Why learning a second language at the preschool level is important:
Since the second Bush administration, there has been a strong push to have foreign languages integrated into higher education. However, studies have shown greater benefits to students learning a secondary language at a young age.
Sources:
Benefits of Being Bilingual
http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3651
Learning a second language is good childhood mind medicine, studies find
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/May09/bilingual.kids.sl.html
Donna Jo Napoli, Language Matters
Richard Lederer, The Miracle of Language
- People who can speak more than one language have an inherent economic advantage over those who only speak one language.
- Learning another language help children tolerate, understand, and accept others from diverse backgrounds.
- More people in the world use English as a second language than those who use it natively. Chinese surpasses English in the number of native speakers. Children who masters English and Chinese can talk to the majority of the world!
- Children who learn their heritage language can connect better to their family and relatives.
- A second language helps children’s mastery of the first language
- Studies have also shown children have greater thinking flexibility, which allows for greater problem solving capabilities.
- Researchers at Cornell University have shown children who learn a second language have better attention spans.
- Children who acquire a second language has an easier time learning another language.
- Higher SAT scores
- Children are more creative
Sources:
Benefits of Being Bilingual
http://www.actfl.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3651
Learning a second language is good childhood mind medicine, studies find
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/May09/bilingual.kids.sl.html
Donna Jo Napoli, Language Matters
Richard Lederer, The Miracle of Language