Being able to speak a second language is basically a necessity this day and age. It’s on college applications and job applications, many of which require applicants to be bilingual.

According to a study done by the Department of Psychology at Cornell University, it became clear that young children are better second-language learners than adults and should consequently reach higher levels of final proficiency in the second language.

That is the belief at Burley-Glenwood Elementary School, which is in its second year of its Spanish immersion program.

“I know learning is most effective until about 13,” Lucy McAlister said. McAlister teaches in the first-grade Spanish immersion classroom.

“Windows open, acquisition changes, the brain connections operate in a way mono-lingual brains don’t. Eventually they will outperform others who aren’t bilingual.”

McAlister herself is bilingual, and although Spanish isn’t her first language, she is more than qualified for the position she is in.

“I’m not a native speaker but I’m an example of what you can do. I’m very capable. I know how to read and write and teach,” she said.

Before coming to Port Orchard, McAlister taught in California. Here, all but one of her students are English speakers learning Spanish. In California, it was the opposite.

“They were the same where they were wiggly trying to learn English, and now, they’re wiggly learning Spanish,” she said. “Management is important.”

Burley-Glenwood uses the Gomez & Gomez Dual Language Enrichment Model of teaching where the days are split with Spanish immersion and English. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are days mostly in Spanish.

In the Gomez & Gomez DLE Model for English dominant learners, language arts and mathematics are taught in the students’ native language in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, while science and social studies is learned in the second language.

McAlister said that first grade is all about vocabulary. 

“We read aloud in Spanish, do social studies and science. We read the text in Spanish. Well, in English first and then Spanish is added,” she said.

McAlister practices songs showcasing each letters sounds to get the children remembering differences between the “y” sound as in “yo-yo” and the “ll” sound as in “llave” (key).

“I feel like it’s catching on, I do,” she said. “Some are (still at the beginning stage), but some are already counting or answering without me prompting them. And they’re only eight weeks in. They’re all learning.”

The class is made up of 21 young students. Several of the families live in the district, however, about half have elected to come to Burley-Glenwood to have their children be a part of this program.

“My mom sent me here. Used to go to Sydney Glenn,” one student, James, 7, said. “She wanted me to learn Spanish.”

Other students like 7-year-old Greyson enjoy learning Spanish because it has his favorite color. “Rojo, that means red.”

He and James both like being in Mrs. McAlister’s class because they said she is nice and very helpful.

“She helps students, and she makes stuff pretty,” Greyson said.

Around the classroom is artwork showcasing the alphabet in both English and Spanish, charts drawings and the songs. Most of what she has in her classroom, McAlister brought herself.

“The district sent certain things to me — math, language arts and money I needed to spend,” she said. “They sent me to a conference. But much of the stuff I have is mine. I made it or I bought it or I brought it with me.”

As well as unique ideas for the classroom, McAlister said she is constantly in contact with the principal about what is needed to make the program blossom. “You aren’t going to start a school without a library.”

However, for a program that is just getting started, it has a lot of support.

“The district is so excited. We went and sang in front of the board,” McAlister said.

“It’s brand new, and it’s shaky legs of a brand new program. But for its second year, it’s progressing beautifully.”