A Spanish Teacher’s Story in a Montessori School in Los Angeles, California

 

Multilingualism and emotions, a possible reality

I will try to describe one of the most rewarding experiences of my life as a teacher. It took place in 2010 at a small French-American kindergarten located in the heart of Venice, Los Angeles, California. Ecole Claire Fontaine was a completely different experience, where I had the opportunity to work as a Spanish teacher with students from diverse nationalities while exploring cultural diversity in schools. I also learned about various programs focused on multiple intelligences and bilingual education in the United States.

After my time in Los Angeles, I moved to Florida, where I spent three years working as a Spanish teacher in a Dual Language Program. I am now in Spain, where I am fortunate to be developing new multicultural and bilingual projects.

I wanted to share some of these experiences, which undoubtedly marked a new path in my life, both professionally and personally.

The principal and founder of the school, Mrs. Joelle Dumas from France, made important contributions to my research. I love visiting Los Angeles and the school whenever I can. I had the opportunity to visit the school again this summer after my trip to Hawaii.

We are currently working together on my next speech about “Bilingual Education” and her educational philosophy, which will be presented at the World Education Congress “Mundo Educa 2018.”

With the principal and founder, Mrs. Joelle Dumas

Although this experience is difficult to put into words, these lines, which accompany images capturing intimate moments, may help convey the human value of the school’s teaching philosophy. I humbly hope that this account of my experience will help other education professionals understand the essence and importance of multilingualism and sensory development in early childhood education, as well as the many benefits they have on a child’s cognitive and emotional growth.

The school considered artistry and the development of imagination to be integral parts of both learning and play. Children tend to absorb the world through their senses, and therefore respond more effectively to active, experiential forms of learning. Teachers paid special attention to tone of voice, physical contact, body language, color, and harmony.

The organization of space was designed to offer opportunities for creative play, while the school also emphasized the importance of outdoor activities, aiming to provide meaningful experiences with nature, climate, and the changing seasons. Its approach was grounded in the pedagogical principles of Maria Montessori and Rudolf Steiner, both of whom placed the child at the center of the learning process and highlighted the importance of sensory-based learning in a nurturing environment using natural materials.

The school developed a system of multilingual immersion in French, English, and Spanish, where familiar, natural, and cultural environments existed in complete harmony.

They used natural materials that could be transformed through imagination to serve a wide variety of purposes.

Musical education played an important role, supported by extensive research showing that even before birth, music stimulates the brain and provides a foundation for the development of auditory, language, and communication skills, as well as creativity. Using the Universal Dauffenbach Method, children were introduced to music education at an early age. This approach, imported from France, has proven to be highly successful.

In all activities, a model of simultaneous early bilingualism was used, in which each teacher addressed the children in their respective native language. The activities were part of a holistic approach within a multilingual environment, fostering creative, playful, and participatory experiences.

The most important aspect was the special emphasis placed on communication, the exchange of emotions, functionality, and the contextualization of learning. Children’s speech was never translated from one language to another, as this is an essential requirement for the development of the neurolinguistic capacity to speak multiple languages.

This approach is known as the OPOL method (One Person, One Language), a widely used strategy among multilingual families seeking to raise bilingual children. The term was first introduced by the French linguist Maurice Grammont in 1902. He proposed that by separating languages from the very beginning, parents could prevent confusion and code-mixing in their bilingual children.

His conclusion was that children could become fluent in two or more languages before the age of five and, consequently, achieve optimal brain development.

The main basis of this method is that the child naturally acquires the language system which is important to establish close relationships with the people around them (Abdelilah-Bauher).

Moreover, I took part in a culinary study centered on the social sciences of nutrition, in collaboration with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS-CNRS), honoring the grant that École Claire Fontaine received in 2009.

"A school where multilingualism and emotions work together"

For additional information about Ecole Claire Fontaine, see the link : 

Ecole Claire Fontaine

Here are some more pictures of my experience: 

Pictures of my experience


I will give a speech about this wonderful project at the 1st World Congress Education that will take place on February 2018, La Coruña, Spain. See the link below for more details: 

Mundo Educa 2018