San Antonio's blossoming French language scene received a major boost, with sensational Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama participating at a ceremony celebrating the International School of San Antonio's prestigious LabelFrancÉducation seal, a nod to its quality French immersion program, as reported by the San Antonio Report. This sought-after accreditation marks the school's commitment to French as the cornerstone of its curriculum, which now joins an exclusive cadre of accredited French programs in Texas.
Wembanyama's engaging presence provided a motivational push for the young learners, his towering 7-foot-4 stature dwarfing the enchanted audience,“If we can help in making the French community grow here and [diversify], it’s a plus. … Really, it was my pleasure to be here spending some time with the children, especially believing that they can become stars,” the NBA star said, according to the San Antonio Report. The burgeoning school has set ambitious growth targets, planning to extend classes to fifth grade and attain a permanent location to keep pace with the growing demand for multilingual education.
Yet for those looking to leap into fluency, a recent article on FluentU hails the advantages of immersion, listing the 20 best French programs that could fast-track linguistic prowess in 2024. FluentU ranks these programs critically, weighing factors such as location, price, accommodation, immersion extras, and prior student experiences to guide aspiring Francophones towards an authentic language journey that goes beyond the classroom for fast fluency.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg praised the International School's achievement in not just fostering bilingualism but molding global citizens“The impact on these students, these incredible kids, is immeasurable, making them more globally engaged citizens, adding advantage to better careers in the global market and expanding global outreach in San Antonio,” he declared, with community leaders and French dignitaries attending the event where local French cuisine purveyors offered a taste of France through hors d'oeuvres, in a statement obtained by the San Antonio Report.
Fittingly, the school has not only been recognized by partner nations but recently secured Cognia accreditation, verifying its curriculum and practices as outstanding, per information by CEO Katia Edrenkina. This achievement underscores its foundational role in the linguistic development of students, ensuring their proficiency grows steadily from pre-K education upward, "A child’s first few years of education in French would make them bilingual, but they must continue practicing the language, otherwise they forget," Edrenkina emphasized in her interview with the San Antonio Report.
