Wave 1
Rhoda Wave
Mr. Kastl
ENG IIA
2 March 2012
Advantages of Learning a Second Language in Elementary School
“Hola. Me llamo Rhoda. Como estas? Estoy muy bein.” One may understand
the former greeting if one had taken Spanish in school. It translates to “Hello. My
name is Rhoda. How are you? I am very good.” According to the United States
Census Bureau, the population of Spanish speaking people in the U.S. in 2000 was
35.3 million and will reach 73 million by the year 2030 (Owens). Because of the
growing population of Hispanics, the ability to speak Spanish will be helpful in the
future. Even if it is not Spanish, everyone should learn a foreign language, especially
in elementary school, because it develops children’s thinking abilities, raises their
test scores, helps in communication with others, will help students learn in high
school, and will be necessary when they become adults.
First of all, there is a relationship between learning a second language early
in life and cognitive ability. Cognition is how well a person can read, retain, and
consider information in order to form relationships with other information. Later
cognition improves with early foreign language study (Liebowitz). Children who
learn a foreign language are forced to think more, tend to be more creative, and
have higher order thinking skills. Learning a second language at an early age also
enhances the child’s memory and listening skills (Nash).
Wave 2
Studies show that learning a foreign language in elementary school
contributes to gaining higher test scores. According to the College Entrance
Examination Board in 1992, “students who averaged 4 or more years of foreign
language study scored higher on the verbal section of the Scholastic Aptitude Test
(SAT) than those who had studied 4 or more years in any other subject area”
(Samuels and Griffore). Studies in Louisiana public schools show that students who
study a foreign language in third grade and continue through fifth grade
outperformed children who had not studied a foreign language on every subject of
the Leap 21, the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program for the 21st Century,
and the IBTS, or Iowa Tests of Basic skills (Taylor-Ward). Early foreign language
study also enhances a child’s proficiency in English. No matter what the test,
learning a foreign language increases scores.
The ideal time to learn a second language is during the early years of one’s
schooling. The ability to learn a second language is highest between birth and age
six. After age six, it begins to decline (Nash). In addition, studies show that learning a
second language is a powerful experience that helps the brain of a young child
develop. In fact, the brain will actually grow the connections needed to learn that
language. These connections can no longer be made after the age of twelve (Dumas).
According to Liebowitz, a child’s brain is “ripe for language at a young age.” This is
disconcerting when considering that less than 15 percent of elementary school
students study a foreign language, compared to almost 52 percent of high school
students, according to a recent study by the Center for Applied Linguistics. There
should be more opportunities for children to learn a foreign language at an early age
Wave 3
because their brains are best primed for that sort of learning. The capacity of a
second language is stored in different parts of one’s brain depending upon when
that language was learned. Children who learn the second language stored that
information, along with their native language, in one section of their brain. However,
adults store each new language in a different section of the brain, making it more
difficult to access (Nash). This explains why children who learn early can speak both
their native and foreign language with proficiency (Taylor-Ward).
Furthermore, high quality instruction is necessary in order to learn a second
language, and achieving proficiency requires four to six years of study. Therefore, it
should be started at a younger age (Taylor-Ward). For many children, mastering a
second language takes a lot of time and effort. Before beginning a foreign language,
the student must be fluent at her native language. Without a strong foundation in
the child’s literacy and academic development, the transition to the new language
will result in low literacy and cognitive skills in both languages (Tellez). When a
child masters skills in one language, those skills transfer to the foreign language.
Oral language skills have been shown to be significantly related to reading
comprehension. Thus, reading skills in one language does transfer to successful
reading skills in the second language. Initial reading skills in the child’s stronger
language also benefit the child by helping her learn the second language more
efficiently (Olson). Beginning early is the only way to achieve this foundation of
skills.
Another benefit to learning a foreign language in elementary school is
learning about other cultures around the world. Elementary children are at a good
Wave 4
age to learn about people and situations that are different from their own
experiences. Children who begin to learn a second language at a young age have a
better understanding of different cultures where the language they are learning is
spoken. Aside from improving the child’s geographical skills, this learning will also
make the child more culturally sensitive and understanding of perspectives that
differ from her own. Children exposed to other cultures at a younger age have a
better understanding of other ways of thinking. The child’s sense of global
understanding can lead to more well-informed discussion of issues regarding
economics, race, and history (Samuels and Griffore), all of which will improve the
child’s learning process later in high school and college (Cooks).
Some people oppose learning a foreign language at an early age or even at all.
For instance, Smith believes that learning a foreign language “dilutes the native
tongue” of English, thinking that an increase in Spanish will result in a decrease in
English speakers or a decrease in speaking English proficiently. Likewise, some
believe that schools in America should teach English only because English is the
native language of the country (Smith). Their argument is that American business,
including that of schools, should be operated using the “American” language, and if
immigrants come to America to work, they should learn to acclimate to new
conditions, including language.
There are three problems with the opposition’s premise, however. First of all,
there is no clause in the Constitution that deems English the state language. If
anything, America is known as the “melting pot” precisely because of the
intermingling of different cultures, of which language is a component. Secondly,
Wave 5
thinking that all business in confined in one country is narrow-minded. “Business in
the 21st century is global in nature, and revolutionary tools like e-conferencing and
crowd sourcing requires communication across geographic lines” (Saruki 35-36).
Lastly, learning foreign language actually promotes learning across the board, which
includes learning in one’s native language.
As one can see, learning a foreign language at young age gives children many
advantages. It helps develop the student’s brain more fully, thus achieving higher
test scores. More generally, those students are more culturally aware and able to
learn about new perspectives. Because of these positive effects, and because of the
changing nature of the world, learning a second language should be promoted even
by those most resistant to it. “En el final, lo mas importante es la comprension.”
Wave 6
Works Cited
Dumas. L.S. “Learning a Second Language: Exposing Your Child to a New World of
Words Boosts Her Brainpower, Vocabulary, and Self-Esteem.” Child.
University of Wyoming, Feb. 1999. Web. 20 Mar. 2013.
<http://www.uwyo.edu/fled/documents.pdf>.
Liebowitz, Ronald D. “What Americans Must Do to Achieve Competence.” The
Chronicle of Higher Education. New First Search, 24 Mar. 2006. Web. 20 Mar.
2009. <http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org>.
Nash, J. M. “Special Report: Fertile Minds.” Time. University of Wyoming, 16 Mar.
2011. 5 Jan. 2015. Web. <http://www.uwyo.edu/fled/documents/
FLAnnotatedBibliography.pdf>.
Olson, Shelley L. “Long Term Effects of Elementary Bilingual Education.” North
Carolina Center for Advancement of Teaching. George Washington
University, Web. 20 Mar. 2009. <http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/
pubs/symposia/third/olson.htm>.
Owens, Anna M. “Ethnicity and Ancestry Branch Population Division.” U.S. Census
Bureau. U.S. Census Bureau, 1 Jul. 2000. Web. 22 Mar. 2009.
<www.census.gov>.
Samuels, D.D. and R.J. Griffore. “The Plattsburg French Language Immersion
Program.” Language Learning. Language Learning, Mar. 2009. Web. 16 Dec.
2014. <http://www.ll.edu/450.pdf>.
Saruki, Julie. Future Business Crosses Boundaries. New York: Atheneum, 2008. Print.
Wave 7
Smith, George. “Why We Don’t Need a Foreign Language.” American Patriot. 16 Feb.
2009. Web. 19 Mar. 2009. <http://americanpatriot.org/gs14.pdf>.
Taylor-Ward, Carolyn. “The Relationship Between Elementary School Foreign
Language Study and Academic Achievement.” A Dissertation. Dec. 2003. Web.
20 Mar. 2009. <http://newfirstsearch.oclc.org>.
Tellez, Kip. “Class Placement.” Bilingual Research Journal. Mar.-Nov. 1998. Web. 16
Mar. 2009. <http://brj.asu.edu/v22234/articles/art10.html>.