| Jewish day school educators often struggle with choosing whether to focus on content or language in the Ivrit B'ivrit classroom, one in which the Judaic subjects of the curriculum are taught in Modern Hebrew. This qualitative study looks at two schools with reputations for success at implementing the Ivrit B'ivrit approach in the United States. The study examines how these schools design their programs from the earliest classes and prepare students to meet the challenges associated with an Ivrit B'ivrit curriculum. The foundations for curricular implementation were analyzed by exploring the teaching of children as young as 2.5 years old through first grade. Extensive conversations with administrators and teachers were conducted as well as classroom observations and review of curricula. Insights are offered into ways to increase students' linguistic comfort and proficiency in a second language. Key findings point to the importance of teamwork and integration of Judaic and secular staff and curricula, even when assessments of students' linguistic ability are difficult to ascertain. Parallels are drawn between these programs' procedures and literature in the field of second language acquisition and foreign language teaching. Implications point to the importance of utilizing extant literature in creating and implementing successful language programs. |
