Young children can acquire native-like fluency as easily as they learned to walk. Where adults have to work through an established first-language system, studying explicit grammar rules and practicing rote drills, the young kids learn naturally, absorbing the sounds, structures, intonation patterns and rules of a second language intuitively, as they did their mother tongue. Benefiting from these skills and encouraging children in the age from 1 to 5 years to learn a second language – this is the goal of the first German International School in Dallas that just had its grand opening.

“Our purpose is to provide an environment with comprehensive programs where the children may better develop their learning and physical skills before formally entering the school system”, says Charlotte von Engelbrechten, Principal of the school. “Two years ago I started realizing my idea”, she remembers, “and with the help of the German community here in Dallas we were able to finish the project just in time to open for the school season 2009/2010. It was such a joy to see how many people were willing to support me building this school. Traute Malhotra, the director of the German American chamber of commerce NTX, helped us finding the right facility in the right location. Thanks a lot also to Nici Bremer, the treasurer of our school. She and her husband Andreas committed a lot of their free time helping us to getting the school up and running.

” Mr. Roland Herrmann, General Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany was the guest of honor at the opening event. “I just moved to Houston a few weeks ago and when I heard that there will be an opening of a German school in Dallas, I was more than willing to come to that event”, he says. “It is important that we further establish the German community in Dallas and a German school is an integral part of that community.

” In her opening speech, Charlotte also emphasized the international and multicultural aspect of the school. “The children who visit our school come from various cultural backgrounds. We have an Indonesian couple who met in Germany. So they want their daughter to learn German. We have German parents who want their children to practice their mother tongue, and we have American families who may have German ancestors and want their children to connect with their roots.” In a time where globalization expects us to create a greater intercultural appreciation and sensitivity - more than ever before – learning a second language helps us expanding our world view and gives our children a competitive edge in future markets and the global marketplace.

From left:
Traute Malhotra (President German/American Chamber of Commerce NTX), Charlotte von Engelbrechten (Principal of German Intl. School) and her husband Malte, Roland Herrmann, General Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany, Karl Ziebarth (President Dallas Goethe Center) and Andreas Bremer (Board Member of German Intl. School)

You want more information about the German International School in Dallas?

http://www.german-isd.com/German_School/Welcome.html