The author’s daughter learned German quickly while immersed in the country’s culture and language.
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While living in Germany, my daughter went to a kindergarten where her teacher only spoke German.My daughter, immersed in the language, became my translator. It made me think about how different education is in the US because my daughter excelled in German.
We would live in Germany for four years. My daughter was 3 years old when we first arrived. My husband and I rented a cozy apartment in Heidelberg near the “Platz,” or city square, with its beautiful specialty shops and castle on top of a mountain. It was breathtaking.
Soon after, my daughter turned 4, and I looked for a kindergarten near our home. Embedded in a cobblestone neighborhood a few streets away from our home was a building with a simple sign for a kindergarten.
When my daughter enrolled, I was surprised to learn just how different it was from the schools back home in the US.
Right off the bat, the German kindergarten was different
In Texas, where my family lives, children attend the schools they are zoned for based on their physical addresses. That’s now how it works in Germany; my daughter was not assigned to any school.
I also learned that no school bus would pick her up or drop her off like one might in the US. Plus, classes at this German kindergarten were only half-days, Monday through Thursday.
We also had to pay for her to attend the school, whereas public kindergarten is free in the US. Snacks weren’t free either; I had to pack her a snack every day.
Most shockingly, my daughter could only speak German in school
The biggest difference that stands out to me about my daughter’s experience was that the teacher would only speak German to her — not English. All instruction and conversations would be in German. When the teacher mentioned this, my heart stopped, and I realized my little girl would have no one to help her understand what they told her during school.
The difference between her experience in a German school and a US school is that our South Texas school system would have offered her a certified bilingual teacher if she couldn’t speak English.
In Texas, the school usually places a non-English-speaking child entering the school system with a certified bilingual-speaking teacher to help transition and translate during the school day. They continue their education with bilingual teachers until they test out at specific grade levels. A child may continue in this program for years, resulting in much slower learning and English comprehension; some never test out of the program.
I was nervous to put my daughter through the German kindergarten without any extra help, but I knew the best way for her to learn the language was through immersion. With some hesitation, I said that would be OK, figuring she might catch on quickly since she was already bilingual in Spanish and English.
From day one, she was immersed in German language and culture. She faced many changes simultaneously but took them all in stride. Thankfully, the teacher told me she didn’t seem to be struggling.
My translator was only 4 years old
After school, my little girl and I often tackled pending errands such as banking or paying bills. Usually, I would get stuck trying to say what I needed to or understand what they were trying to tell me in German. I would turn to my little girl, and she would translate the primary point.
At 4 years old, my daughter was my translator. She did this for about two years while I learned enough German to get by independently.
Eventually, we did transfer my daughter to an American school while in Germany. When we returned to South Texas, she entered the third grade knowing three languages.
The sink-or-swim method in Germany seemed to have benefited my daughter
Seeing our little girl face immersion on the fly at a young age was hard for us. Now I realize it sharpened her school skills, especially adaptability, and she was always articulate in vocabulary and writing.
She enjoyed participating in school activities, including band, track, and cheerleading. Making new friends always came easy to her no matter their language — she’s never shied away from trying new things.
Now, she’s working on her doctorate in education. Her bilingual-teacher certifications and background in multilingual experience have her working with educators nationwide, instructing them on implementing multiple learning strategies with non-English-speaking children and strategically assigning her to districts experiencing an influx of immigrant children.