World Language Courses

Research has shown that bilinguals and multilinguals tend to be more creative thinkers than those who speak one language. One study suggests that speaking multiple languages sharpens brain functions as individual ages. In our increasingly global world, parents realize that their children will benefit from knowing more than one language. The earlier a second language is introduced, the easier it will be for the child to reproduce its unique sounds. Two- and 3-year-olds are not only increasing their vocabularies, but they are also starting to recognize the speech patterns they have been hearing since birth. The earlier a second language is heard, the more effortless it will be for a child to learn the language. The ability to hear different phonetic pronunciations is sharpest before age 6, after which children begin to lose the capacity to hear and produce certain sounds. Exposing your child to a second language will help him learn about other cultures.

CGMS offers Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese as part of its World Languages Curriculum. True to the Montessori Method, children at CGMS see themselves as a part of the larger world. Our World Languages Curriculum supports this philosophy by offering students a developmentally responsive approach to language instruction.

• Beginning in our Toddler Program, children are exposed to both English and Spanish and are offered the option of a Spanish Immersion class or an English/Spanish bilingual class.
• In our Children’s House program (3–6 year-olds), students are offered three unique options: a bilingual English/Spanish classroom, a bilingual English/French classroom, or an exclusively English-speaking classroom option.  Students in our exclusively English Children’s Houses receive a half-hour of daily instruction in the World Language of their choice: Spanish, French, or Mandarin Chinese.   All students in Children’s Houses are provided a choice of an added World Language, French, or Mandarin twice a week.
• Our Lower and Upper Elementary students receive 45 minutes of daily instruction in the World Language of their choice: Spanish, French, or Mandarin Chinese.