Angelica Ramos
Contributing Writer
MONTGOMERY COUNTY- The Administer of Gifted Programs for MCPS, Helen Fontinos, presented to the MCPS School Board a new potential language learning opportunity for MCPS students.
Fontinos presented to the school board at its Sept. 17, 2024 meeting about a language learning opportunity that would be called the MCPS Dual Language Immersion Academy. Fontinos explained in her presentation that DLI (Dual Language Immersion) is a program that would encourage and provide literacy and instruction through being bilingual and being able to read and write in at least two languages, one of those languages being English. This would be, Fontinos explained, beneficial for all students.
“Students,” Fontinos said, explaining the goals of this program, “will gain the ability to speak, read and write proficiently in two languages. Fluency in both reading and writing will be presented through academic performance that is above at or above grade level in both languages. Second, grade-level academic achievement: high levels of proficiency in the students’ dominant, as well as second language, will be developed. And finally, intercultural competence: students’ individual perspectives will be broadened, and they will achieve an understanding and appreciation for different cultural backgrounds.”
Bilingual literacy is something common in many other countries across the globe and as Dr. Bragen points out in the discussion of this topic, the United States is one of few countries where many of its citizens practice monolingualism. Being bilingual, according to the Department of Education, is beneficial in order for people to be global citizens, gather more information and knowledge and communicate with a broader spectrum of other people. The MCPS Dual Language Academy would, according to Fontinos’ presentation, provide an opportunity for students to acquire a secondary language that would not conflict with their learning or understanding of their primary language. Right now, the proposed language to start with would be Spanish, if this is approved, and it would begin in kindergarten with students being spoken to and instructed in Spanish the majority of the time while also having time during the day to speak and learn in English. As they progress through the grades, more English will be incorporated into their everyday learning until the languages equal a 50/50 ratio in terms of usage and instruction.
The goal of Fontinos’ presentation was to gain a consensus as to how beneficial for the district the school board thought a program like this would be. The teachers that would be a part of this program would have to be bilingual and have other particular certifications to participate. The school board did provide a positive consensus for the proposed idea.
“I think for me,” Dr. Ed Gitre said, “I’m in general, very supportive. I think it would be wonderful to have something written up that has some of the details like what school you’re thinking of starting in, scaling up, the cost- some of the nuts and bolts of it.”
Student Representative Aija McHone from Eastern Montgomery High School said she supports the idea of introducing a program like this to MCPS.
“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” said McHone. “I wish that we, we’re seniors now, but really I wish that I could speak more than one language, so I think it’s a good idea and a great program to build up in our school system.”
