52-Year Bilingual School Thrives Without Standardized Tests

For 52 years, one school in San Miguel de Allende has been quietly revolutionizing how children learn two languages at once.

Escuela Vasconcelos doesn't rely on standardized tests to measure success. Instead, the bilingual school has built a reputation on something harder to quantify: genuinely confident, culturally aware kids who move seamlessly between Spanish and English.

Principal Graciela Salazar has a unique perspective on what makes the school work. She sent her own children there for years before taking the helm nine years ago, experiencing the program first as a parent and now as its leader.

The school serves an unusually diverse student body. Mexican families enroll their kids to gain fluency in English, while expat families from around the world send their children to become fluent in Spanish and integrate into local culture.

Children with limited Spanish can join the program and adapt naturally. Half the day happens in one language, half in the other, and kids adjust faster than most parents expect.

The approach challenges conventional wisdom about language learning. Without the stress of constant testing, students develop genuine confidence in both languages rather than just memorizing answers.

The Ripple Effect

The mix of backgrounds creates something special beyond language skills. Kids learn to navigate different cultures from an early age, building empathy and adaptability that extends far beyond the classroom.

Local families and the expat community have watched generations of students graduate from Vasconcelos. The school has become woven into the fabric of San Miguel de Allende, a place where cultural bridges get built one friendship at a time.

Salazar recently shared insights from her decades of experience on the "Confidently Wrong" podcast. She discussed how children settle into learning environments where half their day happens in a different language, and what happens when these bilingual students reach high school age.

The conversation offers hope for parents wondering whether their children can thrive in a bilingual setting. The answer from 52 years of experience: absolutely, and often better than in traditional single-language programs.

Escuela Vasconcelos proves that immersive bilingual education works beautifully when schools prioritize genuine learning over test scores.