At the heart of our school’s mission is our innovative language program that supports students to become proficient in Modern Hebrew. All formal and informal communication between students and Hebrew instructors will be exclusively in Hebrew.

We use the Proficiency-based Approach, considered the gold standard in foreign language learning, to teach the Hebrew language. The Hebrew Program assists students to develop at different rates in all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.  We recognize that language acquisition happens in a nonlinear way. Students can often listen to and recognize Hebrew words long before they are able to use them in their own writing or speaking.

Why Hebrew?

Today, public schools across the country offer dual language programs in a wide range of languages, including Chinese, Spanish, Greek, and Arabic. These program, which have grown largely in response to demands from local communities, are a proven way of getting students more engaged in their studies, building literacy, raising academic achievement, and preparing children to live and thrive in a global, interdependent environment. The incorporation of an intensive focus on a foreign language in a school’s curriculum supports positive evidence-based learning and developmental outcomes in students.

Want to learn more?

Check out the Hebrew Public website.

There is ample research that points to the advantages children gain when they study a foreign language — particularly if they begin at an early age — not the least of which is their development as individuals who are bilingual and bi-literate. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) has documented that language learning

• supports academic achievement
• provides cognitive benefits to students
• affects attitudes and beliefs about language learning and other cultures