by Lane Kenny
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In the Ames Community School District, foreign language courses are only offered once a student reaches high school. This is different from other schools, as a conversation with an old Spanish teacher revealed that they taught Spanish at a younger age when she lived in Houston. Another conversation with a friend fluent in English from Spain revealed they were also learning English from a young age. A belief was formed that adding a foreign language to the curriculum of younger students in the district would benefit their cognitive, academic, and social skills.
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Students who learn another language at a younger age tend to have higher cognitive capabilities. Studies have shown that those students who have begun learning at an earlier age than high school have outperformed their counterparts on standardized tests. Based on a compilation of research findings and citations done by the NEA, students who have completed four or more years of a foreign language on average scored 100 points higher on each section of the SAT than those who took only a half-year or less in, starting the academic advantages that come from early language exposure.
However, implementing a foreign language curriculum into young students’ schooling can divert time and resources from core subjects such as mathematics and language arts. An overloaded curriculum could lead to slower comprehensive development of essential foundational skills.
According to a study by Garfinkel and Tabor in 1991, there is a high correlation between foreign language study and improved reading skills for children of average and below-average intelligence, highlighting how learning a foreign language at a young age can improve foundational skills.
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Beyond academics, teaching a second language at a younger age opens the door to richer social experiences. By having proficiency in multiple languages, one can have more meaningful conversations and connect with a broader range of people.
It also promotes cultural awareness and competency as age 10 is a “crucial time where students develop attitudes towards other nations and groups perceived as ‘other’ according to the research of Piaget, Lambert, and others” (Curtain and Dahlberg 2004). It gives students insight into other cultures and builds cultural competency, which is vital as they traverse this increasingly globalized world.
The benefits of learning another foreign language at a younger age are numerous, yet many schools only offer it once children reach the high school level. It is time for parents to contact their school districts and push for implementing foreign languages in the elementary and middle school curriculums. Too much good can come from this learning to ignore.
Parents often say they want to set up their children for success in the future. Well, this is a fantastic way to do so.
WORKS CITED
Curtain, Helena & Carol Ann Dahlberg. (2004). Languages and Children: Making the Match: New Languages for Young Learners, Grades K-8. Third Edition. New York: Longman.
Garfinkel, A. and Tabor, K. (1991) Focus on form and meaning: Perspectives of … – wiley online library, Wiley Online Library . Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1944-9720.2000.tb00886.x (Accessed: 15 December 2023).
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/World-Languag