by Jasmine Little, Advancement Associate – Enrollment & Events
& Danielle Valenti, Advancement Associate – Communications & Events
On November 14th, ISB hosted a panel discussion called “The Buzz about Bilingualism: Exploring Language Immersion,” which focused on the benefits of bilingualism and language immersion education. The attendees included current ISB parents, teachers, and prospective families.
During the event, the panelists discussed their personal journeys with bilingualism, the misconceptions about second language acquisition, the cognitive benefits of bilingualism, and their own approaches to language immersion education. The discussion was moderated by Head of School Elect Joe Santos and the panelists included:
Max Boie, ISB Alumnus & Anne Bobroff, ISB Alumni Parent
Max and Anne discussed Max’s journey as a native French speaker at ISB, what it was like learning a third language in Middle School, and the academic and social benefits of being bilingual in high school.
Isabelle Jouanneau-Fertig, ISB Board of Trustees Member and Past President, Senior Associate in French at Barnard College, Columbia University
Isabelle offered insight into the language learning process at the university level and the importance of persistence in the language acquisition process.
Molida Khuon, ISB French 3rd Grade Head Teacher and Itzel Mendoza, Spanish Nursery Head Teacher
Itzel and Molida offered a firsthand perspective on how varied the language learning process is for each student within the Preschool and Lower School at ISB as well as their own journeys becoming bilingual.
Marthe Pohl, Teacher at the Language and Laughter Studio
Marthe offered many anecdotes about the curiosity and learning process of her preschool aged students in a French language immersion environment.
One of the main topics of discussion between the panelists and attendees was “What does it mean to be bilingual vs. fluent?” The moderator, panelists, and attendees explored this question by referring to their own personal experiences and research on bilingualism to delve deeper into these concepts. Overall, the room agreed on the lasting benefits of learning a second language!
We look forward to hosting more of these kinds of events for the community. Watch some video clips from “The Buzz About Bilingualism” panel below. Thank you to our panelists for sharing their expertise!
