Developing native
language skills.

Many parents worry that they won’t be able to support their child in an immersion program because they do not speak the target language. This is the furthest thing from the truth!

Parents can and should support their child in many ways! In fact, for language immersion to be the most successful, parents need to be involved at a high level. Especially in a program that does not instruct students in their native language, parents need to expect to work with students on developing their native language skills at home.

This does NOT mean that parents are required to teach classes at home. There are natural and effective ways for parents to engage their children as well as support their overall learning. The four main ways that students can support their child in an immersion setting are:

• Reading and writing at home in the native language.
• Getting involved in their language education.
• Demonstrating enthusiasm for language learning.
• Seeking support if their child is struggling.