In our modern day society, we have a great need for bilingual, trilingual, or multilingual individuals. With our busy schedules and rushed lives, the thought of learning a second language seems out of the questions. Why not add second language learning programs to our young children’s curriculum? It would be a valuable asset to our society and children’s education.
My opposition may argue some of the following points we are an isolated country that doesn’t have the need for multilingual learning. It is true that we are not surrounded by a number of different countries that speak a different language. I would argue that teaching our children based on only a need is the wrong point of view. Studies have shown that children who do learn a different language tend to have a bigger social circle. Larger social circles open up many doors to opportunities. They also show a better understanding of cultural diversity as well. As K.M. Marcos states,
“The benefits to society are many. Americans fluent in other languages enhance our competitiveness abroad, improve global communications, and help maintain our political and security interests. At the domestic level, foreign language ability helps teachers, health care providers, law enforcement personnel, and others who work with non-English speakers to do their jobs more effectively.”
The main idea behind starting the second language learning process at a young age came after watching a high school class Spanish course. The kids were distracted and withdrawn. They weren’t interested in being at school much less learning a second language. There was a small population of dedicated students that excelled in school but still found it difficult to grasp the basic concept of learning this second ...
... middle of paper ...
...Message to the author. 9 February, 2014. Email
Simon, Paul. The Tongue-Tied American: Confronting the Foreign Language Crisis.
Continuum Internation Publishing Group. 1980.
Soderman, Anne K. Phi Delta Kappan, “Language Immersion Programs for Young Children?
Yes… but Proceed with Caution.” v 91 n8 p54-51. May 2010. 8pp
Debusmann, Bernd. Tongue-tied America, then and now: Bernd Debusmann.
Reuters. February 8, 2008. Web. March 31, 2014
Follingstad, Adrian. “Benefits of learning a second language as a child vs. later in school career.”
Message to the author. 9 February, 2014. Email
Simon, Paul. The Tongue-Tied American: Confronting the Foreign Language Crisis.
Continuum Internation Publishing Group. 1980.
Soderman, Anne K. Phi Delta Kappan, “Language Immersion Programs for Young Children?
Yes… but Proceed with Caution.” v 91 n8 p54-51. May 2010. 8pp
Children are better learners than adults except in the area of the pronunciation of words. That is why the second language program will be accepting children who are in elementary, they will be taught how to read signs, and learn how to speak in the desired second language. The objective goal of the second language program is to get students ready to speak another language as if it were their primary language. The second language program will not be as any other school program because it will require dedication, responsibility, and focus. Kids now are lazy and also don’t communicate well with other people, which is important because they will need to know how to communicate when they graduate high school, but because they were not taught how to they are lacking that skill. Students because they are being taught out the book they don’t get to learn different skills that will be useful when they leave high school. In the program students won’t be learning straight off the book they will be assigned a pen pal who they will be writing to not in English but in their chosen second language, and every so often they will talk on Skype this will show if they are understanding the language; with the interaction that the students will be doing they will develop communicative skills that will be helpful when they are out of high
It is important to maintain children’s home language as it may help them learn and understand a second language. Barratt-Pugh (2000) discusses the benefits of bilingualism and maintaining it through early childhood settings, also mentions the concerns families have for their children maintaining two languages through schooling. Research within the article states that children who speak more than one language will have a higher level of understanding literacy content, form, genre, as well as understand the differences and translating within both languages. This demonstrates a contrast of strengths and experiences with literacy (linguist...
Dual language is a form of education in which students are taught to read and write in two languages. The majority of dual language programs in the United States teach in English and Spanish, although there are emerging programs that teach in Mandarin, Japanese and Hindi. The programs start of mostly in kindergarten sand 1st grade and continue throughout primary education, in addition some dual language programs depending on the grade continue through middle and high school. Even Hayward’s own Burbank elementary and Winton middle school are offering dual language programs. Each level of teaching uses a different language ratio in which class is instructed the classes start off with a 90:10 ration and later as years pass the ration becomes a steady 50:50 (Lindholm-Leary, Kathryn J,2001). The goals of dual language immersion programs are to get children to become both bi-literate and bilingual, in other words, they will be able to speak and write fluently in two different languages. Dual language programs are becoming more and more common most of them are in public school but there are some beginning to become present private and charter schools. Dual language education should be introduced in all elementary schools beginning in the Kindergarten to boost achievement for English language learners, benefits it will bring to the community, outstanding brain benefits and lastly cost efficiency in education across the United States.
De Houwer, A. Two or more languages in early childhood: Some general points and practical recommendations (ERIC Digest). Washington, DC: ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics. (1999)
Language is part of the few benefits that immigrants bring with their culture. United States benefits from cultures of the many immigrants that migrate to the U.S. the variation of different languages brings great benefit to the U.
To start, a second language should be mandatory in American schools because it makes employees more marketable.For example, 4 out of 5 new jobs in the US are created by foreign trade; therefore, foreign language is imperative for the future (Latimer). Also, when applying for a job position a person is more likely to get a job if he has previous foreign language skills because this makes him a more valuable employee to their potential
That can benefit you because you won’t have to struggle later on when you’re trying to find a job. Many federal agencies and geographical regions asset the knowledge of a foreign language. Foreign languages can help you when communicating with witnesses or clients who speak a different language. Police
A team of AAVE and AE experts collaborated in an effort to identify and evaluate how the use of phonological processing occurs in both African American and Caucasian children and determine the implications for phonological reading instructions in classrooms. The study used varying phonological constants and variables and ultimately concluded that AE students performed better than AAVE students as the instructions for the study were written in AE-related language. Educators and scholars believed that the results of this study necessitated further discussion as the impact and implications for phonological reading instruction is expected to be fair to all children (Sligh, Frances, and Connors, 2003).
In today’s society, especially in the United States, most people are monolingual English speakers. As a result, these monolingual speakers are at a significant disadvantage compared to those who speak more than one language fluently. This disadvantage is crucial to realize since it is important to learn how individuals and the nation can be enhanced. Multilingual speakers have an advantage in global affairs that involve countries that speak different languages. Speaking multiple languages makes it easier to communicate with people when involved in foreign affairs. Those who speak multiple languages are also more aware of other cultures in society. Monolingual speakers are not as exposed to other cultures and have difficulty understanding or even recognizing them. Furthermore, being multilingual increases your
When a baby is born, he/she comes into this world eager to learn. Always taking in information and absorbing it like a new computer. Every experience he/she encounters could possibly stick in that baby’s mind. However, some of the things that a child hears or perceives can either benefit or corrupt their learning. Teaching a child a second language has the same concept as putting in new software in a computer. Many advantages come with a safe and powerful computer and the same would come with knowing a second language. If a child was not taught a second language in their early years, that child might be at a disadvantage in their future, and as that child grows up not knowing a second language could potentially hold him/her back with grades and obtaining a job. Knowing a second language can benefit from those things and can also help with keeping strong ties with their family, culture, community, and even music.
Of course, opponents of mandatory foreign language courses will say that immigrants and naturalized citizens should learn and speak the "de facto" official language of the United States--English. It is a valid point, but misses the bigger picture. People who speak English as a second language are already bilingual, while American-born students typically are not. Language is the most fundamental aspect of a culture. Students who learn the not-so-foreign language of the predominant minority group in their region of the country will gain at least some insight into the different cultures of their neighbors and perhaps have a better understanding of them at the personal level.
Language has pioneered many interracial relationships and historical milestones. Language is a necessity for basic communication and cultural diversity. Being multilingual is a skill proven influential to a successful future. Due to rapid globalization, countries all over the world are stressing the importance of learning a second, or even third, language. With the exception of time and lack of resources, adults have very few widely applicable disadvantages to learning multiple languages. However, language learning as a child presents more complications. Some of those include not having enough funding at the elementary school level to introduce a program for secondary language, academic overload for the youth, stress for both the parent and student parties, and the mixing of languages. Not all of these complications are true in any or all situations, however, and the absence of them provides multitudes of opportunity for future career and academic success. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the parents or the education legislation to decide whether they encourage the learning of a secondary language at the young age necessary for retention. “The general consensus is that it takes between five to seven years for an individual to achieve advanced fluency,” therefore the younger a child begins to learn, the more likely they are to benefit to the maximum potential (Robertson). Keeping the language learning in high school or beginning the process earlier is a greatly controversial discussion that is important to address because of the topic’s already lengthy suspension.
Education which is based on, and begins teaching in, the language used by the child at home since birth. Student-centered, active basic education which starts in the mother tongue and gradually introduces one or more other languages in a structured manner, linked to children’s existing understanding in their first language or mother tongue. Teaching predominantly in the mother tongue for at least six years, alongside the development of other languages, is required for this approach to deliver high quality learning outcomes.
In 2009, teachers of a New Jersey school banned foreign languages and stated, “any language other than English will not be tolerated" (Debaron 1). This situation was soon no longer allowed. While over ten percent of the total adolescent education systems contain emergent bilinguals, a whopping sixty percent of those students are educated in only English (Bale). Maria Estela Brisk, a Boston College Education professor, believes, “schools has wasted much energy in the search for a "perfect" model and the best way to learn English” when they could just focus on proving “quality education” to every student in the system (1). Teacher’s main priority should consist of effectively teaching their students to prepare them for the future, but currently there are a lack of certified bilingual education teachers. When students are taught more in different ways, they can educationally benefit their cognitive abilities, involving the brain with “mathematics, problem solving, logic and memory”, can be improved to create an overall better student. Even by learning another language at a earlier age can contribute to __________. Learning another language will be
I truly think that multilingual education will be worthwhile, especially with the critical period to consider, just as mentioned above. People are still able to think if multilingualism fits them while trying multilingual education; yet, once the kids miss the golden period for this, it would be harder to acquire the language fully. Moreover, even though might be some doubts to think about, multilingualism still seems to do more good than harm. There is no persuasive reason to stay monolingual instead of being multilingual, so I’ll suggest that it is time to embrace multilingual