Meadow Montessori School: Foreign Language Programs

At Meadow Montessori, every student learns a foreign language. Spanish and French are offered from infancy through high school. In 2005-2006, we (re)introduced our upper elementary (9-12 year-olds) to the study of Latin.

Our teachers are native speakers, whenever possible, which offers our students the opportunity to learn the languages from authentic speakers but also to learn aspects of their cultures. Children in the infant and toddler programs experience a Spanish immersion program, where one native speaker uses only Spanish in the classroom.

Linguistic capability and cultural awareness are both vital necessities for today's children and are fundamental in an increasingly interdependent global environment. The awareness that all human beings have the same basic needs, which they have learned to satisfy in diverse ways in response to varied environments, is one of the building blocks of Montessori's cosmic education. According to many researchers, educators, and early childhood specialists, the best time to introduce a foreign language is when the child is young, before language and speech patterns are fixed, probably before the age of eleven. Research has lead to the conclusion that children have the ability to learn and excel in the pronunciation of a foreign language. Here are a few reasons why we, at Meadow Montessori, believe our foreign language programs are important:

children enjoy learning a foreign language;
children are curious about customs in other countries;
children enjoy repetition when used in games and activities;
children, because of their ability to imitate or absorb so well, are capable of developing good listening habits and correct pronunciation;
children's foreign language exposure helps them develop openness to other people and other ways of life.