Forward Article - School Teaches Hebrew to a Diverse Class - Who’s in Class Today? Students at Hebrew Language Academy, a Brooklyn charter school.

Immersion: At the Hebrew Language Academy, teachers integrate Hebrew into all aspects of the day, from mathematics to social studies to gym.

Read more: http://www.forward.com/articles/125415/#ixzz16JivqtTA

On a recent Monday morning in southern Brooklyn, 20 kindergarteners sat on a rug, staring up at a photo of President Obama. Their teacher, Nitzan Graham, asked them, in Hebrew, to identify the parts of Obama’s face, and the children were ecstatic, yelling out the Hebrew words for “nose” and “mouth.” When the ruckus had died down, Graham asked Jasmine, a 5-year-old African-American girl with pigtails, to stand up. “What are these?” the teacher asked, pointing to Obama’s eyes. “Ena’im!” the girl said gleefully.

It’s a typical morning at the Hebrew Language Academy, a charter school mostly funded by the state of New York. Its dual-language program is among the first of its kind, making the four-month-old school a showcase for others interested in using it as a model.

We are hoping to see a similar model, a similar school built here in San Diego. Interested in learning more? Fill out the form on this site and let us know. We'd love to get you involved...

Learning to Speak Hebrew - Use It !

If you don't try and speak when you are learning a foreign language you may never learn. The first and most important thing to do is leave any insecurities behind and try to use what you know.

We teach young children in Hebrew in San Diego - not in English. It doesn't matter that they don't understand. When a 3-6 yr old child has a sweet, fun teacher encourage her to play a game with friends in Hebrew she learns and follows along and has a good time. It doesn't matter one iota that she didn't understand every word.

The key to learning any foreign language is context - relevance - meaning. Learning a list of words and parroting them back is almost useless if you can't put a sentence together and express yourself using the words you've learned.

Use the language skills you learn. Talk with friends, try them out. See how they sound. Go online and listen to Hebrew songs, videos, radio.

Its not easy to learn any foreign language. We meet children and adults who say that for years they have tried. They went to Hebrew School but didn't learn Hebrew. They really want to be successful, but they don't really try and use their skills. Don't leave it at the door when you leave class. Carry it with you and use it.