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. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities (usually school boards) as school ...

(elementary and middle

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

school combined) in

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. 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 can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

, 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 Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

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 Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is a patriotic recited verse that promises allegiance to the flag of the United States and the republic of the United States of America. The first version, with a text different from the one used ...

to the

flag of the United States The national flag of the United States, United States of America, often referred to as the ''American flag'' or the ''U.S. flag'', consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rect ...

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

language Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...

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 A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States ...

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

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, 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