King student (in the Nihao program), signing him on to immersion was a clear choice. Rufus's work in Chinese has made him more curious about language and culture more generally, jump-starting a fascination with how people speak and write in different ways. This year our family had the privilege to travel to China. Rufus not only translated for us (in restaurants and on the street), but also impressed people there with his vocabulary and accent. Everywhere we went, Rufus was understood. He was thrilled! **


 * - Stefan Helmreich and Heather Paxson, Huron Village, Cambridge **


 * （中譯）－ 中文對我們的家庭是一個陌生的語言, 我們非常興奮和激動看見我們的孩子瑞凡在中文說讀能力的邁進. 在麻省理工的人類學任教的我們深深地了解學習中文和認識中國歷史和文化的重要性. 這對孩子以後的發展有巨大的幫助. 在我們確信我們為孩子做了一個正確的決定就是讓孩子進入金小學的中英雙語教學項目, 而不是30分鐘的”你好”項目. 在過去一年瑞凡對中文學習的有更濃厚的興趣, 他也逐漸對其它語言和文字感興趣. 今年, 我們全家有機會到中國旅遊, 瑞凡當我們的翻譯. 他不但能在餐館點菜, 而且能問路.  他的辭彙量和發音, 讓很多人驚訝和佩服. 不管在中國哪裡, 瑞凡的中文都被理解，這的確讓瑞凡感到自豪.  **


 * Sentimos mucha satisfacción porque nuestro hijo estudia en el programa de inmersión en el idioma chino de la escuela Martin Luther King. Siempre creímos que nuestro hijo estaba aprendiendo el chino rápidamente. Esto se puso evidente cuando recibimos, de nativo-hablantes del chino, comentarios como lo siguiente: **
 * “Yaxun se siente muy seguro de sí mismo cuando habla el chino. Me impresionó su pronunciación casi nativa, incluyendo el tono. Estoy seguro de que él comprende más de lo que habla.” **
 * “Yaxun se siente cómodo y tiene confianza para hablar el chino. Puedo ver que a Yaxun le gusta y disfruta estudiar este idioma. Veo que él está ansioso de hablar chino.” **
 * “En general, Yaxun habla chino muy bien, su buena pronunciación me impresionó. Yaxun tiene la habilidad de conversar en chino con mucha confianza. Por ejemplo, un día hablamos de la comida china y él conocía varios platos típicos chinos. Creo que esta es una buena metodología integrar la cultura china en el aprendizaje del idioma. **
 * Con estos comentarios, creemos firmemente que el programa de inmersión en chino ha hecho un tremendo progreso en los ocho meses que lleva de implementarse; apoyamos el programa por sus avances. Creemos que es una buena oportunidad para nuestro hijo no solo para ser hablante de otro idioma pero también para entender y apreciar otra cultura. **
 * - Ana López de Mateo y Pedro Mateo, West Cambridge **
 * (Translation in English) We are grateful that our son is attending the NiHao FLAP-King dual-immersion Mandarin Chinese Program at the Martin Luther King School. We knew that he was learning the language quickly, however this became more evident when we received the following comments from three native speakers of Chinese. “Yaxun is pretty confident when speaking Chinese. I was surprised by his near-native accuracy in pronunciation, including tones. I am pretty sure that he understands much more than he can speak!” **


 * “Yaxun feels very comfortable and confident when speaking Mandarin. I feel that Yaxun likes/enjoys studying Mandarin. I can tell that he is eager to speak Mandarin. **


 * “In general, Yaxun speaks Mandarin very well, especially his accurate pronunciation impressed me a lot. He can exchange dialogue with me very confidently. For instance, one day we talked about Chinese food, and he knew the names of several Chinese dishes. It is a great methodology to integrate Chinese culture into the language learning process.” From these comments we strongly believe that the Chinese Immersion program has made a tremendous progress within eight months! Therefore, we support the program. It is a great opportunity for children not only to become good language speakers but also understand and appreciate other cultures. **


 * － Ana López de Mateo and Pedro Mateo, West Cambridge **


 * （中譯） 我和妻子為小兒亞述能就讀金小學的中英雙語教學項目感到高興和自豪. 不光是因為看到他中文學習的進度, 更重要的是我們也得到了三位中國朋友的認證. 他們說：“亞述說中文時的神態很自信, 他的發音非常準確, 並且我確信他聽懂的比他目前能表達的還多. ”  **
 * “感覺亞述的中文說得不光自然, 而且很自信. 我敢說他不但喜歡學中文, 而且非常願意說中文. ” **
 * “在 用中文和亞述交談時, 我沒有想到他的發音會那麼好, 表達得那麼自信. 有一天, 我們在討論中國食物, 他居然說出了好幾個中國菜的名字.  這是不常見的, 因為他的中文學習已經貫穿融入了中國文化”. 從這些對亞述學習中文的肯定中, 我們也更加確信這個中英雙語教學項目對孩子學習中文的成績和效果: 孩子們不但學習到了語言，同時也學習並了解了其它的文化. **


 * Our family is multiracial, so we were interested in sending our daughter to the King School's Immersion Program. But we had questions: would she really learn Chinese? Would her English skills suffer? Would she keep up with math if she is learning in two languages? We shouldn't have worried: not only does she speak plenty of Chinese, but her development in all other areas has flourished. We are completely convinced by the research that has shown that bilingual learning is advantageous. All parents-- no matter what their backgrounds are-- should consider this wonderful program. - Patrick Cox, Mid-Cambridge **
 * （中譯）我的家庭是多族裔的結合，所以我和妻子希望我們的女兒能上金小學的中英雙語項目. 在入學前，我們有著以下的疑問：她真的能學到中文嗎？她的英文水準會受影響嗎？她在數學的進度會因為學兩種語言而被拖慢嗎？我們發現這些顧慮因為女兒在這個學年的在各方面的優異發展而不攻自破. 我和妻子完全信任對雙語同時發展優勢的學術研究的正確性. 無論您的家庭背景和經歷，我熱烈推薦所有的家長考慮送孩子們參加這項目. **


 * My daughter has thrived in the MLK Chinese Immersion Program. The teachers and staff are extremely knowledgeable, committed and and well-organized I can highly recommend it without hesitation. It's been a wonderful school year and we look forward to more! - Marina Vyrros, Boston Public Schools ESL Teacher **
 * （中譯） 小女就讀金小學的中英雙語班. 我極力推薦這個教學項目因為他們有可信任的豐富教學經驗和知識的，熱心的老師. 對我們家長和孩子來說, 這是一個美好的開始, 因為我們期待著繼續在這項目裡學習.  **

** - Roland Tang & Annette Kim **
 * We hear that sometimes Chinese families worry that their children may not learn enough English in a dual language immersion program. However, research studies have shown that children learn two languages together better. And we know from our own personal experience as immigrant children that we lost fluency and cannot read or write in our first languages, despite our graduate degrees. To our amazement, our son who had initially been hesitant to join the immersion class, by the 3 month mark, had actually learned to read on his own in both English and Chinese! **
 * （中譯）聽說有些中國家長擔心在中英雙語班學習的環境下孩子們的英文進度會被拖延，可是，許多學術研究和教學總結顯示孩子們學習雙語實際上比學習一種語言進步更快. 從我們自己的親身經驗來說，像我倆一樣的在移民家庭長大的許多第二代以上的移民，儘管我們在學術和事業上都很成功，我們的終生遺憾是我們永遠是母語上的文盲. 使我們感到恩惠的是我倆的長子進入了中英雙語項目. 出乎我們意料之外，在短短三個月後，他從一個害羞，不願學中文的孩子，到能自己閱讀中英兩語的充滿自信的幼兒園生. **


 * Our family is very satisfied with our decision to enroll Farai Sundai in the Mandarin Chinese Immersion program. The only language spoken at home is English. My husband took French classes in college. I, along with my two eldest daughters, have taken Spanish classes in elementary and high school. While there is a basic understanding of the language, we cannot hold conversations in Spanish. **
 * Farai on the other hand is very quickly picking up Mandarin. I received confirmation that the immersion program was beneficial when one evening I was making dinner and Farai came in and asked me for watermelon entirely in Mandarin! As recently as last weekend, her uncle was over and she just so happened to be counting in English. I joked with her to say repeat what she was saying in Mandarin and without hesitation she began counting in Mandarin. I believe she counted up to 100. **
 * Farai looks forward to going to school each day. She loves her classmates from both 103 and 105 and looks forward to seeing them each day. She is especially happy when she has earned a Sunny note from Li laoshi. - Boniswa Sundai， Mid Cambridge **
 * （中譯）我們非常高興為我們的孩子選擇了金小學的中英雙語班. 在家裡, 我們說英文.  我丈夫在大學了法語, 我的另外兩個女兒分別在小學和高中學習西班牙語, 但是我們還是不能用西班牙語交談. **** 可是，我們發現黛柔很快就掌握了中文. 有一天, 當我在準備晚餐時, 她進來並用中文問我要西瓜吃.  那時, 我確信這個中英雙語班對她在中文學習上的幫助.  上個星期, 她和叔叔一起用英文數數， 當我問她為什麼不用中文時，她很自然地轉用中文數了起來， 她還能數到100！ **** 黛柔非常喜歡上學, 不管是在中文班還是英文班, 她都喜歡，特別是當她從李老師那裡收到晴天通知單的上學天. **


 * We are thrilled with our son's teachers and the Chinese immersion program, in general. He is progressing nicely in his Math, English and Chinese subjects. The attention and support he receives is apparent in his attitude towards school. I think repeating the lessons in both languages helps to solidify the concepts they cover. I love being able to see the things that the class is doing through the newsletters and blogs. Because of the quality of the Chinese Immersion Program offered at MLK we feel like we have access to world class teachers, curriculum and support through the Cambridge Public Schools. - Dan Pestretto, West Cambridge **
 * （中譯）我們非常感謝金小學中英雙語項目的老師們, 因為我們的孩子不但學到了中文/英文/數學, 更重要的是他學會了對上學和學業的積極態度. 我相信在中英兩個班的雙語同時學習，會更鞏固孩子們學到的知識. 對於教學進程, 老師們讓家長們從項目每個星期發出的週報和博客中知道和了解.  至此, 我們確信這個中英文項目提供了世界級的高質量的教學，一流的教材，也體現了校區支持下的各種優勢. **


 * Наш сын учится в государственной школе MartinLuther KingPublic Schoolв Кембридже, где изучает китайский язык Мандарин. В школе используется программа языкового погружения (MandarinChinese immersion).Наш сын с удовольствием и большим интересом знакомится с языком и культурой Китая. Мы думаем, что изучение нового языка помогает нашему сыну быть увереннее в себе. Он стал более общительным и не боится пробовать свои силы в новых видах спорта и музыке. Мы рады, что у него есть возможность изучать Мандарин с ранних лет, так как уверены, что китайский наравне с английским станет наиболее распространенным языком в мире. **
 * Татьяна Жидкевич **
 * Кембридж **
 * （Translation from Russian to English) - Our son attending Martin Luther King Public School in Cambridge where he learns Mandarin Chinese. It is called Chinese immersion program. He shows great interest in Chinese language and culture of China. We think learning new language increases our son’s confidence. He has become more social and is not afraid of trying new sports and music. We are delighted that he has the opportunity to learn Mandarin from early age as we believe that Chinese along with English will be the most widespread language in the world. **
 * － Tatsiana Zhydkevich， West Cambridge **
 * (俄文中譯）兒子就讀劍橋市金小學的中英雙語項目. 在短短一年間，他從沒有中文背景到對中國文化建立了濃厚的興趣. 我和先生都覺得孩子從學習一種新語言中增加了自信. 他懂得如何交朋友，也開始樂意嘗試新的運動和音樂. 我們都為兒子能從小在雙語的環境下學習而高興，因為我們堅信中英兩語將會是最重要的語言之一. **

( **中譯）小女嘉琳正在金小學中英雙語班快樂成長. 入學前，我們曾在家裡以母親有限的中文教她，可是無論如何努力，她只能停留在單詞而不能連句的階段. 在嘉琳入學後的幾個星期內，她已經在愉快的心情下學到了很多中文用句. 以外，我們很安慰地發現嘉琳在家裡常選擇用中文作交流的媒介. 同時，嘉琳的英文水平也從閱讀前階段晉升為能準確地閱讀她的小眼睛可以看到的字詞. 我們認為這都是老師們的功勞，她們的確是很優秀的，在據有高度專業水準外，雙語班的老師們不辭勞苦地用心把知識愉快地傳授給孩子們. 在將結束的一個學年裡，嘉琳除了在學習上得到很大進步外，也從中建立了堅定的自信，並努力地尋求更多的挑戰. 這是我們覺得最難能可貴的. **
 * Our daughter Alina has flourished in the King Chinese Immersion Program. Before starting school we tried to teach her a little Mandarin from time to time (we don't speak it at home but mom has limited proficiency). She learned a few words but could not string them together. Within just a few weeks of being in the program, we could see her picking up the language and having lots of fun learning it. Alina now often chooses to speak Chinese at home, which is so gratifying for us to hear. At the same time, in English she's gone from pre-reading to proudly trying to read everything in sight. Her teachers have really made this happen, they are truly outstanding and make learning fun through their enthusiasm and dedication. Over the past year, Alina has grown into a confident learner who loves being challenged, which may be the most important thing she's gained from being at the King School. - Parth Patwari and Debbie Cheng, Cambridgeport **

** （Translated from Chinese) Some would say, although living in the US, our kids could still learn Chinese from Chinese parents at home. However, our personal experience shows that it is VERY difficult to keep kids focused on a second language at home if English is available. For example, our son would converse with us in simple Chinese around three years of age. However, by the time he reached four, his Chinese began to decline dramatically due to the rapid growth of his English language skills combined with the dominant English-speaking environment. As an urgent rescue, we boarded on a cross-continent jet and visited Grandma in Taiwan! (But that isn’t a sustainable option...) **
 * 有人說在美國，父母在家也可以教孩子中文. 我們的經驗是：真的太難了！ 兒子三歲時還可以與我們以中文對話， 到了四歲之後由於他的英文急速進步，朋友大部分說英文， 他的中文自此沒落， 救不回來. 我們只好坐上越洋噴射機回家看婆婆.  但是， 這並非長久之計， 家裡說的中文也絕對與學校的學術語言不同.  好在有金小學的中英雙語沈浸項目.  來這裡，不但解決了兒子的中文問題， 他的英文， 數學， 生物， 體育， 音樂， 美術等等都學得很好.  他的老師們也是最認真， 最優秀的.  學術研究報告指出， 雙語兒童佔有語言互動上的優勢， 知識學問上互動的優勢， 以及對家庭文化認同的優勢.  我們這一年深深體驗到這幾點都是真的.  前兩天， 我教了兒子幾個中文的象形文字. 他像是電影中的印地安納瓊斯解開古埃及密碼， 兩眼睜得又大又圓.  不久之後回問了個難題： 那媽媽， 我的英文名字 的古字又是什麼？ 在這個學校， 五歲的兒子開心地挖掘東西方文化之寶和他自己的民族背景. **

** - Wenhao Tien and Peter Crawley, East Cambridge **
 * MLK Chinese English Dual Immersion Program has been an answer to our prayers! Not only has it facilitated the learning and retention of Chinese, but has also provided our son a superb education in English literacy, math, science, sports and the arts. The teachers in the program are among the best that we have ever encountered. Research suggests, the bilingual child develops superior skills in language interactions, knowledge interactions, as well as nurturing a multi-cultural identity. We have seen these qualities in our son. For example, a couple of days ago we taught our 5 year-old son how to write a few Chinese characters the ancient way (pictograms). He was immensely delighted and had the look of Indiana Jones upon deciphering ancient Egyptian codes. He then immediately asked about his English name and its roots and wrote them together on his paper. He is successfully exploring and appreciating a dual cultural and ethnic identity! **

** - Maria and Wojtek Szczerba, West Cambridge **
 * Our daughter’s favorite day of the week is Monday because “it’s the first day of school.” What a testimony to the quality of the teaching she is getting in both her English and Chinese classes at MLK! Learning Chinese she says is “fun.” I must admit that my husband and I were a bit apprehensive as to how much fun it would be for us non-Chinese speakers but it’s been a blast thanks to the online support we get from the teachers and because of the other parents. What’s clear is that our daughter is getting a lot more out of this experience than just learning another language: she’s generally more confident and she enjoys finding out about other cultures. As parents we are convinced that immersion learning is the best thing that could have happened to her. **
 * 一星期中，女兒最喜歡星期一. 她說，因為星期一是一週上學的開始. 我們很高興聽見女兒那麼喜歡上學， 這也全歸功於金小學的雙語教學項目. 女兒覺得學中文很開心. 我承認，先生和我兩個中文的門外客起初很擔心怎樣能幫助女兒的學業，但老師的博客網和家長們的互相幫助解決了我們的疑難. 毫無疑問，除了在語言外，女兒在雙語班的得益不少：她變得更有自信，也對他文化產生了濃厚的興趣. 當父母的我們確信在中文沉浸環境下學習是我們給女兒的一個最好的禮物. **


 * We consider our family very lucky that the MLK Chinese Immersion Language Program is an opportunity for us in Cambridge. The MLK program has done a great job implementing this dual-language program. With terrific teachers in the English and Chinese classrooms, who work together on the progress of each student, we've witnessed our daughter progress from the first few anxiety-ridden days of starting school combined with an immersion program in a language that's completely new to her, to the confident dual-language student she's become. Our daughter is proud of herself and proud that she attends a school with a special focus. She's had a great experience in the English classroom, building her foundation for reading and using math. However, it's the unique opportunity to be immersed in a second language that has made this year so special for her. We have been continuously thrilled and amazed with our daughter's ability to speak and recognize characters in Chinese. Even within the first couple weeks, our daughter spoke in Chinese about colors and food and about her family. Additionally, we're happy to have her engage daily with another culture. It's important that our children understand that there are people and cultures outside the world of our daily routines, and she's learning that in an immediate way at the MLK Chinese Immersion Program. - Sarah Pocock, Cambridgeport **
 * 讓我們覺得非常幸運的是我們的孩子就讀金小學的中英雙語教學項目. 這個項目爲學生們配備了優秀的中文和英文老師.爲了讓孩子們學得更好更多, 兩位老師共同合作並關注每一個孩子的學習和發展. 中文對我們來說是一個全新的語言,但我們也真的看見了孩子從開始的緊張到現在的自信. 女兒對自己能在這個以學中文爲中心的項目感到自豪. 我們對女兒從開始能說顔色和食物到現在的聽說認讀能力感到自豪,同時也驚訝女兒在英文和數學在英文班上打下了良好的基礎. 由此可見,雙語沈浸教學不但可以讓孩子在學習上有很好的發展, 對學習不同的文化也有很大的幫助. 我們很高興我們的孩子在這個項目學習. **

** - Kimberley Jordan and Paul Calamia **
 * We believe multilingualism is one of the greatest gifts you can give a child, so we were very excited to enroll our daughter in the new Chinese Immersion Program at the MLK Jr. school last year. We were concerned that our daughter's progress might be limited by our inability to speak Mandarin, but this concern turned out to be completely unfounded. After almost a full year at the JK level, our daughter has made significant progress in speaking Mandarin as well as reading and writing traditional characters. At the same time, she has been advancing through the comprehensive English curriculum quickly and successfully. We're particularly pleased with the growth in her writing ability. Our daughter’s success, and the success of the program in general, is due to the excellent teachers and their high expectations for all students in a very diverse student body. **
 * 我們堅信學習不同的語言對孩子是一個很好的禮物, 因此我們爲女兒選擇了就讀金小學的中英雙語班. 開始我們有些擔心她是否能跟上中文學習的進度畢竟我們都不會說中文也不能提供任何幫助,但隨著時間的推移,我們的擔心也在一點一點的消失. 因爲我們發現小女在學習中文增強中文的聽說讀寫能力的同時, 她對英文的理解和書寫能力也在提高. 小女在學習上的成功完全歸功于此項目提供了優秀的教師和對學生們在學習上的很高的期望. **


 * As soon as my daughter entered kindergarten, she began losing her Chinese. I enrolled her in Chinese school, but she was exposed to Mandarin for just several hours a week. Though she was learning to read and write Chinese characters, and gaining strong academic skills, she was unable to speak very well. Soon, she began disliking Chinese. I didn’t want that to happen. I wanted her to have fun learning and to be proud of speaking Chinese, so that she will want to develop lifelong language skills. The King Chinese Immersion program provides just that: my daughter happily tells me about her lessons and her friends, and she sings for me urban children’s song--all in Mandarin. An unexpected bonus is that, at home, she even speaks to her preschool-age sister in Chinese! **
 * - Jane Chiang, East Cambridge **
 * 女兒上了幼兒園低班後，她的中文水平馬上開始退步了. 在沒有辦法下，我把她送到了一個中文課外班. 在每週數小時的學習中，她雖然開始學會了看和寫一些中文字，也在學業上逐漸進步，可是她還是不能用中文表達心意. 很快地，她開始對中文生厭了. 當母親的我當然不願意她繼續這樣. 我真的希望女兒會愉快地學習中文，並為自己能流利地用中文交談而自豪，並從中建立有利於她一生的語言能力. 幸運地，金小學的中英雙語項目讓我得到了答案. 每天放學後，女兒高興地與我分享她在學校的一天經歷，包括她上課的內容，她和朋友所做的事情，也常常唱現代中國孩子唱的中文歌. 還有一樣最讓我高興而驚訝的是女兒居然在家裡選擇用中文跟妹妹交談. **


 * The Martin Luther King, Jr. School is a truly international community of students and families. My children have studied a rich, multicultural curriculum and developed Chinese language skills alongside students whose families speak French, German, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Haitian Creole, Somali, Arabic, English and a host of other languages at home. I have been astounded by the progress my Kindergartener has made in developing literacy simultaneously in English and in Chinese, in the Mandarin Immersion program. My third grader, who entered the NiHao program in first grade, has developed a sense of himself as a member not only of a classroom and school community, but as a citizen of the world. The teachers at the King School have been excellent and have understood my children's unique strengths and how to challenge them. I highly recommend this program and warmly welcome families to learn all that our school has to offer. **

** - Rosalie Rippey (Cambridgeport Neighborhood) **
 * 金小學是一個向社區提供不同文化教學的學校, 因爲學校向不同語言的家庭提供中文教學的同時還提供了中英文雙語沉浸式教學. 作爲家長, 在驚訝的同時也非常高興地看見我的大兒子從一年級開始到現在三年級, 在”你好”項目的中文的學習,並在學習中認知自己在學校/社區和整體社會中的歸屬. 我極力推薦金小學作爲您爲孩子選擇的學校,因爲學校不但擁有高素質的教師和高質量的教學,也爲孩子們提供了一個像家一樣溫馨的學習環境. **

** - Fatima, East Cambridge **
 * My son transferred to the Martin Luther King, Jr. School in the 3rd grade. At his previous school, he was not making progress with his IEP; he felt discouraged and did not like going to school. As soon as he enrolled at the King School, his grades went from Ds to As. He enjoys reading and wakes up happy to go to school. His entire attitude towards learning and school has changed. **
 * 兒子在三年級轉入金小學. 雖然在他之前的學校設有特別課程安排，可是他在完全沒有進步的境況下，對學習感到挫折，也對上學失去興趣. 可是，當他進入金小學後，他的學習成績從D升到A. 現在的他喜歡閱讀，每天也嚮往著上學. 他對學習和學校的態度也有了很明顯的改變. **

** - Austin, 5th grader at the Martin Luther King, Jr. School － Austin，五年級 **
 * Why do I like the King School? I do really well in reading. I like learning Chinese. I love my counselors, my teachers, and the entire school, in general. I am happy to be at the King School. **
 * 我為甚麼喜歡上金小學？因為學校幫助我提高語文閱讀能力. 我也喜歡學中文. 學校裡的學習輔導老師，班主任和所有的職員都對我好. 我愛上金小學. **


 * My name is Cilla Hope Sullivan. I'm in the 2nd grade at the Martin Luther King School. I am in the Nihao Chinese program. My little sister is in Immersion and I love the Chinese program. Wo ai zhong guo, which means in Chinese, I love China and I intend to work there. Thank you and I hope you go to the Nihao Chinese program. **
 * 我的名字是Cilla Hope Sullivan. 我是金小學“你好“項目的二年級生. 我的妹妹是金小學中英雙語班的幼兒園生. 我愛學中文！”我愛中國“，我希望長大後在中國工作. 謝謝！我希望你也來金小學上學. **
 * -Cilla Sullivan, 2nd grader at the Martin Luther King, Jr. School － Cilla Sullivan，二年級 **

** - Chai Xiaojing, East Cambridge **
 * Pre k in King school was a wonderful experience for Yiyi. She loves her school, teachers and the mandarin immersion so much. 依依在幼兒園低班渡過了很愉快的一年. 她愛這學校和老師，也愛上中英雙語班. **


 * Testimonials in other formats: **
 * Family photo of Stefan Helmreich and Heather Paxson, Huron Village, Cambridge **




 * Laurie Verner, Beckett’s mom, YouTube video: **


 * [] **


On Tuesday December 7, 2011, parents and community members spoke during public comment in support of the King Chinese Immersion Program. Below are some of the testimonials: Maria I have a five year old daughter who I hope will go to Chinese Immersion kindergarten at the King School next year. My family and I have just moved back to the States after living and working for 20 years in Europe. One of the things my husband and I have been searching for in schools here is language instruction. We’ve been surprised by how many schools we visited postpone language learning to middle school. Both of US started learning other languages at young age which we believe was critical. Not only because it’s easier to learn as a five or six year old but also because it made us open to other languages and cultures. For both of us it’s the fact that we speak more than one language and can navigate more than one culture that that has made all the difference to our work lives. I don’t think I would have become a journalist without that background. And I know that background gave us a definite edge at critical points in our careers. I got my lucky break in journalism because I spoke Polish and knew my way around Poland at the time when communism was collapsing. A few years later, in the 1990s as Eastern Europe was opening up for business, my husband who is Polish leveraged his knowledge of Britain, the US and Western business culture to launch a chain of new companies there.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Knowing a language well, having an insider’s perspective on a given country’s culture – and by that I also mean its business and economic attitudes – is a huge advantage in life. We want to make sure that our daughter has this advantage too.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">The principal in Chicago who started a Chinese immersion in his school said something that resonates with me. "Chinese," he said, "isn’t today’s French, it’s today’s English." That’s not just because it’s spoken by over a billion people worldwide. It’s also because Mandarin Chinese is probably the single most important foreign language for Americans today. If more of our young people don’t start learning Mandarin and understanding the way China works we as a country are going to be at a major disadvantage in business, in science, in political influence -- in everything. Conversely for an American child to learn to speak, read and write Chinese is going to give them a lifelong skill. They will be valued by employers across the spectrum. They’ll be prepared to be successful global citizens.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">I urge the committee to support the King School ’s application to start a Chinese immersion program. This is a huge opportunity for the children of Cambridge. I also urge you to take decision quickly. As parents we are very aware of the January deadline for applying to schools. It’s important that all parents in Cambridge know that Chinese immersion is an option this coming fall when they make their school choices. Thank you!

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Liz <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">We are a monolingual English speaking family that is very enthusiastic about the Chinese Immersion Program at the King School. During school selection two years ago I sought a program with regular foreign language instruction from JK to 8th grade and that is the reason due to the excellent Chinese foreign language program that we chose the MLK Jr.- We believe that early foreign language acquisition is an essential life skill for children today. I plan to enroll my younger daughter in JK during the January enrollment period and in seeking three strong schools I am still looking for schools with strong foreign language programming from JK on.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">During my visit to eight of the 12 schools in the district I have been astounded to see that bits and pieces of foreign language instruction are offered but only three schools currently offer regular foreign language instruction from JK through 8th grade (Amigos, King and OLA at the King Open school) Yet at every tour I have attended, district parents inquire about foreign language programming and are often told that it is offered in upper grades, available at after school community extended day programs or offered in lower grades once or twice a week - the current language offerings in most of our district's schools offers too little instruction too late in the game (multiple studies have shown that early language exposure and acquisition allows greater proficiency, and a total mastery of language sounds reducing accents in speech).

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> I urge all of you to support the implementation of this program at the King School. Every child in the district should have the opportunity to be immersed in a rich program of study that allows them to excel in English, Social Studies, Science, Math and a Foreign Language. Please set the bar high, allow every child to acquire the life skills necessary to be successful in today's world and help the district make the crucial step towards offering all children from JK - 8th grade regular foreign language programming. This innovative program provides ample funding to establish a foreign language program that could be a model not only for other schools in our district but also for other schools in our region.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Sian <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">I would like to express my strong support of the proposed Chinese immersion program at the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. School. I am the mother of three children: two current King school students, a second-grader and a kindergartner, and a prospective kindergartner who will be entering school in 2014.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> This program is of great importance to our family. My husband, Haoyang, is from Beijing, China. I met him in Beijing while a Fulbright scholar conducting field research for my doctorate in anthropology from the University of Chicago. Although my background is Welsh, and I grew up in the UK, Australia, and the US, I am both fluent and literate in Chinese. Besides experiencing the delight of fully participating in another culture, my ability in Chinese has brought me many interesting opportunities, ranging from visiting scholar at Peking University, to journalist for the South China Morning Post’s Beijing bureau, to host on the nationally-televised TV quiz show SK Zhuang Yuan Bang.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> My husband and I are fully committed to raising our children to be multilingual. We believe that this is a fundamental way of increasing their competitiveness, employability, and enjoyment and appreciation of their world as global citizens. We are particularly committed to raising them to speak, read and write Chinese. Of course, it is very important to us that they are able to effectively communicate with family members living in mainland China, and, although growing up in the West, feel connected to their Chinese heritage as well. However, it is also extremely important that we prepare them properly to be competitive in the global economy. As China’s economy gains momentum, learning Mandarin Chinese, along with the almost 1.4 billion Chinese people, is a crucial step toward this important goal.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> We believe that the grant that the King school has been offered can benefit our family and broader community in several important intertwined ways. While our elder two children will not be directly participating in the immersion program, we strongly believe that the immersion program will enhance the “language environment” at the school, improving the language learning competence of all children. Specifically, the introduction of a student population dedicated to learning Chinese in Chinese will create numerous interactive moments each day in which our children and their peers are directly exposed to the Chinese language. We believe that such exposure will impart vitality to and increase the relevance and momentum of the existing Chinese program. We are also very excited about the opportunities for professional development for the current Chinese teachers. Additionally, it is our profound hope that our youngest child will be able to participate in the immersion program.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> We believe that the Chinese immersion program at the King school will bring pride and great value to our entire community. We envision wonderful exchange programs, in which children from schools in China stay with our Cambridge families, and vice versa. We also foresee numerous opportunities for other exchanges with Chinese schools, in the form of individual or class communication through electronic media. An enhanced Chinese language environment will also build international bridges throughout Cambridge and beyond, as the opportunities to connect with this other world culture multiply. We also see the program having a broader cultural effect on how Chinese is perceived by the community at large – as another world language that can be learned by anyone, rather than as a difficult language that is almost impossible to learn. We believe that having the Chinese immersion program at the King school will be an amazing asset for our precious children, our extended family, and this community that we care so much about.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Regina <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">I have been interested in the development of Chinese immersion programs in the US for about five years, and my family has been preparing to move away from Cambridge for a Chinese immersion program for my oldest child who is about to turn 5 years old. An excellent Chinese immersion program in Cambridge would provide so many benefits for the children in Cambridge. The most obvious benefit is that children in Cambridge would learn more about Chinese from the children enrolled in the program and the Chinese families that live in Cambridge through a Cambridge public school. The US government has identified Chinese as a critical language and it is the number one, most widely spoken language in the world. The first public school Chinese immersion program in the country is now 25 years old, and since then public Chinese immersion programs have developed in 15 states, with many more public immersion programs in development in other states. For children in Cambridge to be competitive nationwide, Cambridge must develop a Chinese immersion program as well.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Since the proposed Chinese immersion program is a 50/50 dual language immersion program, it would be particularly beneficial to the native Chinese speaking community in Cambridge while also taking advantage of this community as a resource for sharing the Chinese culture and language with the rest of Cambridge. As a Chinese American growing up in Minnesota, I had very little support in the public schools for my Chinese heritage. I’ve experienced first hand and know numerous friends and family members from which a child of a Chinese speaking household is enrolled in an English only school and these children become uninterested and in some cases refuse to learn Chinese. They are often forced by their parents to attend Chinese afterschool and Saturday school programs, and in the end, they still cannot read, much less write, in Chinese. If these children are enrolled in a Chinese immersion program, they are much less likely to reject their Chinese heritage and language. Chinese American parents living in Cambridge can share their culture with non-Chinese families through the school and enrich the lives of other Cambridge children. Chinese-American children would have the opportunity to become leaders in their Chinese classes and they would be proud of their Chinese background.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Finally, studies have shown that the children in the program will gain significant tools that will help them accomplish their goals personally, socially and in time, professionally. Learning a foreign language at a young age takes advantage of the small window of time when children can develop the pronunciation and intonations to sound like a native speaker. Research has shown that learning a foreign language in elementary school provides children with many cognitive benefits including greater nonverbal problem solving abilities and more flexible thinking. It strengthens their understanding of their native language and students in immersion programs outperform students not in immersion programs in both the verbal and math sections on standardized tests. Learning another language at an earlier age is also associated with a broader awareness and compassion for other cultures in addition to being able to simply communicate with more people from other countries around the world.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">I urge you to vote yes to approve the proposed Chinese immersion program.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Martha <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">I am a long time resident of Cambridge and attended the Martin Luther King, Jr. the Webster (now the Graham Parks), and the Longfellow School in the 1970s and 80s.My daughter, Maggie, (who was adopted from China) will be entering Junior Kindergarten next year. I credit my education in Cambridge with my life long interest in diverse cultures and languages. When I attended the Webster School we had both a Greek and a Haitian Creole bilingual program. I went on to major in Chinese Language and Culture in college, spend a semester at the University of Beijing, and ultimately became a bilingual teacher in the New York and Boston Public Schools.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> When people ask why my daughter, or any child, might want to participate in a Chinese immersion program I often stop in surprised because given the world we currently live in and the world they will ultimately inhabit it will be critical that every student be fluent in at least one language and another culture. Given that some dialect of Chinese is spoken by people in 31 countries around the world with more than 1.2 billion primary language speakers – Chinese is undeniably a reasonable choice. When I respond to this question, I always tell people that I would MOVE to Cambridge (if I did not already live here) so that my daughter would be able to participate in this type of learning environment.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> For my daughter, who was adopted from Chongqing, China in 2007, the importance of maintaining proficiency in Chinese and understanding and participating in both Chinese and Chinese American culture is paramount. My daughter currently attends two different preschools on two different sides of Cambridge – one in English in the morning and one in Chinese in the afternoon.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> For my daughter, learning Chinese is about more than just learning vocabulary and sentence structure it is about participating fully in her birth culture. It is about being about to communicate with one quarter of the world’s population – to speak to the nannies that took care of her in the orphanage or to discuss a contract with a potential business partner in Beijing. It is about increasing her cognitive flexibility – to understand the difference between accepting a compliment from her teacher in Mandarin or in English or to respond to a query about her education from a Chinese colleague. It is about increasing her understanding of history -- to speak to an elderly woman in the park or to read a Tang Dynasty poem. Learning Chinese for her – and for all students in Cambridge – is not only about understanding another culture, it is about understanding our own.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> In conclusion, I wanted to end with a brief anecdote -- A colleague of mine recently went to China at the invitation of the Chinese government. While there he was having a suit made. The tailor asked him – in English -- where he worked – when he replied Lexington, MA. The tailor replied – “Oh isn’t that where the American Revolution began.” If the tailor in Beijing speaks English and knows about the American Revolution there can be absolutely no question that our children must learn to speak Chinese and understand Chinese culture to be successfully in the world they will inhabit. The federal government agrees – with a 1.5 million dollar grant they have made it clear that early immersion education is key to this country’s future. Please join public school districts around the country and make the Chinese Immersion program a reality in the Cambridge Public Schools.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Jackie <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">My husband and I are the parents of a curious 5-year old who will be entering the public school system in 2011. Between the three of us, we speak four and a half languages—I say half because our Spanish is not so good! We’ve always been interested in finding a school that puts an emphasis on foreign languages. When we started checking out the Cambridge schools, we were surprised to see that in most schools, foreign languages are only offered at the upper grade levels. So when we received e-mail from a friend about the proposed Chinese immersion program, we were really excited. I think it's such an amazing opportunity to learn another language at an early age. All sorts of literature points to the benefits of learning a second language on a cognitive and practical level.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> My first language was Chinese, which I pretty, much forgot after I entered kindergarten. My parents sent us to a Chinese language school on the weekend, but my siblings and I hated studying on our day off, so we gave up. When I got to 7th grade, my public school offered French. I was totally in to it--I wore berets, ate French pastries and watched French films. I studied French from 7th through 12th grade and after I graduated, I decided to go to France to pursue my studies. I thought I could speak and write well enough to attend University but when I got off the plane in Paris, I knew I was in trouble. I spoke like toddler in comparison to everyone else! What I'm trying to say is that learning a language starting in middle school does not make you fluent, not even close. I know some of you will say the contrary, but I have yet to meet someone in this country who will converse with me in his or her high school level French. I went on to learn both French and Chinese—I studied these languages for many many years at the college level. And while I consider myself fluent now, I will never be bilingual.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> One last thing, learning those languages though did help me land some of my best jobs. I was hired to work for NOVA, the PBS science series on a program about a French Aviator. I won out over the other candidate because of my language skills. I was hired again to produce a film in China about Song Dynasty bridges. And that was the beginning of my career. In this era of globalization, more than ever our kids have to be prepared. In Europe and China, it’s common for kids to start learning English in kindergarten.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> The money is there for the immersion program. The interest and commitment are there. The students and their parents are ready and willing. Please do not delay your vote. Take a leap of faith -- help us make this program a reality 2011. Thank you!

=Voices of Parents=

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<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Regina, mother of a Cambridge kindergartner: <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> "I enthusiastically support the development of a Mandarin Chinese immersion program at the King School. Acquiring the abilities to speak, read and write the most widely spoken language in the world would provide students with lifelong skills they can use socially and professionally. I believe that immersion is the most effective method to gain oral fluency, and reading and writing skills at a proficient level. As public schools in California, Minnesota, New York and Canada have already realized, acquiring a second language through immersion starting in kindergarten is an excellent way to take advantage of the window of time when children can easily learn a language like a native speaker."

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Folk-Man - Eurasian <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> What it means to me:
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">An opportunity to apply the latest techniques in foreign language teaching
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Internet videos to repeat key tones and concepts accessible out of school
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Critically examine traditional Chinese teaching beliefs
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Chinese is best taught by a Chinese person
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Reading and writing are essential for non-native speakers
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Bring a Chinese language service that the Confucius Institute can brag about on its list of best practice
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Obtain funding that is non-conditional from sources outside the US i.e. to bring financial stability to the program
 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">To address the bee in my bonnet about the paucity and lack of quality of Chinese programs in the Cambridge area

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Wendy, Cambridge resident and mother of a 4 year old and 7 month old: <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> "I think it goes without saying how important it will be during this century for our children to grow up knowing more than one language. To truly learn a language, nothing beats full immersion, such as living in a country where the language is spoken. However, second best to this is a language immersion school program, where there is intentional instruction of Chinese as well as a significant amount of time spent listening and speaking Chinese. Personally, as a Chinese-American, I'm grateful to have the opportunity to have my children learn Chinese in a formal school setting and do so in an environment where they can proud of their heritage. It would also allow them to maintain stronger relational connections with their extended family in Taiwan to be able to communicate with them. But beyond personal reasons, I am also excited about this program for the type of families that it will draw to the school - active, involved parents who will advocate for the school and work with the teaching staff and administrators. My hope is that it will revitalize the school's reputation and boost morale, showing people what excellent, hard-working teachers there are at King, and that their preconceived notions are unjustified (or the result of certain prejudices). I see how starting the Montessori program at Tobin has really positively impacted the school and how parents choose that school, and I see a similar thing happening for King when this program gets implemented and matures over time."