Seventh International Conference on Immersion and Dual Language Education

Symposia Session

Immersion

All

Immersion educators and families invest much time, energy, and time into designing, planning and implementing K-5 immersion programs.  With half or more of the academic day dedicated to teaching in the partner language and ensuring children meet the expected academic outcomes the stakes are high.  However, as students continue their immersion program studies into the secondary level challenges mount in terms of motivation and adequate language development with time learning in the partner language often reduced to two periods in middle and one in high school.  Naturally students interests diversify and options and opportunities grow.  Many students do complete K-12 immersion coursework, but then find options are limited at the university level or struggle to develop Advanced or Superior proficiency.  This symposium pulls expertise from both secondary and university level programs to explore the following questions in connection to bridging K-12 immersion to university: 1) How do we foster independent and motivated adolescent immersion language learners wanting to continue their language studies at university? 2) What kind of pathways do universities offer to immersion students? 3) What are the unique needs of K-12 immersion graduates in continuing their advanced level language studies? 4) How can high school immersion teachers best prepare immersion students for university level language programs such as Flagship?