Center for Applied Linguistics4646 40th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20016-1859
202-362-0700
董卿的经典语录www.cal
Why, How, and When
握手礼仪Should My Child Learn a Second Language?“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 focud on the importance of early foreign language learning. Some rearch reports that younger children learn languages better than older children and adults. With so many dem
ands already placed on children, parents ask, Is it important that my child learn a cond language at a young age? If so, why? What can I do to help my child learn a language? What program options are available?
What are the benefits of knowing a cond language?
In addition to developing a lifelong ability to communicate with people from other countries and backgrounds, other benefits include improved overall school performance and superior problem-solving skills (e.g., Bamford & Mizokawa, 1991; e discussion in Hakuta, 1986).
Students of foreign languages tend to score higher on standardized tests. Results from the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) show that students who had studied a foreign language for 4 or more years outscored other students on the verbal and math portions of the test (The College Board SAT, 2003).
Knowledge of a cond language also ems 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 less likely to drop out.
Learning another language can enhance knowledge of English structure and vocabulary (Curtain & Dahlberg, 2004).
Students of foreign languages may have better career opportunities (Carreira & Armengol, 2001). In a survey of 581 alumni of The American Graduate School of International Management in Glendale, AZ, most respondents said they had gained a competitive advantage from their knowledge of foreign languages and other cultures. They said that not only was language study
often a critical factor in hiring decisions and in enhancing their career paths, it also provided personal fulfillment, mental discipline, and cultural enlightenment (Gros, in press).
The benefits to society are many. Americans fluent in other languages improve global communication, enhance our economic competitiveness abroad, and maintain our political and curity interests. In recent years, the U.S. government has expresd a need for fluent speakers of languages other than English, particularly in less commonly taught languages such as Arabic and Chine (U. S. General Accounting Office, 2002).
Is younger really better?
回乡偶书图片
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 ont of adolescence are more likely to develop native-like pronunciation (e.g., Strozer, 1994). When children have an early start to a long quence of language instruction that continues through high school and college, they will be able to achieve levels of fluency that have not been possible in the past due to the late start of most language programs.种姓制
At the same time, older children and adults can still be successful at learning a cond language, although the level of attainment may be less predictable becau of factors that can influence language learning. (See, e.g., articles in Mayo, del Pilar, & Lecumberri, 2003.) Any exposure to a cond language and culture is beneficial, even if native-like proficiency is not the goal or the outcome.
What options are available?
The types of language programs available in U.S. elementary schools can be placed on a continuum. At one end of the continuum are immersion programs, which offer the greatest amount of
time in language study and produce students with the highest levels of proficiency. At the other end are programs that explore language and do not have language proficiency as a goal. The largest number of programs are FLES (foreign language in the elementary school) programs, in which a cond language is taught as a distinct subject. ACTFL (1998) recommends that FLES class be taught three to five times a week for no less than 30-40 minutes per class. Depending on the frequency of the class and the opportunities for practice, children in the programs may attain substantial proficiency in the language studied.
Immersion programs allow children 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 schools, children learn all of their subjects (e.g., math, social studies, science) in the foreign language. Partial immersion programs operate on the same principle, 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 subject of instruction and is ud from 50% to 100% of the instructional time. Children in immersion programs work toward full proficiency in the cond language and reach higher levels of proficiency than tho in other programs (Curtain & Dahlberg, 2004).
Exploratory programs introduce students to other cultures and to language as a general concept. Cla
ss meet once or twice a week to explore one or more languages or to learn about language itlf (Curtain & Dahlberg, 2004). Although some proficiency may be attained if the program focus on a specific language, parents should not expect children to attain language fluency. However, the programs can provide a basis and motivation for later learning.
What can I do to help?
If you live in a community that does not offer a language program, you can still foster your child’s interest and aptitude in other languages. If you are able to speak a cond 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 and intensive study are suitable for older children and offer valuable opportunities to speak a cond language and explore a different culture firsthand.
If you would like to help start a language program in your community, speak to the school principal about your interest. Discuss the possibility at a meeting of the school’s parent orga-nization to e if other parents share your interest. Contact the teachers, school board, and school district headquarters.
笋怎么做好吃
References
American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. (1998). ACTFL performance guidelines for K–12 learners. Yonkers, NY: Author.苹果手机logo
Bamford, K.W., & Mizokawa, D.T. (1991). Additive-bilingual (immersion) education: Cognitive and language development. Language Learning, 41, 413-429.
Carreira, M., & Armengol, R. (2001). Professional opportunities for heritage language speakers. In J. K. Peyton, D. A. Ranard, & S. McGinnis (Eds.). Heritage languages in America: Prerving a national resource (pp. 109-142). Washington, DC and McHenry, IL: Center for Applied Linguistics and Delta Systems.
Curtain, H., & Dahlberg, C.A. (2004). Languages and children: Making the match. New languages for young learners, grades K–8. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Gros, C. (in press). The competitive advantage of foreign language and cultural study. Modern Language Journal. Hakuta, K. (1986). Mirror of language: The debate on bilingualism. New York: Basic Books.
冬天来了写一段话
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). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Rearch and Improvement. Retrieved September 30, 2003, from v/pubs2002/quarterly/fall/q4-1.asp
Mayo, G., del Pilar, M., & Lecumberri, M.L.G., (Eds.) (2003). Age and the acquisition of English as a foreign language. Clevedon, England: Multilingual Matters.
National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project (1999). Standards for foreign language learning: Preparing for the 21st century. Yonkers, NY: Author.
The SAT College Board. (2003). College-bound niors: A profile of SAT program test takers. College Entrance Examination Board. Retrieved October 16, 2003,
The state of foreign language capabilities in national curity 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).
我喜欢英语用英语怎么说Strozer, J.R. (1994). Language acquisition after puberty. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
United States General Accounting Office. (2002, January). Foreign languages: Human capital approach 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 discusd.
Douglas F. Gilzow & Lucinda Branaman. (2000). Lessons learned: Model early foreign language programs. Washington, DC and McHenry, IL: Center for Applied Linguistics and Delta Systems.
Helena Curtain & Carol Ann Dahlberg. (2004). Languages and children: Making the match. New Languages for young learners, grades K–8. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Gladys C. Lipton. (2004). Practical handbook to elementary foreign language programs (FLES*): Including FLES, FLEX, and immersion programs. (4th ed.). Kensington, MD: Blueprints for Learning. PO Box 2632, Kensington, MD 20891. Myriam Met, Ed. (1998). Critical issues in early lan
guage learning: Building for our children’s future. Glenview, IL: Prentice Hall
