Academics

ICAGeorgia offers our Dual Language program in English and Japanese. Students joining ICAGeorgia’s program from Kindergarten are immersed in Japanese for 80% of the day, with the remaining 20% being in English. Grades 1st and 2nd are 60/40 (Japanese/English), and Grades 3 to 5 will be 50/50. English and Japanese teachers, including ESOL and JSOL teachers, use a team teaching approach across their departments.

Dual Language Immersion

Research has proven time and again the benefits of Dual Language Immersion education. For example, Lindholm-Leary (Dual Language Education, 2001) found that students who speak two languages often have more mental flexibility, superiority in concept formation, and a more diversified set of mental abilities. Furthermore, Callahan, R. & Gandara, P. (The Bilingual Advantage: Language, literacy, and US labor market, 2014) found that students at Dual Language programs achieve at the same or a higher level on standardized tests compared to who are studying in a monolingual environment.

According to the Georgia Department of Education, students in Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs experience the following results:

Second Language Skills

DLI students achieve higher proficiency in the second language than with traditional Foreign Language instruction.

Performance on Standardized Tests

DLI students perform as well as or better than English-only students on standardized tests in English, including students from a range of socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds, as well as with diverse cognitive and linguistic abilities.

Long-Term Benefits

DLI students are better prepared for the global community and job markets in the 21st century.

Cognitive Skills

DLI students typically develop greater cognitive flexibility, demonstrating increased attention and memory, superior problem-solving skills as well as an enhanced understanding of their primary language.

Intercultural Competency

DLI students are more aware of and generally show more positive attitudes towards other cultures and an appreciation of other people.

Higher Attendance Rates and Fewer Drop-Outs

Students from DLI programs have higher attendance rates and lower drop-out rates compared to regular programs.

  • Hands-on inquiry based learning and a student-centered environment conducive to lifetime learning and open-mindedness are hallmarks of our program. We place a special emphasis on writing in all grades, particularly for research paper writing.
  • Effective use of IT further enhances cooperative learning and differentiation. Teaching strategies include heterogeneous grouping; total physical response and storytelling; bilingual anchor charts; and a choice of literary works that are translated in both languages as often as possible.
  • We ensure that students attain a high level of Japanese by using the Japanese Ministry of Education curriculum in the Japanese department. We use textbooks and resources specially designed for new JSOL students to accommodate their needs in their first few years studying Japanese.
  • We consider the diversity of our school population to be a strength in that it creates opportunities to talk about inclusiveness and the importance of open-mindedness in discussing issues such as bullying.

Schedule A Tour

The best way to learn more about our school’s mission and immersion program is to see it in action for yourself. We invite you to schedule a tour and learn more about us.

Schedule Now

770-604-0007