Galina Kazakova: Multilingual School

Usually immigrant children forget their first languages during adaptation
to a new country. They lose the value that was given them from their birth. How to keep it? Multilingual schools were founded to solve this problem. However, like any new method, they have their pros and cons.
Multilingual schools have some advantages. The first pro, I think, is that kids can keep their first language. They interact with other students in their native languages, so they can practice not only at home but also at school. They study reading and writing with professional teachers not just with parents. The second positive point, in my opinion, is that kids feel more self-confident and less intimidated from the first days at school. They are involved in various activities with same-language students at once, so they do not feel isolated. Therefore, they easily make new friends. Language is a basis of culture, so it helps them to learn and keep their traditions.
At the same time I can see some cons of multilingual school. First of all, students are separated in same-language groups, but for quicker assimilation, it is better to blend in with other students. Besides, I suppose such an education method slows down studying English. The more time kids practice in their first language, the less time they practice in their second language.
Despite the fact that the pros outweigh the cons of multilingual school, I would prefer my daughter to go to usual public schools to adapt to the new environment faster. She is fourteen, so she will never forget her first language.
More important for her is English now. However, for younger children, who go to preschool or elementary school, multilingual school is good decision.