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August 8, 2006

Elementary students learn the ins an outs of bonjour, hallo, ciao, and hola

Washington, D.C. area elementary schools are stepping things up a bit by adding bilingual programs. According to an article in today's Washington Post, schools are responding to a "call from government and business leaders who say the country needs more bilingual speakers to stay competitive and even to fight terrorism."

What educators have long known, that younger students have the greatest ability to learn and absorb languages and those who are bilingual at a young age have an easier time of learning a third or fourth language later on, is now coming to the forefront as school districts step up elementary bilingual programs.

Kindergarteners in seven schools in Fairfax County, Va. started last week with Spanish lessons. Shepherd Elementary in the District will offer a pre-kindergarten French immersion program, while Thomson Elementary will offer Mandarin immersion.

"The U.S. Department of Education recently pointed out that more than 200 million children in China are studying English in primary school, but only 24,000 students in U.S. schools are learning Chinese." And some savvy parents are already thinking ahead to the doors speaking another language can open when it comes time to enter the work force. "China is quickly becoming a dominant player in the world economy, and I want my child prepared for that," said Claire Hassett, a director of product marketing for Verizon Business, and mother of Sam, 7, who is learning Mandarin. "There are a lot of countries not as rich as ours that are teaching their children a second language. I feel it's smart public policy."

The article does point out that

a shift toward adding foreign language for the youngest students is not easy. School systems are already required by the federal No Child Left Behind law to improve student achievement on math and reading tests. That makes it hard to find time to teach Italian, French or Arabic. Schools that have programs can find it difficult to hire qualified teachers. Plus, adding a program can carry a significant cost.

One thing's for sure, remaining competitive on a global scale definitely includes learning foreign language, and getting ahead in kindergarten might just be the way to go. Until next time, au revoir, auf wiedersehen, arrivederci, and adios!

Posted August 8, 2006 10:40 AM | Curriculum

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