Foreign language schools in St. Louis

By Sharon Stevens, Education Reporter

KSDK -- "Parlez-vous Francais?" Basic French will soon be taught as a regular course for kindergartners at a St. Louis school.

Beginning in August, the St. Louis Language Immersion Charter Schools will open in midtown St. Louis. The building will share space with Holt Electrical Company at 4011 Papin Street.

The first year will offer only French and Spanish to kindergarteners and first graders.

With a few exceptions, the SLLIC, says teachers will only speak in a foreign language throughout the day. Eventually, the program will be offer courses through the 12th grade.

Later language offerings will include Mandarin Chinese, Farsi, Arabic, German, Japanese and Russian.

"How can we take kids in the city of st. Louis and strategically reposition them, to really be competitive in the 21st centrury economy? I think you make them conversant with the rest of the world," says former St. Louis mayor and school board member Vincent Schoemehl who now sits on the SLLIC board.

The unique schools will accept 240 students (120 for each grade) in the first year. More grades will be added over an eight-year period.

For more information about the schools, visit http://sllis.org or call 314-289-1520.

Charter schools are public schools that are supported by tax dollars but run but independent school boards.