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TitleEditorial: Language Immersion Is for All Students
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From http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2019/05/language_immersion_is_for_all_students.html

Language Immersion Is for All Students
By Camilla Modesitt
May 10, 2019

In today's educational landscape, I understand why language immersion is difficult for educators and educational organizations to grasp. Pedagogy around language acquisition has changed considerably from 30 years ago, yet massive amounts of misinformation remain. Some of the things I've heard over the years include:

  • The human brain can't learn two languages at once.
  • Students who learn two languages from a young age will never be proficient in either language.
  • Language-immersion education isn't for everyone (implying that not every child is capable of learning a second language).
  • Language-immersion education requires additional family resources.
  • There is no proven benefit to learning a second language since everyone speaks English.

However, science and research around language immersion and its impact on the human brain now tell us that:

  • There is no better language learner than a young child.
  • Language immersion is more than just learning a second language; it's building a better brain and developing cultural competency.
  • Language immersion does not require any additional family resources.

Students that learn a second language at a young age:

  • Perform better academically than their nonlanguage-learning peers.
  • Have better executive functioning skills, including problem-solving, critical thinking, listening, etc.
  • Are more compassionate and empathetic toward their peers.

What is clear is that while language immersion may be a difficult sell to authorizers and district administrators, parents understand the value. 

Read the full article at http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2019/05/language_immersion_is_for_all_students.html

SourceEducation Week
Inputdate2019-05-24 15:27:51
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