Learning languages in America
Wednesday, 29th April 2009
It wasn’t that long ago – only in the early 1980s, when junior high school students across America began to be offered the chance to study foreign languages.
As educators began to understand the value of language-learning, programs across the country began to become a regular part of the course curriculum for students of this new millennium. Currently, American schools have made foreign language a requirement to graduate. And the language programs continue to evolve, as some schools are starting to teach students new languages as early as five years old. Beyond that, they are offering other languages aside from French, Spanish, Italian and German, but these do remain the core beginning choices at most state-funded schools.
One of the benefits to be noted about beginning a language course at an early age is that children grasp a second language more easily. This is because at a young age, the brain has the ability to compartmentalize various languages correctly. This allows the child a greater chance to attain the native pronunciation and grammar. Not only has research shown that learning a foreign language enhances cognitive development, but overall basic skills performance in elementary school children as well.
More often than not, there’s a lack of self-consciousness when learning a language at an earlier age. Children are more apt to try out new words and phrases then when they are older, when there is the tendency to be afraid of pronouncing the words incorrectly and potentially being teased. The spontaneity leads to learning another language with a quicker fluency.
If you’re looking for additional ways to assist your child in learning a second language, new types of technology which weren’t available in the past can help students outside the classroom. With the innovation of the web, there are lessons available online.
Take it one step further, and when you graduate, take a continuing education with Cactus. You can continue where you left off from school by taking weekly classes – or go on a language-learning vacation.
More about weekly language programs
More about language courses abroad
More about language courses abroad for juniors
Tags: juniors, children, languages, united states, learning, german, french, spanish
Posted by Jessica Wingate 2009-04 under Attitudes to Language Learning,
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