Maryknoll School is preparing to introduce its incoming sixth graders to the next stage of its Man­darin immersion program, in which 20% of their classes will be taught in Mandarin.

The program is now in its sixth year, and the sixth graders will have completed grades K-5 with 50% of their classes taught in the language.

At this point they are expected to be “more or less” fluent in the language, said Maryknoll immersion teacher Emily Pettit. Their math and science courses, which were previously taught in Mandarin, will resume in English. The Mandarin courses available to them will also become more geared toward history and culture.

By the time students reach the eighth grade, they are expected to be completely fluent in reading, writing, listening and speaking the language.

“We’re preparing our students to have yet one more thing in their tool belt,” said Laurie Carlos, Maryknoll’s director of marketing communication. “From kindergarten to our fifth grade class, their use of the language is more than 50% of their day.”

Maryknoll School decided to offer its Mandarin immersion program in 2017, after noticing a national school trend to offer immersion programs. Having previously offered Mandarin as an elective course, it noticed a student interest in the language.

Since introducing the program, it has seen a steady stream of enrollment, with about two-thirds of each grade level opting to participate, Pettit said.

“The interest and the integration has always been there,” Carlos said. “It’s just a matter of the immersion model and giving parents a choice. That said, the program itself is very successful.”

Both Carlos and Pettit have noticed students integrating Mandarin into their daily life, within and outside the classroom.

“On the playground you hear children conversing in Mandarin, something very simple such as, ‘Your hair looks nice today,’” Carlos said.

“I’ve heard a lot of stories from parents that they’re just walking around Chinatown (with their child) and (their child will) point out a sign and read it, and tell them what it means,” another Maryknoll immersion teacher, Meiyi Shade, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Other parents have reported witnessing their children conversing in Mandarin with staff at Chinese restaurants, Shade added. Stories like this are plentiful, especially since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, she said.

Parent feedback regarding the program has been largely positive, with questions generally concerning how to best support their children in their language acquisition at home, Pettit said.

As a result, Maryknoll recently started offering parent workshops where parents may request specific things that they would like to learn about their child’s education.

Some have indicated they wish to learn more about their child’s curriculum, while others said they would like to learn how to make simple conversation with their children in Mandarin, Pettit said.

The ultimate goal of the program is to provide students with an extra skill that they can use after they graduate and enter the workforce, Carlos said.

“To be able to speak and converse is just such a global trait to have that you can take with you anywhere you go,” Carlos said. “These children, really being able to take a hold of language acquisition at such an early age and just seeing them with a sense of confidence, being able to hold a conversation — we’re excited for our program and all the kids.”