Mandarin Chinese is often said to be one of the hardest languages to master. At Marian Bergeson Elementary in Laguna Niguel, students are learning it one lesson at a time, thanks to the school’s one-way language immersion program.
NBC 4 Los Angeles news reported on the first-of-its-kind Mandarin Chinese language program for Orange County public K-12 students during Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
The Capistrano Unified School District program enrolls students as early as kindergarten to help them acquire the language at a quicker pace. Marian Bergeson Elementary teacher Jie Gao said they use movement and singing combined with audio-visual aids to make the curriculum more fun for students as they learn and speak solely in Mandarin Chinese.
Since starting in 2011, the language immersion program has begun welcoming students from neighboring districts due to its popularity.
Fourth-grade student Evelyn Barron spoke in English with reporter Hetty Chang about how much she enjoys being in the program, before switching to Mandarin Chinese to talk about her favorite foods.
One of the goals of the program is to teach students of all ethnicities about cultures outside of their own. As they advance their learning at Capistrano Valley High School, students will have the opportunity to earn the California State Seal of Biliteracy on their transcript.
“I hope to do it all the way through high school so that I can be like, officially bilingual,” said Evelyn, “not just say I’m learning Chinese.”
Here are the other stories we’ve been following this week:
- The Orange County Board of Education will conduct interviews for the position of county superintendent at a special board meeting on May 22.
- Orange County students shared the innovative projects they are leading to address community issues at the annual OC Civic Learning Celebration organized by OCDE.
- Partnering with the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Ana, OCDE hosted local students and families to bring awareness to the dangers of youth substance use at the Rise Above the Influence Youth Conference.
- In a special video, OCDE’s Media Services team captured the reactions of six educators who were announced the 2025 Orange County Teachers of the Year during surprise classroom visits.
- In the latest installment of the “College and Career Ready” series, OCDE Deputy Superintendent Dr. Ramon Miramontes sat down with three Westminster High School students to hear how they are expanding STEM engagement through the Chief Science Officers program.
- KCAL News shed a spotlight on a new co-ed sports program at Gilbert High School tailored to help alternative education students grow through academic and extracurricular activities.
- The Orange County Register reported that Gov. Newsom’s recent proposed state budget cuts will leave local school districts and charter schools with smaller budgets as they grapple with rising costs.
- While recent data released by the California Department of Education shows a slight decline in public school students, enrollment in transitional kindergarten has doubled in the last two years.
- The Anaheim Union High School District board and superintendent remember longtime trustee Anna Piercy, who died on May 6 after battling cancer.
- High school and community college students representing over 40 campuses showed off their construction skills, making everything from chicken coops to playhouses for children, at the 2024 Design and Build Competition hosted at Golden West College.
- The Anaheim Union High School District has rescinded its layoff notices for teachers and staff this year, according to the Voice of OC.
- A group of local high school students recently teamed up to help Newport Harbor High School sophomore Ryan Honary start deploying his AI-driven wildfire detection technology throughout Orange County. Earlier this year, Ryan was interviewed by OCDE Deputy Superintendent Dr. Ramon Miramontes for the “College and Career Ready” video series.
- EdSource reported the state Board of Education recently voted to approve the funding of $1.3 billion to expand community schools throughout California.
- Orange County High School of the Arts senior Edward Chen was named a 2024 U.S. Presidential Scholar. He’s among 161 students nationwide and nine in the state to earn the honor.
- Three graduating Dana Hills High School seniors recently received scholarships from the Dana Point Women’s Club to further their educational journeys.
This is the part where we encourage you to keep up with local education news stories by bookmarking the OCDE Newsroom, subscribing for emailed updates and following us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.