The Benefits of Teaching Foreign Language in Elementary School Essay

The Benefits of Teaching Foreign Language in Elementary School The ultimate goal in many classrooms is to communicate in meaningful and appropriate ways (Slavit 1998). In the United States, American students get the opportunity to learn a second language in high school, yet it has been proven that children learn better when they are young. Some schools are taking this opportunity to teach a foreign language to elementary students. The United States may be the only nation where it's possible to complete elementary and secondary schooling without completing any foreign languages (Schulz 2001). In some countries, such as Lebanon, Asia, teachers within public elementary schools are required to teach two or three different languages, usually English and French, to their students. Many schools within European and Asian countries teach two languages to their students before they enter high school. In America, students are introduced to a foreign language in high school where it is difficult for them to master a second language (Naserdeen 2001). Newsweek ran an edition that was mainly about the importance of early learning experiences on brain development. They said that within the first three years of a child's life, there is a "window of opportunity", and second language learning should start taking place around one year of age. They also said that after ten years of age, a person is unlikely to ever speak like a native of the language would (Why 2001). Mantrel explains this as "Synapses or avenues in the brain are opened up by foreign language instruction when it is introduced at an early age. If languages are not introduced at an early age, these synapses are not accessed, and language learning is much more difficult to ac... ...ferent language have increased cognitive ability and exceed normal classroom expectations. This will also come in to play later on in their lives, and it will benefit the global economy, as everyone will better understand each other. It provides the learners with a competitive edge in the work force (Naserdeen 2001). When interviews were done at randomly selected elementary schools in the 2000/2001 school year, the students had positive things to say about learning another language. All of them said that they wanted to continue with their studies in languages. By bringing language studies to the elementary schools, this is helping society and the kids too. They will later benefit in life from this; also as one of the results, we will teach them to respect other cultures. Overall, teaching a second language in elementary education will definitely benefit everyone. The Benefits of Teaching Foreign Language in Elementary School Essay The Benefits of Teaching Foreign Language in Elementary School The ultimate goal in many classrooms is to communicate in meaningful and appropriate ways (Slavit 1998). In the United States, American students get the opportunity to learn a second language in high school, yet it has been proven that children learn better when they are young. Some schools are taking this opportunity to teach a foreign language to elementary students. The United States may be the only nation where it's possible to complete elementary and secondary schooling without completing any foreign languages (Schulz 2001). In some countries, such as Lebanon, Asia, teachers within public elementary schools are required to teach two or three different languages, usually English and French, to their students. Many schools within European and Asian countries teach two languages to their students before they enter high school. In America, students are introduced to a foreign language in high school where it is difficult for them to master a second language (Naserdeen 2001). Newsweek ran an edition that was mainly about the importance of early learning experiences on brain development. They said that within the first three years of a child's life, there is a "window of opportunity", and second language learning should start taking place around one year of age. They also said that after ten years of age, a person is unlikely to ever speak like a native of the language would (Why 2001). Mantrel explains this as "Synapses or avenues in the brain are opened up by foreign language instruction when it is introduced at an early age. If languages are not introduced at an early age, these synapses are not accessed, and language learning is much more difficult to ac... ...ferent language have increased cognitive ability and exceed normal classroom expectations. This will also come in to play later on in their lives, and it will benefit the global economy, as everyone will better understand each other. It provides the learners with a competitive edge in the work force (Naserdeen 2001). When interviews were done at randomly selected elementary schools in the 2000/2001 school year, the students had positive things to say about learning another language. All of them said that they wanted to continue with their studies in languages. By bringing language studies to the elementary schools, this is helping society and the kids too. They will later benefit in life from this; also as one of the results, we will teach them to respect other cultures. Overall, teaching a second language in elementary education will definitely benefit everyone.