---
title: HWIS Director Elizabeth Willaum discusses immersion with DNAinfo
description: HWIS Director Elizabeth Willaum discusses immersion with DNAinfo
---

[HWIS Blog | HudsonWay Immersion School](https://blog.hwis.org)

# [HWIS Director Elizabeth Willaum discusses immersion with DNAinfo](https://blog.hwis.org/hwis-director-elizabeth-willaum-discusses-immersion-with-dnainfo)

 Written by [HWIS](https://blog.hwis.org/author/hwis) | Mar 7, 2019 3:29:00 PM

From DNAinfo:

Elizabeth Willaum, the director of [HudsonWay Immersion School](https://hwis.org/), doesn't speak too much English with the school's 60 or so students, some of whom are as young as 2 years old.

Instead, she spends a lot of time watching and listening as teachers give instructions in Mandarin. And even though she sees it happen every day, she said she's always astounded when toddlers and young children, most of whose parents only speak English, respond in Mandarin.

Read more:

[http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150510/upper-west-side/uws-school-director-says-starting-mandarin-early-gives-kids-edge](http://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20150510/upper-west-side/uws-school-director-says-starting-mandarin-early-gives-kids-edge)

[View full post](https://blog.hwis.org/hwis-director-elizabeth-willaum-discusses-immersion-with-dnainfo)

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