Bilingualism In Elementary Schools
Positive Impact of Two-Way Immersion Programs in Elementary Schools
In Germany, students begin to learn Russian at age ten, while in Primary Schools. Education is given in Primary Schools from age six to fourteen. The students then go on to Secondary Schools until age eighteen where a four-year course is available. “In Secondary Schools the pupils learn English or French as their second foreign language, and possibly Latin also” (Taylor 261). German students are more diverse and well-rounded as a whole by learning a variety of languages. They know a variety of different languages by time they graduate high school. On the contrary, students in the United States are only exposed to foreign languages for a few weeks in middle school. They learn …show more content…
This would be most effective starting at the grade school level. Maria Glod, a writer for the Washington Post newspaper, wrote an article about bilingualism occurring in grade schools across the state of Washington in 2006. The government wanted to add foreign languages in elementary school because the government wants more bilingual speakers to stay competitive and fight terrorism (1). Teaching a foreign language would be extremely useful at a younger age. “Educators say that the youngest brains have the greatest aptitude for absorbing language and that someone who is bilingual at a young age will have an easier time learning a third or fourth language later on” (Glod 1). In the article, according to Glod, these elementary schools are starting to teach Spanish 90 minutes a week from kindergarten to fifth grade. So far, there is a positive reaction for pushing more foreign language into schools. A little girl even asked her mother to take some Spanish classes so that they can practice together. The girl also has a goal to speak three languages: Spanish, Chinese, and English (Gold 3). Not only do the students enjoy learning the languages, they are becoming more confident and bringing their family together.
“…Only one state, Connecticut, has actually tested the educational progress of large numbers of students (26,000). The results of this testing in 1987 indicated that students who began language study before grade 4 did significantly better in the skill areas of speaking, listening, reading, writing, and culture than those who began at grade 7 or later” (Brown
In Germany, students begin to learn Russian at age ten, while in Primary Schools. Education is given in Primary Schools from age six to fourteen. The students then go on to Secondary Schools until age eighteen where a four-year course is available. “In Secondary Schools the pupils learn English or French as their second foreign language, and possibly Latin also” (Taylor 261). German students are more diverse and well-rounded as a whole by learning a variety of languages. They know a variety of different languages by time they graduate high school. On the contrary, students in the United States are only exposed to foreign languages for a few weeks in middle school. They learn …show more content…
This would be most effective starting at the grade school level. Maria Glod, a writer for the Washington Post newspaper, wrote an article about bilingualism occurring in grade schools across the state of Washington in 2006. The government wanted to add foreign languages in elementary school because the government wants more bilingual speakers to stay competitive and fight terrorism (1). Teaching a foreign language would be extremely useful at a younger age. “Educators say that the youngest brains have the greatest aptitude for absorbing language and that someone who is bilingual at a young age will have an easier time learning a third or fourth language later on” (Glod 1). In the article, according to Glod, these elementary schools are starting to teach Spanish 90 minutes a week from kindergarten to fifth grade. So far, there is a positive reaction for pushing more foreign language into schools. A little girl even asked her mother to take some Spanish classes so that they can practice together. The girl also has a goal to speak three languages: Spanish, Chinese, and English (Gold 3). Not only do the students enjoy learning the languages, they are becoming more confident and bringing their family together.
“…Only one state, Connecticut, has actually tested the educational progress of large numbers of students (26,000). The results of this testing in 1987 indicated that students who began language study before grade 4 did significantly better in the skill areas of speaking, listening, reading, writing, and culture than those who began at grade 7 or later” (Brown