Languages

Our Language Offerings

Dwight is an international community, with students and faculty representing over 40 nationalities. Our classrooms, hallways, and student lounges are filled with the sounds of lively conversations in many languages. Instruction begins at age two:

Preschool

Grades K–5

  • Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese
  • Mother Tongue instruction in Spanish, French and Mandarin Chinese
  • Additional language offerings are available upon request (extra fee)

Grades 6–12

  • Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese 
  • Mother Tongue instruction in Spanish, French, Mandarin Chinese (no fee); German (extra fee)
  • Language acquisition in Italian and German; additional languages are available, most recently: Korean, Japanese, Dutch, Russian, Latin, ASL, and Swedish

English as an Alternate Language (EAL)

EAL provides English language instruction and support for our non-native speakers of all ages. We're committed to a personalized approach that provides students who are learning English with the necessary tools to succeed in the classroom and beyond. 

Students are evaluated prior to admission for oral, reading, and writing proficiency by Dwight's EAL team and placed in our supplemental program based on evaluation results. 

Please note that English as an Alternate Language (EAL) is often used interchangeably with English as a Second Language (ESL) or English as a Foreign Language (EFL). We have opted to use EAL because it does not imply any hierarchy for language acquisition.
 

Our Language Philosophy

Personalized Learning

We recognize that:

  • Each student has different language needs both in and out of the classroom.
  • Each student has a right to continue to develop his or her mother tongue.
  • Differentiation strategies are available to students with specific language needs.

Community

We recognize that:

  • All members of the Dwight community are language teachers and learners.
  • Language learning helps us respect and appreciate our own and other cultures.
  • Language helps us develop and value our own identity.
  • Language allows us to communicate effectively and be active members of our communities.
  • Language allows us to be successful socially, personally, and academically.

Global Vision

We recognize that:

  • Language learning promotes global mindedness and multi-cultural understanding.
  • Language learning connects us to the rest of the world to become global citizens.