#396 – Beyond Words: How Bilingual Education Shapes Young Minds, with Sophie Ricouard

Sophie Ricouard, Pre-Elementary Academic Director (Toddler–K) at the San Diego French-American School, joins us to discuss the benefits of bilingual education. She explains how her school starts with French immersion and then gradually transitions to a 50/50 mix of French and English. Sophie emphasizes the cognitive and social advantages of bilingualism, noting that children learn to switch between languages. She addresses common misconceptions, such as the fear of losing English skills, and highlights strategies for parents to support their children’s bilingual journey.

We thread French and American education together to create a bilingual symbiosis that enriches the individual and elevates the community.

San Diego French-American School, on their home page

Resources

The following resources are available from AVID and on AVID Open Access to explore related topics in more depth:

• Lost in Translation: Rethinking Language Tools in Education, with Rena Clark (podcast episode)
• Enhance Language Learning With Technology (article)
• Relationships: The Secret Ingredient in the Recipe of Success, with Robin Ilac (podcast episode)
• Connect Positively With Families (article)
• Educator Voices: Relational Capacity (podcast episode)

Beyond Words

Language is more than just a means of communication—it’s a gateway to new ways of thinking, learning, and understanding the world. Through an immersive approach, Sophie’s school weaves French and American education together, creating a rich learning environment that includes cognitive and social benefits of bilingualism. She explains how young learners develop the ability to switch between languages seamlessly, adapt to new environments, and engage more deeply with their peers from all backgrounds. Whether you’re a teacher looking to implement best practices or a parent considering bilingual education, this episode uncovers the profound impact of learning beyond words. The following are a few highlights from the episode.

• About Our Guest: Sophie Ricouard was raised in France in a monolingual school and family. After majoring in Spanish and English, she taught in a bilingual school in New York City. Later, she moved to the United States’ West Coast. She currently works as the Pre-Elementary Academic Director (Toddler–K) at the San Diego French-American School.
• Advantages: Sophie explains that learning multiple languages at an early age allows the brain to develop differently. She says, “It’s not going to be like English on one side, French on the other side, like me. It’s going to be all languages at the same time, mixed up.” This intermingled way to process language leads to future processing advantages and the ability to “switch from one language to another” in a seamless way. Being fluent in more than one language can also open up career opportunities and enrich travel.
• Ability to Learn: Sophie shares, “The most surprising thing that I noticed during my years of education is to see the children, how fast they can learn a language.” She adds, “They’re not just learning words; they’re also learning the structure. They’re learning to navigate between like French, English, or whatever language they have at home, and they’re able to learn to express a need when it’s the time.”
• Becoming Bilingual: “Our students who start, they need 6 months to 3 years to really learn the basics. And to really, truly become a bilingual student, you add 3 to 6 more years,” explains Sophie.
• Misconception: Sophie says, “The big misconception that I see through the years is that parents think that their [child is] going to miss some English skills.” However, she explains, “They don’t see that every skill that you will learn in an English environment, we do it, but in French.”
• French First: For the most effective results, Sophie says, “Our schools start mostly with a French immersion. So it’s really French, French, French. And then the more you go to our program, the more it’s 50/50: French [and] English.”
• Benefits of Starting Young: “The brain is a sponge,” Sophie explains. “So everything is going to be connected at a young age. When you start another language in high school, like I did, it’s different” and more difficult.
• Extra Help: Students who might struggle with learning a new language are supported. Some get extra help; others communicate in English for awhile. Sophie says that this is fine, although she adds, “We’re just answering in French.” They regularly use nonverbal signals to help students form meaning of the new words.
• Mixing: Another challenge that some students may face is mixing languages. Although this sometimes worries parents, Sophie emphasizes not to worry about this. “It’s okay,” she says. “Some kids . . . need to go through that phase to become better and to become fully bilingual.” She encourages parents to speak their native language at home and leave the French for school. She says, “Keep that for school, and one day, you’ll see the magic happen.” She also points out, “It’s important to keep that [home] language.”
• Song and Celebration: When learning another language, it can be helpful to learn the same song in multiple languages. This helps students learn the similarities and vocabulary. It can also be helpful to learn about the celebrations and ways of life connected to new languages. Sometimes, parents who speak different languages come to classrooms at Sophie’s school to share their stories, foods, and ways of life.
• Reading Stories: Sophie explains, “I would say we start bilingual in kindergarten with 6 hours of English. We have English time twice a week. We have Spanish twice a week.” One favorite activity is reading the same story in more than one language. Sophie says, “When we read a story, we will ask the Spanish teacher to read the same story, but in Spanish, and we have the English teacher read the story in English.” This can either happen on the same day or different days. She adds, “When you have a story, first you introduce the vocabulary, so the kids know all the vocabulary of the story, and then you read the story.”
• Parent Recommendations: Sophie encourages parents to “create opportunities for their child to hear that second language” outside of school. These extensions might include audiobooks, songs, videos, or playdates.
• Knowing the Why: It’s important for students to know why they are attending a bilingual school. Parents should make their motivations clear to their children, so they see why it’s important and feel pride in what they are learning.
• Maintaining the Human Element: Sophie is cautious about AI changing the way that schools teach. She wants to make sure that teaching remains an inherently human experience. She says, “Learning a language, it’s all about social connection and emotional connection with the person you work with. . . . It gives you the motivation to learn [and] to want to speak with that person—you want to connect with that person.”
• Toolkit: “Connect with your students,” Sophie reflects. “Be patient, keep your smile and your love [and] kindness, and be nurturing with our little ones. . . . Make sure that they feel safe and secure.”
• One Thing: “Don’t forget that you are the model of your students—that each of the little ones that you’re going to work with, you’re going to leave a mark on them,” Sophie says. “And I know sometimes it’s hard if we have long days, but be patient and keep your smile.”