When you enroll your child in a language immersion preschool, one of your goals is likely to have your child become fluent in their new language. However, fluency isn’t as simple as understanding and speaking a language. There are different levels of fluency and literacy, and it is a good idea to understand what your goals are for your child when they enroll in Crossing Borders Preschool. In this blog, we will outline the levels of fluency, and how to make goals for your child’s fluency levels.
Foreign Language Verbal Fluency Levels
- Passive: understands the language when it is spoken, but cannot reply.
- Basic: can speak with other children.
- Intermediate: can speak with adults but not as well as their monolingual peers.
- Advanced: is verbally fluent enough to attend school in their second language.
- Native: can speak the language at the same ability level as monolingual peers.
Foreign Language Literacy Levels
- Passive: understands the written language but cannot write themselves.
- Basic: can read with basic writing skills.
- Intermediate: can read and write well, but not as well as monolingual peers.
- Advanced: can read and write well enough to go to school in their second language.
- Native: The ability to read and write is the same as monolingual peers.
Making Fluency Goals For Your Child
Now that you are aware of the different levels of fluency, you can determine what your ultimate goal is for your child, and that can help determine your educational decisions for them in the future. It is important to be realistic. While you may want your child to reach native fluency in both verbal and reading skills, this goal is not easily attainable. After language immersion preschool, you will have to be dedicated to keeping your child on the path towards native fluency, which may include language immersion programs all the way through high school. If you have more modest ambitions, say with a basic level of fluency, a language immersion preschool may be sufficient.
Regardless of desired level of fluency, a language immersion preschool can help your child to get the right start for learning a second language. When you are looking for the preschool in Pearland, TX, consider Crossing Borders Preschool. We provide an enriching environment in which our students can be fully immersed in a new language. Learn more about our language immersion programs on our website today.
