Denver students embrace new languages in immersive education experience

Denver Language School boosts bilingualism by immersing students in Spanish or Mandarin.

9News: Byron Reed April 21, 2025

DENVER — Denver Language School, a K-8 charter school within Denver Public Schools, is providing students with full immersion education in Spanish or Mandarin Chinese, helping create bilingual global citizens from a young age.

The school, which has grown from about 700 students to over 900, teaches approximately 90% of the school day in the target language, allowing students to develop proficiency without relying on translation.

“We do math, also, we do science. We do social studies. We are talking about geography,” said Valeria Minoli, kindergarten immersion Spanish teacher. “Many subjects are only in Spanish.”

Students begin in kindergarten learning either Spanish or Mandarin and continue that language track through eighth grade. The school is adding French to its middle school program next year through a partnership with the French American school.

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