Elementary Immersion Program Delivers 90 Percent Of Curriculum In Mandarin

California's Mercury News (1/7, Barry) reports that "a class of kindergarteners at Joseph Azevada Elementary School is learning the same core instruction of reading, writing and arithmetic" with 90 percent of the curriculum "taught in Mandarin Chinese" and 10 percent in English. Students in the Mandarin Immersion Program are able to pick up Mandarin quickly, according to Azevada Principal Carole Diamond. "What I've seen in their language oral abilities, the students themselves are now using Mandarin casually and academically," she said. Currently, there is only one class of students in the program "there is approval to have two classrooms at both the kindergarten and first-grade level next school year. Based on registration that has just begun, Diamond said there will be one kindergarten and one first-grade class for sure next year."