The first Spanish bilingual preschool is gearing up to open in Cochrane this fall.
“Spanish is my mother tongue and during the time that I have been in Canada, I realized that there are a lot of people who want to learn Spanish or want their children to learn Spanish. Additionally, I have seen that Spanish has become a very important tool to have at work for doing business,” explained Jessica Espinosa, Smart Little People Preschool director.
With the growing trend of bilingualism in the country and nearly 6.6 million people reporting speaking a language other than English and French at home, Spanish-speaking homes in Canada grew by 32 per cent between 2006 and 2011.
The Calgary Board of Education has 12 schools offering Spanish bilingual programs, giving parents a list of benefits such as expanding the intellect, developing enhanced feelings of self-esteem and pride in having acquired an additional language, and providing students with more choices for advanced education and career options.
Working and managing bilingual schools for the last five years, Espinosa said she has seen the benefits first hand.
“Children in dual language programs can experience academic gains, including gains in early literacy and communication skills, comparable to those of children in one language program,” Espinosa said.
Rocky View Schools (RVS) offers French Immersion programs at Elizabeth Barrett Elementary, Manachaban Middle School and Cochrane High School but the division does not offer a Spanish bilingual program.
“There is Spanish as a second language in some middle schools and most high schools,” explained Amy Donovan, supervisor of jurisdictional programs with the division.
While French is Canada’s other official language, Spanish is the second most commonly spoken in the world, with Mandarin listed as most common. English is third and French is 14th, according to Ethnologue, a global catalog of the 7,000 languages currently in use worldwide.
“Spanish immersion has been explored in the past however there did not appear to be the number to support it,” Donovan said.
Smart Little People will be the first introduction to a Spanish bilingual program in Cochrane at the preschool level.
“At this time, Rocky View Schools is not planning to offer Spanish in our preschool programs. The focus of PIP (Preschool Intervention Program) is to meet the needs of children identified with severe disabilities or delays,” Donovan explained.
Since announcing the Espańol preschool, Espinosa said she has received nothing but positive feedback.
“The community has been very enthusiastic and interested about it. We have received many inquires about the program, the start date and how happy they are about having a bilingual school around,” Espinosa said.
Smart Little People preschool will be opening this fall in the Fireside Community. For more information, go to smartlittlepeople.ca
Smart Little People will be offering three different programs:
- Out of School Care (6 to 12 years old)- English Preschool (2.5 to 5 years old) and- English/Spanish Bilingual Preschool (2.5 to 5 years old)
