Outside the Box – Nicole Kelly
RSI’s trilingual program sends students straight into a full immersion setting. Inside the classrooms, students only speak the language of the class (Mandarin, Spanish or English). It may be hard at first, but this is a great way to get students used to only speaking the language they are learning. When they need to ask for a pencil or need to ask to go to the bathroom, they will need to ask in Chinese or Spanish in their language classes. RSI’s full immersion setting helps students pick up and practice their language skills. Students are also encouraged to practice their language skills outside the classroom by listening to songs in Mandarin and Spanish and watching movies in those languages as well. These are fun ways to acquire a new language while also improving listening comprehension.
One of the best ways to learn and improve language skills is to converse with native speakers. Once a week, C8-C13 students participate in a Chinese Conversation Specialty class taught by King Laoshi. In this specialty class, students focus on language proficiency by practicing their conversational Chinese skills to help them hold engaging conversations with others. Specific topics lead conversations, like holidays, and students are welcome to redirect the conversation to different topics of interest. When students are allowed to focus on aspects of learning that intrigue them, they become more engaged in learning and speaking other languages. This class has been a great tool for our students to help them practice correct pronunciations of words and refine their speaking skills.
