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Why Learn a Foreign Language?
According to the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) www.cal.org/earlylang/ , many of the
benefits of learning a foreign language can be summarized into four categories: Personal,
Cognitive, Academic, and Economic:
Personal Benefits
Why Learn as a Child?
Over the recent years, there has been an increase in the number of academic journals,
newspaper and magazine articles, and television programs that have reported on the
significant benefits of learning a foreign language at a young age. Media such as The
Washington Post newspaper, Newsweek magazine, Time magazine, Dateline NBC have all
reported on these benefits and encourage families to expose their children to a foreign
language as early as possible. In fact, according to Parents magazine, “the earlier you
introduce a second language, the easier it will be for your child to pick up its unique sounds.”
Erika Levy, Ph.D., assistant professor of speech and language pathology at Columbia
University Teachers College in New York City states that: “They (kids) can learn to understand
new words in two different languages at an incredibly fast rate.”
Some may wonder whether exposure to two different languages causes confusion. According
to research from CAL, “the ability to switch back and forth between languages, sometimes
called code-switching is a sign of mastery of two linguistic systems, not a sign of language
confusion, and that children as young as 2 are able to code switch in socially appropriate ways.”
Studies show that children that start learning a foreign language at a young age and continue
to receive foreign language instruction through high school and college have a better chance of
becoming proficient in the second language than someone that gets their first exposure to
another language in middle and high school.
According to the Harford County public school website (www.hcps.org/), foreign language
education begins for some in middle school and for most in high school. Being exposed for
the first time to a foreign language in middle or high school is a missed opportunity of teaching
a child a foreign language at the most optimal time, the younger years.
Similarly, for home schooled children that are not living with a native foreign language speaker
or someone proficient in another language, there may not be an opportunity to learn a foreign
language at a young age.
At Fun with Foreign Language, we recognize all these benefits and the importance of exposing
young children to a foreign language. Your child will never be able to learn a foreign language
as easily as he can during his younger years.
According to the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) www.cal.org/earlylang/ , many of the
benefits of learning a foreign language can be summarized into four categories: Personal,
Cognitive, Academic, and Economic:
Personal Benefits
- Learning another language allows people to communicate (speak, read, and write) with
more people. - Exposing people to foreign languages gives them an opportunity to learn and
appreciate different cultures and customs.
- According to CAL, “some research suggests that students who receive second
language instruction are more creative and better at solving complex problems than
those who do not.” - Learning another language can help to reinforce the knowledge of the English
language rules and vocabulary.
- CAL reports that “some studies show that children who learn a foreign language score
statistically higher on standardized college entrance exams.” The College Entrance
Examination Board reported that “students who had averaged four or more years of
foreign language study scored higher on the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude
Test (SAT) than those who had studied four or more years of any other subject.” - Knowing another language seems to contribute to high academic achievement. Based
on a study highlighted on CAL’s website, children that were involved in advanced
foreign language programs in high school were likely to perform better academically in
college and were less likely to drop out.
- Knowing another language gives people a greater number of career opportunities than
someone who only knows one language. - Based on an article from CAL, “Americans who are fluent in more than one language
can enhance America’s economic competitiveness abroad.”
Why Learn as a Child?
Over the recent years, there has been an increase in the number of academic journals,
newspaper and magazine articles, and television programs that have reported on the
significant benefits of learning a foreign language at a young age. Media such as The
Washington Post newspaper, Newsweek magazine, Time magazine, Dateline NBC have all
reported on these benefits and encourage families to expose their children to a foreign
language as early as possible. In fact, according to Parents magazine, “the earlier you
introduce a second language, the easier it will be for your child to pick up its unique sounds.”
Erika Levy, Ph.D., assistant professor of speech and language pathology at Columbia
University Teachers College in New York City states that: “They (kids) can learn to understand
new words in two different languages at an incredibly fast rate.”
Some may wonder whether exposure to two different languages causes confusion. According
to research from CAL, “the ability to switch back and forth between languages, sometimes
called code-switching is a sign of mastery of two linguistic systems, not a sign of language
confusion, and that children as young as 2 are able to code switch in socially appropriate ways.”
Studies show that children that start learning a foreign language at a young age and continue
to receive foreign language instruction through high school and college have a better chance of
becoming proficient in the second language than someone that gets their first exposure to
another language in middle and high school.
According to the Harford County public school website (www.hcps.org/), foreign language
education begins for some in middle school and for most in high school. Being exposed for
the first time to a foreign language in middle or high school is a missed opportunity of teaching
a child a foreign language at the most optimal time, the younger years.
Similarly, for home schooled children that are not living with a native foreign language speaker
or someone proficient in another language, there may not be an opportunity to learn a foreign
language at a young age.
At Fun with Foreign Language, we recognize all these benefits and the importance of exposing
young children to a foreign language. Your child will never be able to learn a foreign language
as easily as he can during his younger years.
| Benefits |
Fun with Foreign Language
443-616-7343
Info@funwithforeignlanguage.com
443-616-7343
Info@funwithforeignlanguage.com
Copyright 2008 Fun with Foreign Language, LLC
