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As global awareness increases, American interest in the
study of languages other than English increases apace. Unlike early
programs which did not teach “languages…primarily to learn oral/aural
communication, but to learn for the sake of being ‘scholarly’ or, in some
instances, for gaining a reading proficiency in the foreign language”
(Brown 18), the twentieth century began to focus on communicative
goals, and a variety of new theories and methods for teaching were
put forth. A common goal has emerged, and modern programs push
students towards fluency. Therefore, more research is being conducted
into the best possible ways to create competent communicators. The
Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics defines
communicative competence as “the ability not only to apply the
grammatical rules of a language in order to form grammatically correct
sentences but also to know when and where to use these sentences and
to whom” (Richards, Platt, and Platt 65). As scholars search for the
best ways to achieve communicative competence, they emphasize the
importance of beginning language study early.
The critical period hypothesis first put forth by Lenneberg
in the late 1960’s holds “that there is a limited developmental period
during which it is possible to acquire a language…to normal, nativelike
levels” (Birdsong, 1). At the most generous estimate, this critical period
is thought to extend from the age of 2 only until puberty, and some
estimates posit a much narrower window (for more information on the
possible causes of the critical period, see Birdsong, 7-9). According to
Krashen, Long, and Scarcella, although “adults and older children in
general initially acquire the second language faster than young children
(oldest-is-better for rate of acquisition), …child second language
acquirers will usually be superior in terms of ultimate attainment
(younger-is-better in the long run)” (574). This eventual attainment
includes superior pronunciation skills (Fledge 101) when compared with
learners who began their study later in life.
Although “starting age determines the levels of
[communicative] accuracy achieved, particularly in pronunciation” (Ellis
qtd. in Nunan 41), beginning young has an additional advantage. The
young learner has many years of schooling left in which to explore this
new language, and “the number of years’ exposure contributes greatly to
the overall communicative fluency of the learners” (Ellis qtd. in Nunan
41). Although the pace of the young learner may be slower than that
of the older learner, “when language learning begins earlier, it can go
on longer and provide more practice and experience, leading ultimately
to greater fluency and effectiveness” (Curtain and Pesola, Languages and
Children 3) than is generally achieved when study begins after puberty.
Besides reaching higher levels of ultimate communicative ability,
“foreign language learning appears to enhance cognitive development
and basic skills performance in elementary children” (Curtain 2).
Other benefits may include “improved overall school performance and
superior problem-solving skills” (Marcos “Benefits”). In Louisiana,
“third, forth, and fifth graders who participated in [daily, nonimmersion]
second grade language study in Louisiana’s public schools
showed significantly higher scores on the 1985 Basic Skills Language
Arts Test than did a similar group of those of non-participants.
Additionally, by fifth grade the math scores of participants were also
higher than those of non-participants” (Rafferty 3). These benefits
continue beyond the elementary years, and the College Entrance
Examination Board reported in1992 “that students who averaged 4 or
more years of 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” (Marcos “Why, How, and When”). After
college, fluency in a world language “can also give people a competitive
advantage by opening up additional job opportunities” (Marcos,
“Second Language Learning” 2), and “FLES program graduates report
that their foreign language study has helped them gain entry into the
careers of their choice, including diplomacy, intelligence, the armed
services, and international business” (Branaman and Rennie 18). In
2002, a “listing of international jobs…distributed by the US State
Department” contained “111 jobs [requiring] or [preferring] French”
(contrasted with only “45 Spanish”) (Kelly). In addition to the multiple
cognitive and career benefits associated with language learning, the
exposure to another culture offers its own bonuses.
The study of a new language opens the door to a new culture,
“the distinctive contribution of the (foreign) language classroom to
the general education of the child” (Curtain and Pesola, Languages and
Children 2nd ed. 64). Elementary school is the ideal time to begin this
part of a child’s education, as “children are open to the ideas of global
understanding” (Curtain 2), and cultural “information introduced before
the age of ten is eagerly received” because “children at this age [8-10]
are at a maximum of openness to people and situations different from
their own experience” (Curtain and Pesola, Languages and Children 4, 67).
The idea of a “global community” is gaining in popularity, and “the
awareness [of this community] can be enhanced when children have the
opportunity to experience involvement with another culture through
a foreign language” (Curtain and Pesola, Languages and Children 4). As
“children who begin foreign language study at a young age have the
opportunity to gain understanding of the cultures where the language is
spoken at a period in their personal and academic development that can
enrich and enhance the learning process for many years” (Redmond and
Hoag 1186), starting young can be advantageous in many ways.
Culturally, cognitively, and communicatively, early exposure to
a second language bestows numerous benefits on learners, and more
and more people are beginning to see the value of beginning study in
the elementary schools, “[resulting] in increased numbers of elementary
school foreign language programs” (Rosenbusch 3) across the country.
The increase may also be influenced by an expanding perspective. As
we look at other countries, where “instruction usually starts no later
than Grade 5, and often earlier,” and remark that they are “much more
successful than the United States at producing adults who can speak
more than one language, we would do well to follow their example”
(Curtain and Dahlberg 3). Many countries have already realized what
research is now reinforcing: beginning language study early increases the
potential for achievement.
Works Cited
Birdsong, David. “Introduction: Whys and Why Nots of the
Critical Period Hypothesis for Second Language Acquisition.”
Metalinguistic Performance and Interlinguistic
Competence. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1989. 1-22.
Branaman, Lucinda, and Jeanne Rennie. “Many Ways to Learn:
Elementary School Foreign Language Program Models.”
ERIC Review 6.1. 1998: 14-23. ERIC Document Reproduction Service. Ebscohost. Southern CT State U, Buley
Library, New Haven, CT. Oct. 2003 <http://
www.ebscohost.com>
Brown, H. Douglas. Teaching by Principles: An Interactive Guide to Learn
Pedagogy. White Plains: Addison Wesley Longman, 2001.
Curtain, Helena. “Foreign Language Learning: An Early Start.” ERIC
Digest Dec. 1990. ERIC Document Reproduction Service: ED 328083.
Curtain, Helena, and Carol Ann Pesola. Languages and Children – Making
the Match: Foreign Language Instruction in the Elementary School.
Reading: Addison-Wesley, 1988.
—. Languages and Children – Making the Match: Foreign Language Instruction
for an Early Start Grades K-8. 2nd ed. White Pains: Longman.
1994.
Fledge, James E. “Age of Learning and Second Language Speech.”
Birdsong 101-131.
Kelly, Molly Robinson. “Why Major in French?” French at the University
of Alabama. 12 Oct. 2003 <http://www.bama.ua.edu/~mlc/
french/major.html>.
Krashen, Stephen D., Michael A. Long, and Robin C. Scarcella.“Age, Rate, and Eventual Attainment in Second Language
Acquisition.” TESOL Quarterly 13.4 (1979): 573-582.
Marcos, Kathleen. “Second Language Learning: Everyone Can Benefit.”
ERIC Review 6.1. 1998: 2-5. ERIC Document Reproduction Service.
Ebscohost. Southern CT State U, Buley Library, New Haven,
CT. 2 Oct. 2003 <http://www.ebscohost.com>
—. “The Benefits of Early Language Learning.” ERIC/CLL Resource
Guides Online. ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and
Linguistics. 2 Oct. 2003. <http://www.cal.org/ericcll/>.
—. “Why, How, and When Should My Childe Learn a Second
Language?” Parent Brochure. Educational Resources
Information Center. 12 Oct. 2003. <http://www.eric.ed.gov/resources/parent/language.html>.
Nunan, David. Second Language Teaching and Learning. Boston: Heinle and
Heinle, 1999.
Rafferty, Eileen A. Second Language Study and Basic Skills in Louisiana.
Baton Rouge: Louisiana Dept. of Education, Office of
Research and Development, 1986. ERIC Document Reproduction
Service: ED 283 360.
Redmond, Mary Lynn, and Kay Hoag. “An Imaginary Adventure in
Martinique for the Elementary Grades.” French Review 76.6
(2003): 1186-1201.
Rosenbusch, Marcia H. “Language Learners in the Elementary School:
Investing in the Future.” Foreign Language Learning: The Journey
of a Lifetime. Ed. Richard Donato and Robert M. Terry.
Lincolnwood: National Textbook Company, 1995. 1-36. |