In some elementary schools, students get the chance to opt into Spanish Immersion. The program is highly sought after, with the admissions process occurring through a lottery system. This unique opportunity allows students to develop advanced language skills while deepening their cultural understanding at an early age. Now at M-A, many former Spanish Immersion students reflect on how the program shaped their academic path and continues to benefit them in many aspects of their lives.
Spanish Immersion is a program where students start learning standard subjects like math, science, and language arts 90% in Spanish during elementary school, with the amount of Spanish gradually decreasing each year as English is slowly reintroduced into the curriculum. Rather than typical English classes, the curricula in schools such as Encinal and Laurel incorporate lessons on Spanish heritage by conducting special activities to experience traditions from other cultures, such as celebrations for Día de Los Muertos and Día de Los Reyes Magos.
While most students were too young to understand the decision, parents often enrolled their kids due to the high demand and in the hopes of giving their children an advantage in future academic opportunities. “Spanish Immersion truly allowed me to learn the language at such a young age that it set me up on a great path for the rest of my life,” freshman Jane Pence, who took Spanish Immersion at Encinal Elementary School, said. “I am super grateful I was able to do the immersion program in elementary school, because it set me up well for language classes in middle and high school.”
While adapting to a curriculum in a different language is challenging, many students now look back with appreciation for the way it expanded their critical thinking skills and pushed them out of their comfort zones.
Teaching children a second language at a young age not only enhances their linguistic skills but also develops cognitive flexibility. According to an ACTFL study, dual-language students who learn the language early demonstrate improved memory, problem-solving skills, and overall academic achievement compared to their monolingual peers.
Spanish, in particular, has helped many engage in diverse Bay Area communities and connect more meaningfully in the local majority-Spanish-speaking neighborhoods. “Spanish Immersion has impacted me in a really good way because having my biliteracy award helps me communicate with a larger group of people,” sophomore Gabriella Recendez, who took Spanish Immersion at Laurel Elementary School, said.
Through this unique opportunity, students are able to make an impact on pressing issues by utilizing their linguistic skills and participating in activities such as volunteering, community outreach programs, and more. “I did a summer camp and there was a really big group of students that just spoke Spanish, so it was a really nice way to communicate with them,” Recendez said. “Also, going to Costa Rica, I was able to communicate with people who spoke Spanish and get a clear point of view on their culture.”
“I have applied my Spanish abilities to service work, communicating with others, and helping friends learn more about the language and culture,” Pence said.
However, despite the advantages, immersion students experience increased struggle in areas like advanced English vocabulary and the transition to regular English-based classes in middle school. “Originally switching from a school all in Spanish into an English school was a bit difficult, especially with writing,” Pence added.
Since most of their early education was in Spanish, students who took the program were often behind in English-dominant tasks, such as reading and writing. “One thing was that I didn’t know a lot of advanced English vocabulary, so for the SAT and other tests like that, I had to lock in extra,” junior Sofia Vuchic said.
Overall, students’ experiences were largely positive, and most reflect on the program as very beneficial. “It helped me extend my understanding of different cultures and backgrounds,” sophomore Nathan Sanocki, who took Spanish Immersion at Encinal Elementary School, said. “Learning the language at such a young age definitely gave me an advantage.”
Students now show appreciation for the program and the overall long-term impacts. “I don’t regret Spanish Immersion because it helped me finish Spanish in high school early,” Vuchic said. “Not only has learning the Spanish language allowed me to experience two different cultures, but also truly shaped me.”
