About Our Program

PS/IS 102Q launched its inaugural Dual Language Chinese/English class in 2017 and was the first of its kind in Community School District 24. Currently our program operates from kindergarten to second grade. From third grade and on, Chinese is taught as an elective foreign language course. The goal is for students to be able to read, write, and speak in both English and Chinese. 

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Our classes follow a 50/50, side-by-side model with two teachers (Chinese and English). Our students learn in both their primary and secondary language in an immersion environment, alternating each day between English and Chinese. Dual language classes contain students who are English-dominant, Chinese-dominant or bilingual (or trilingual). Bilingual children are usually dominant in one of the two languages.

Students begin to learn to read and write in their primary language while also learning in their second language. Content curriculum is taught in both English and Chinese, composed of 50% English immersion instruction and 50% Chinese immersion instruction. Subject areas are taught in both languages and lessons are never repeated or translated from one day to the next. However, please note that specialty classes (like Music, Physical Education, and STEAM) are taught in English only.

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The main entry point for the program is kindergarten. We encourage all families to apply. Your child does not need to speak Chinese to be accepted into the program. Most students move up each year as a cohort into the next grade. Children who are fluent in Chinese may be enrolled in the DLP in any grade as long as seats are available. English dominant students who do not speak Chinese are highly recommended to enroll in kindergarten or in the first grade at the latest.

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If you are interested in the program, please fill out our questionnaire.