St. Luke students take Spanish class beginning in second grade.

 

As an IB school, we are committed to multilingualism as a means of affirming cultural identity and developing international-mindedness.

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As the IB states, "The term 'multilingualism" refers to the linguistic ability in more that one language. Multilingualism has cognitive benefits relating to: attention and focus, problem solving skills, and thinking about language. (Kessler, Quinn 1980; Zelasko, Antunez 2000)

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Multilingualism is the interplay among languages within a person, with their interactions with others and also with the learning community's attitudes towards languages. Becoming multilingual is a means through which we deepen our understanding of alternative perspectives and reach out to others. It takes into account the complex reality of our world's diverse sociocultural contexts. 

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Students who are multilingual have an improved capacity to think, talk, and reflect on how languages work. Through learning an additional language, students become more cognitively more flexible, creative, and better at problem-solving."