Tucson Mandarin immersion school update

VAIL – Students at Mesquite Elementary in the Vail School District are not just learning a new language, they’re being immersed in it. Every day, these K-2 children are being taught Mandarin, and learning about Chinese culture.

“You can hear them count from one to a hundred in Chinese, without even a pause,” said Buni Becker, one of the Mandarin teachers at Mesquite Elementary.

This is the second year of the immersion program at the elementary school, but funding could be a problem.

“We’ve had to get creative on how to continue this. If we continue to have funding cut, the program will no longer exist,” said Diane Samorano, the principal at Mesquite Elementary.

The kids in the program are even taught math and science in Mandarin.

“It’s like fun because we get to learn about shapes and the calendar. Most of the days it was almost all Chinese,” said Zach Yiger, a first grader in the program.

Please read more here.