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ERIC/CLL

Volume 27, No 1, Fall/Winter 2003

CLEARINGHOUSE ON = LANGUAGES AND LINGUISTICS

CENTER FOR APPLIED LINGUISTICS

4646 40TH STREET NW= • WASHINGTON DC 20016-1859 • (202) 362-0700 • WWW.CAL.ORG/ERICCLL

 

“Language and communication are at the heart of the human experi­ence. The United States must educate students who are equipped linguisti­cally and culturally to communicate successfully in a pluralistic American society and abroad. This impera­tive envisions a future in which ALL students will develop and maintain proficiency in English and at least one other language.” (National Stan­dards in Foreign Language Education Project, 1999, p. 7)=

Much attention has been focused on the importance of early foreign language learning. Some research reports that younger children have a greater chance of gaining native-like proficiency in a language than older children or adults. With so many deman= ds already placed on children, parents and educators ask if it is im­porta= nt that children learn a second language at a young age. I= f so, why? What program options are available? What can parents and educat= ors do?

 

What are the benefits of knowing a second language?

In addition to developi= ng a life­long ability to communicate with people from other countries and backgrounds, children may derive other benefits from early language instruction, including improved over­all school performance and superior problem-solving skills (e.g., Bamford & Mizokawa, 1991; see discussion in Hakuta, 1986).

Students of foreign lan= guages tend to score higher on standardized tests conducted in English. The 2003 results of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) show that U.S. students who h= ad studied a foreign language for 4 or more years outscored all other students= on the verbal and math portions of the test (College Board, 2003).<= /span>

Knowledge of a second language also seems to coincide with high academic achievement. A study by = Horn and Kojaku (2001) shows that students who were = in “rigorous” pro­grams in high school, which included 3 years= of foreign language study, were likely to earn better grades in college and le= ss likely to drop out.

Learning another langua= ge can enhance knowledge of English. Learn­ing the vocabulary and structure of other languages can help learners to better understand the structure of English, and cognates can help with the learning of English words (Cur­= tain & Dahlberg, 2004).

Students of foreign lan= guages may have better career opportunities (Car­reira & Armengol, 2001). In a survey conducted in= 2003 of 581 alumni of The American Graduate School of International Management i= n Glen­dale, AZ, most of the respondents said that they had gained a competitive advantage f= rom their knowledge of foreign languages and other cultures. They said that not only was language study often a critical factor in hir­ing decisions an= d in enhancing their career paths, it also provided personal fulfillment, mental discipline, and cultural enlightenment (Grosse, in press).

The benefits to society= are many. Americans fluent in other languages improve global communication, en&= shy;hance our economic competitiveness abroad, and maintain our political and security interests. In recent years, the U.S. government has expressed a need for fl= uent speakers of languages other than English, particularly in less commonly tau= ght languages such as Arabic and Chinese (National Commission on Terrorism, 200= 0; U. S. General Accounting Office, 2002).

 

Is younger really bette= r?

Learning a language at = any age is beneficial. Some studies have shown that the human brain is more open to linguistic development during the years between birth and pre-adolescence and that children who learn a language before the onset= of adolescence are much more likely to develop native-like pronunciation (e.g.= , Strozer, 1994). When children have an early start to = a long sequence of language instruction that contin­ues through high school and college, they will be able to achieve levels of language fluency that have = not been possible in the past due to the late start of most language programs. =

At the same time, older children and adults can still be successful at learning a second language, although the level of attainment may be less predictable because of factors that can influence language learning (see, e.g., articles in Mayo, del Pilar, & Lecumberri, 2003). Any exposure to a second language = and culture is beneficial, however, even if native-like attainment is not the g= oal or the outcome.

 

What program options are available?

 

The types of language programs available in U.S. elementary schools can be placed on a continuum. At one end are immersion programs, which offer the greatest amount of time in language study and thus produce students with the highest

levels of language proficiency. At the ot= her end are programs that explore language and do not have language proficiency= as a goal. In the middle are programs called FLES (foreign language in the elementary school). In these programs, a second language is taught as a distinct subject. ACTFL (1998) recommends that FLES classes be taught three= to five times a week for no less than 30-40 minutes per class. Depending on the frequency of the classes and the opportunities for practice, children in th= ese programs may attain substantial proficiency in the language studied. The largest number of early foreign language pro­grams = in the United States are FLES programs.

Immersion programs allow chil­d= ren to spend part or all of the school day learning in a foreign language. In full (total) immersion programs, which are available in a limited number of scho= ols, children learn all of their subjects (e.g., math, social studies, science) = in the foreign language. Partial immersion programs operate on the same princi= ple, but only a portion of the curriculum is taught in the foreign language. The foreign language is the medium for content instruction rather than the subj= ect of instruction and is used for 50% to 100% of class time. Children enrolled= in immersion programs work toward full proficiency in the second language and reach higher levels of proficiency than those in other pro­grams (Curta= in & Dahlberg, 2004).

Exploratory programs introduce stud= ents to other cultures and to language as a general concept. Classes meet once or twice a week to explore one or more languages or to learn about language it= self (Cur­tain & Dahlberg, 2004). Although some proficiency may be attai= ned if the program focuses on a specific language, parents should not expect children to attain language fluency in an exploratory program. However, the= se programs can provide a basis and motivation for later learning.<= /span>

 

What can we do to help? =

If you live in a community that doe= s not offer a language program that your child can enroll in, you can still foster your child’s interest and aptitude in other languages. If you are abl= e to speak a second language, read or speak to your child in that language. If possible, supply books, videos, and other materials in the language. Attend cultural events that feature music, dance, or food from the country or countries where the language is spoken. Summer pro­grams offering international exchang­es are suitable for older children and offer valu= able opportunities to speak a second language and explore a dif­ferent cultu= re firsthand.

If you would like to help establish= a language program in your com­munity, speak to the school principal about your interest in seeing a pro­gram established. Discuss the possibil&sh= y;ity at a meeting of the school’s parent organization to see if other pare= nts share your interest. Contact the teachers, school board, and school district headquarters.

Many resources are available to help parents and teachers establish a second language program. For information a= bout early language programs contact the following orga­nizations:

 

American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)

700 South Washington St= reetSuite 210

Alexandria, VA 22314

Phone 703-894-2900www.actfl.org

Email: headquarters@actfl.org

 

Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL<= /st1:place>)

4646 40th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20016-1859

Phone: 202-362-0700

www.cal.org/earlylang

Email: info@cal.org

 

National Network for Early Language Learning (NNELL)

Mary Lynn RedmondExecutive Secretary

PO Box 7266

A2A Tribble Hall

Wake Forest= University

Winston-Salem, NC 27109

Phone: 336-758-5347www.nnell.org

Email: Redmond@wsu.edu

 

References

American Counci= l on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. (1998). ACTFL performance guidelines for K–12 lea= rn­ers. Yonkers, NY: Author.

Bamford, K. W., & = Mizokawa, D. T. (1991). Additive-bilingual (immer­sion) education: Cognitive and language development. Language Learning, 41, 413-4= 29.

Carreira, M., & Armengol, R. (2001). Professional opportunities for heri= ­tage language speakers. In J. K. Pey­ton, D. A. = Ranard, & S. McGinnis (Eds.), Heritage languages in America: Preserving a national resource (pp. 109-142). McHenry, IL, and Wash­ington, DC: Delta Systems and Cen&s= hy;ter for Applied Linguistics.

College Board.<= /span> (2003). College-bound seniors: A p= rofile of SAT program test takers. N= ew York: College Entrance Examination Board. Retrieved December 22, 2003, from www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/about/news_info/cbsenior/yr2003/pdf/200= 3_TOTALGRP_PRD.pdf

Curtain, H., &a= mp; Dahlberg, C.A. (2004). Languag= es and children: Making the match. New languages for young learners, grades K̵= 1;8. Boston, MA: Al­lyn & Bacon.

Grosse, C. (in press). The competitive advantage of foreign language and cultural study. Modern Language Journal.

Hakuta<= /span>, K. (1986). Mirror of language: The debate on bilingualism. New Y= ork: Basic Books.

Horn, L., &= Kojaku, L. K. (2001). High school academic curriculum and the persistence path through college: Persistence and transfer behavior of undergraduates 3 years after entering 4-year institutions (NCES 2001-163). W= ashington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Research and Improvement. Re­trieved September 30, 2003, from http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2002/quarterly/quarterly/fall/q4-1.asp

Mayo, G., del Pilar, M., & Lecumberr= i, M. L. G. (Eds.). (2003). Age and the acquisition of Eng= lish as a foreign language. = Clevedon, England: Multi­lingual Matters.

 

National Standa= rds in Foreign Lan­guage Education Project. (1999). Standards for foreign language learn­ing: Preparing for the 21st century. Yonkers, NY: Author.

The state of foreign language capabilities in national security and the federal government: Hearing before the Inter­national Security, Proliferation, and Federal Services Subcommittee of the Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, 106th Cong. (2000).

Strozer= , J. R. (1994). Language acquisi­tion after puberty. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.

U.S. General Accounting Office. (2002, January). Foreign languages: Human capital appr= oach needed to correct staffing and proficiency short­falls (GAO-02-375).Washington, DC: Author.

For Further Reading

The following books provide helpful information about the topics discussed in this brochure. =

Gilzow, D. F., & = Branaman, L. E. (2000). Lessons learned: Model early forei= gn language programs. Washing­ton, DC, and McHenry, IL: Center for Applied Linguistics and Delta Systems.

Lipton, G. C. (2004). Practical han= d­book to elementary foreign language programs (FLES*): Including FLES, FLEX, and immersion programs (4th ed.). Kensington, MD: Blueprints for Learning= . PO Box 2632, Kens­ing= ton, MD 20891.

Met, M. (Ed.).<= /span> (1998). Critical issues in early language learning: Building for our children’s future. Glenview, IL: Prentice Hall.

The information in this article is available in a brochure published by the Center for Applied Linguis­tics. See http://calstore.cal.org.

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