South Academy of International Languages, formerly known as E. E. Waddell Language Academy and Smith Academy of International Languages, is a public K-8

magnet school In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. Normally, a student will attend an elementary school, and this also determines the middle school and high school they attend unless they mo ...

(elementary and middle

language immersion Language immersion, or simply immersion, is a technique used in Bilingual education, bilingual language education in which two languages are used for instruction in a variety of topics, including maths, science, or social studies. The languages ...

school combined) in Charlotte,

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. It is part of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School (CMS) District. The school educates 1,257 students in grades K-8. In the 2022–23 school year, 804 students were enrolled in the elementary program (K-5) and 453 in the middle school (6–8). In 2011, the school moved to the former E.E. Waddell High School and changed its name to E.E. Waddell Language Academy. In 2021, the school was moved to 8300 Nations Ford Road, and became South Academy of International Languages.

Languages

Tracks using

Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, or

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

as the

medium of instruction A medium of instruction (plural: media of instruction, or mediums of instruction) is a language used in teaching. It may or may not be the official language of the country or territory. If the first language of students is different from the offic ...

cover kindergarten through eighth grade, while the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

immersion track covers grades six through eight. Chinese, which the school began to offer in 2006–07, was the most recently added language. The program, in Mandarin, was first taught in kindergarten and first grade, growing a grade level each year. Students recite the

Pledge of Allegiance The U.S Pledge of Allegiance is a patriotic recited verse that promises allegiance to the flag of the United States and the republic of the United States. The first version was written in 1885 by Captain George Thatcher Balch, a Union Army o ...

to the

flag of the United States The national flag of the United States, often referred to as the American flag or the U.S. flag, consists of thirteen horizontal Bar (heraldry), stripes, Variation of the field, alternating red and white, with a blue rectangle in the Canton ( ...

in both English and their language of instruction. Immersion classes feature cultural lessons in addition to

language Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...

and subject teaching. The school has effective relationships with universities in Germany and with the Visiting International Faculty program at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

. This provides the faculty with development opportunities and resources. Overseas teachers also spend time at the school on secondment."Elementary and Middle School Prize"

Goldman Sachs The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company. Founded in 1869, Goldman Sachs is headquartered in Lower Manhattan in New York City, with regional headquarters in many internationa ...

, accessed 20 January 2008

Achievements

In 2005, 96 percent of fifth-graders scored at grade level on North Carolina's annual testing program, despite being taught in a foreign language.

References

External links

Official website
{{Coord, 35.140131723608235, -80.89529547820949, display=title Schools in Charlotte, North Carolina Public elementary schools in North Carolina Public middle schools in North Carolina Language schools in the United States Magnet schools in North Carolina