Duval program helps kids to be bilingual and immerses them into a new culture

Several hundred Duval County students are taking part in a unique program. It's a program that's not only helping them learn English and a foreign language, but also learn about another culture. The students in Mrs. Amanda Tygarts classroom are not your typical third graders. They are all bilingual.

“They’re doubling their vocabulary, they’re doubling the comprehension skills that are learned in English, I’m teaching comprehension skills in Spanish,” said Mrs. Tygart, a dual language 3 rd. grade teacher at Beauclerc Elementary school in Jacksonville. Students in her classroom learn 50 percent in Spanish and 50 percent in English.

“I like to learn new words, learn more writing skills and how to speak more English,” said Daisy, one of her students.

Another student in Spanish said what he likes the most is math and being able to talk to his classmates in two languages. (“A mí lo que más me gusta seria las matemáticas y que podamos hablar en dos idiomas.”)

“It has opened so many doors for me to speak a second language and I know it’s hard when you’re looking at your 5-year-old to think of the future, but that future is going to be here. The marketability of a person who speaks two languages you can’t put a price on it,” said Mrs. Tygart. 

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