At UMD Absorbing Language Takes 24-7 Use
The Language House is a thriving example of language immersion programs that have been increasing in schools across the nation.
By Marlena Chertock Special to Capital News Service Upstairs in the St. Mary’s Hall apartments at the University of Maryland, students have conversations in Spanish or French. Downstairs they speak Japanese. The only language students can’t speak most of the time is English. The 100 students in the Language House live an immersion lifestyle. They are required to speak their language of study 80 percent of the time. And they often practice more than one. “They wake up and speak the language,” said Dr. Phoenix Liu, director of the program. “It’s like study abroad without studying abroad.” The Language House is a thriving example of language immersion programs that have been increasing in schools across the nation. There are currently about 2…
