In high school, one of my closest friends was a foreign exchange student from Norway. I loved hearing her talk about life in her country and the similarities and differences between American culture and her own. One of the most interesting differences was how Norwegian students learned languages. My friend grew up learning her native language (Norwegian) and began learning English when she was in elementary school. By the time she was in high school, she was fluent in English and was already learning her third language, Spanish. I thought it was fascinating - and a little unfair - that by the time my friend graduated high school, she could be fluent in 3 different languages. Why didn't I get to learn a second language in elementary school? As an American student, my first foreign language class wasn't until 10th grade. Why do so many other countries seem to place a higher value on learning foreign languages? In many European countries, students begin learning a second language by the age of 6-9. In America, the average age that students start learning a foreign language is 11, but many students are not introduced to a second language until they are 13-14 years old. The benefits of bilingualism are well-documented and include:
With all these benefits, why aren't American elementary schools required to offer foreign language classes? It's true that many schools simply don't have the funding or time to add second language classes to students' schedules, but in a global economy, shouldn't elementary schools be working to find a way to include foreign language in the curriculum? I am grateful to work at a school where students are able to start learning a second language as early as 6 years old, but my hope is that all students would have this opportunity. Maybe one day, like my friend from Norway, all of our students will be able to speak not just two, but three languages by the time they graduate high school. Hasta la próxima (until next time), AM What do you think? Should public elementary schools make foreign language education a priority? What are some of the biggest obstacles elementary schools face in adding foreign language to the curriculum? Post your thoughts below!
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Amanda MalloryFreelance Writer. Educator. Child Development Expert. Archives
October 2017
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