Jan. 19, 2017
Christine Cheung, Principal of Highwood School Photo | Werklund School of Education
In the case of education, the development of dual language schools has grown significantly over the years. In the Calgary Board of Education, for example, the number of schools offering language and cultural bilingual instruction has grown significantly: ten years ago, six schools offered dual language instruction; today, there are 17 schools in the CBE offering bilingual programs in three languages (German, Mandarin and Spanish), in addition to 24 French immersion schools.
“Dual language programs provide children opportunities to learn in and about other languages and cultures, says Christine Cheung. “In a multicultural society, building understanding and common experiences strengthens relationships, and studies have also shown the benefits to the brain in learning a second language that promotes memory, creative thinking and problem solving.”
Cheung is the principal of Highwood School, a bilingual elementary school focusing on Chinese (Mandarin), and she has experienced the expansion of the dual language program first hand.
Read full story on Werklund School of Education website.
