Summer Mandarin boot camp before school begins in Austin, Texas
Doss Holds Chinese Immersion “Boot Camp” for Incoming Students
by Lelan Miller
Doss Elementary School in Austin, TX concluded a Chinese “boot camp” for first and second grade students today on July 31, 2013. This boot camp was for first and second graders who are slated to enter the Chinese immersion program that will begin operating this August. First and second graders had camp for three mornings from July 29th through July 31st. The kindergarten students are scheduled for two mornings of boot camp on August 1st and 2nd. The primary focus of the boot camps will be classroom language, math vocabulary, and learning about writing in Mandarin.
As you can see from the photos below, only Chinese is permitted in the boot camps. The class schedule is posted in Chinese as well. Since many of the children are just starting to be exposed to Chinese, the teachers use a great deal of pictures, drawings, repetition, and gestures to assist in understanding.
The teachers for this session were Nancy Chiu and Connie Soong. Connie Soong will be teaching kinder and first grade and Nancy Chiu will be teaching second grade in the Chinese immersion program this fall. Janna Griffin is the principal of Doss Elementary School who was instrumental in getting this program established at Doss. Congratulations, Doss Owls!
The lion says, “Stop, Chinese only!”
The class schedule is in Chinese supported with pictures to help with comprehension.
Lelan Miller, 孟乐岚 is the founder of Mandarin Matters in Our Schools in Texas (MMOST) and master’s candidate in Chinese Language Pedagogy.
Mandarin Immersion Parents Council 