HADLEY — Christina Nuesslein, inspired by her German-born husband’s rigorous high school education and early start in learning a second language, decided to home-school her children.
“In Germany, they start learning their second language in first grade,” she said.
So when the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School opened in 2007 with its intensive language and International Baccalaureate programs, Nuesslein and her husband were confident in making the switch.
Now, their six children are among the 472 enrolled at the K-12 school in Hadley. At its core, the school is based on an immersion model of language learning. In elementary grades, most instruction is conducted in Chinese. This leads to quick levels of fluency, according to Principal Kathleen Wang.
“How it works is very much how anyone learns their native language,” she said. “It’s a very natural way for students to learn a new language.”
Armed with a solid language base, students in Grades 6 though 12 take daily, intensive two-hour Chinese classes, while other courses are instructed in English.
There are also entry points for newly enrolled students in sixth grade and ninth grade, and Chinese courses beginning at those levels for beginners.
International Baccalaureate is a Swiss-created program in place in schools across the world that focuses on student-centered discussion in the classroom. The IB diploma is awarded after completion of a certain number of high-level classes and completion of a thesis.
Nuesslein thinks about the influence of China.
“If China’s going to be the leading economy in not very long from now, we need to be producing kids who are bilingual in Chinese,” she said.