Early language learning provides lifelong cognitive and career benefits. It exposes children to different cultures and ways of thinking. While political concerns exist, promoting multilingualism breeds tolerance. Studies find a shortage of language professionals in security and business due to lack of language skills, showing the national economic imperative of early language education.
Early language learning provides lifelong cognitive and career benefits. It exposes children to different cultures and ways of thinking. While political concerns exist, promoting multilingualism breeds tolerance. Studies find a shortage of language professionals in security and business due to lack of language skills, showing the national economic imperative of early language education.
Early language learning provides lifelong cognitive and career benefits. It exposes children to different cultures and ways of thinking. While political concerns exist, promoting multilingualism breeds tolerance. Studies find a shortage of language professionals in security and business due to lack of language skills, showing the national economic imperative of early language education.
Early language learning provides lifelong cognitive and career benefits. It exposes children to different cultures and ways of thinking. While political concerns exist, promoting multilingualism breeds tolerance. Studies find a shortage of language professionals in security and business due to lack of language skills, showing the national economic imperative of early language education.
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TIq* {Senefits oi Eurly Lnnguage Learning; ilY ;\'!,cs.qRAH \/AN EYCK !C',',!ad:.;,: i". Ne n;paper,r
ie.-riir.r,,ir-- cultLie Jj a- i ir-. weil as orir- quage anil er:. Thir she'Jl tel! tra n:lates yCil i,h i!. irito job iDportuni- ,lg,\ '\t ) t tiei a rri nnt l:c e.; ": . :rsr - !-'' rei iha _ - .:J l ,-r National ')/rt:, :').1'n:;" l,iet'vc I'k hai.,:ii.l,:'t rcr Earil' :i-l.l', , i:,' - |--:nqr r::e >-":- :r t,lr iir ji ii:ri'.:i)i.','ijl n|l 1:c .rollnq to |- -> Leaininq. .i)i:ri;1 i. rtiiia,4.t ,ii'.i, : _.riir rlat,ri,la,flfl) ,,: ia i i'iNEI-LJ -i,,:ir;rr. Jirerior ';f rh* lr,:arri r-_.t.nil!i I-ab ajl i].. . i 4-. j'l ,'.',al ::,1: l,-i;..', Web ;ite oi inrprctrea Pi.,',:hci,:Ev l- .i !\'Ji5ina," !-er-,-er qr4f ,11 ;.11;li6rl. in ar: open iet- ;i ijrr:: il'tr.': r. ,, . r ii,i'.-;r;1rr.- ter li) ;,3fl8t'as:, itirrtELL asse,-1: ,1;1::Jrsor.. {.trl l-;i l<;ai ;:1.: ; l.rai- e.iii'u iarirqu,lg:: iearning is $o,;i ic2l :i::'; ,' ;,.!r,tJ!: t'.er 'imprerati.e ioi natio;:ai t€cun.- b;.titor.- 11.,, ri:r:r i-4; :ilt.. '.t\i q\," a-,i cites I ll:;ijv l]':af findS eighi ,-roni;:i ,,, . .:r,t,rihi.' iie i)--p;:'fnslris rf :lt,ate :lnC ti'e'a',i 'rlbi: , ,-,- j:r.ril a i:\:er:r:: :riri ii,e i:Bi iuiierin3 tiei:rcli:lr)r;l 2iili'rr.;':r :ccr,'. ii:ri .i;'rir 'lit ic!ig rhorl-age of ian- .,.Jti\'€ j.,1.,:.-a. r'':-.j ;';'"" ' :'-r,i{-= !lrofeijiOnais wiihin thei:- " f,;:,..tirll- :lvt5,^, :i tr';:, -:l: r r'! ;itic rai 5ec!r,'t/ aside, tcnqlre ;vc. ;,. ,;:r-r3;i. ir-; riirr ,:r,-,iti-lingua jism breeds toier- iher'. tl-,at, Ln:,, r-1;r 111,:-,; .."q.r',n a]..e .{j irene Geller Lugasy, .:f raiivt i:,rr:.'u.rZr, rti- i.:.1.i r:r-r1. jtro{iJte prc{essot of French in ine wcnrb .i',rl,lit:cr',-,: :;i,1t,,ge :.he Dr.;isicn of CcntrnuinE ii;Lrisitica ieqi,:, r: ' .' rl-i i .,:ii.-', )i '.1W, aiseriJ. early lnn- aftli i..lrith, tirr '. i,. iiit : r, g',rJqe learning exposer ciriidren ii{etime 'i..,i Jrl) tc a jifferent iar- flri;,j;1-, .u*. ,._.t E.rege Dijf :i;c a different cul- 3"-ti: -f \\,c l/ -^rr f ir.t ;9:'. :: i:, r- -'i 'ir .r -' rcr,raper '"- -b'-' iheir inieli.:,:i,_tai :r -J r- ii, ..-:. ii- 1j..,--ier;i3n,:rng Cidl.,,ersih, 'iir' r -,1n-ifrnq that'i alwavi ,'.,f,.-;':l'i." ;i,': aiidi. Le3ii:illq ; /;'.r :r. jr,,'1 la r. q,..i3 "3 ;: ffe t be nefit: f
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-or,rir,.ued on pase ! 4 PAGE 14 MAD]5ON PARENT urually by five or six years of age, our brain Langrfage has lost the flexibility or plasticity to abrorb continued from pege 4 others as easily. By pre-pubescence, around eight or ten years of age, learning ianguages easier to master before puberty. becomer significantly more drfficu lt. Part of the reason why children more Yet, 5eidenberg maintains, children older easil'7 iearn ianguages ir simply the fact thaE than frVe have not necessarily rnissed a gold- t well, .v think like kids. "lChildrenJ absorb en opportunity, In fac! he argues, younger langui- i and they love language," says children are still so occupied with straight- Geiler Ltrgasry. Because they are more play- fui, they end up learning languages indi- rectly through garr,er and songs, Part of the reason why Thor Templin, a graduate student in the Deparfment cf German and the children more easily learn Department of 5candfnavian Studies at UW, languages is simply ihe agrees. Templin, who has taught German to iact that, well, tl"rey think ,:hildren fro'n five to l4 years of age, tyr kidr are iei: afraid to make mistakes. "With like kids. ^:duit: lhere'i aiwayr that moment of hesfta- tron ,here fJrev're trying to process the ening or:t the rvorld that they have pienty rrarnnar-" he obseryes. 'Adula have thil A physiological theory explaining in{anb' acuii'v io enough to di;cover. By five or six, cn the probtern where they want to know every- learn languages ruggerfu thcir brains or more roal- other hand, kiCs knou,nore, such ar the thrng ri.qht away." ieable or plaiiic. The rtudy. howe';er, failr tc obje,:a to which worCs are referring yet addrers their propenliN to eat pl;stic. ther stili retain a "voracio'-ts capacity- tc A lack cf self-consciousness isn't the only ieason why chiliren easily absorb languages. hasn't yet been deveioped. As we ierrr. :he ie.: i'n. " vVhile tne physiological mechanisms of lan- brain becomes cclonizec lnct, once coic,- M,rreover, the factors that conti'ibute to tLr,',_qe ;cquisition are not weil understood, nized, u harCer to change. ianquaqe acquisition are not entir'ely bioiog- one iheor;i suggesb that the brain is more As UW profesror of piychciogy l-Vark ic;iJ. Other issuet, what te cails scc;ai cir- ,r,;rile;bie o'- plasfic when we are young. 5eidenberg expiains, bv the time or-ir ccm- crrrnstances and motrvation," are cr:e iil. Safi'ran likens the brain to real estate that mand of our fir:t ianquage ir very' good, continueci o* page 2O
These include the amount of Fo,- older kids, txchange pro-
support an individuat receives grams and language camps can while Jearning a ianguage, the provide ihem wfth benefit-s that PAGE 20 degree.of exporure to lhe lan- last much longer than the expe- guage (fmme rsian, for example, rience ibelf, Programs in and
LangUage continued rrom pase 4
acceierates language learning at any age), ;nd whether or not around Maciison cffer a variety ofapprcaches to language edu- that exposure war in an isolated cation. 5ome are listed belou/; and iimited cornmunity, Of t Parents of 6-12-month-old ccurue, individual cases also vary infants interested in partrci- due to what Saffran calls simply pating in Saffran's rtudy can "talent." contact her at U nfortunateJy, Saffran point-s 608_263_587 6. or wr,rrv.wais- out while we best acquire lan- man.wfsc. edu / infa ntlea rningi guages when we are young the fnfant-research. html Amerfcan educational system * The Madison Chinese rarely mandates foreign lan- Language Schooi offers guage study untrl high school or Chinese classes to child:'en even college-after the brain's and adulti: plasUcity is significantly limited. By then, she iaments, "it's way www. mcll.dc it.wisc.edu . The UniversitT* of Wisconlin's too late." Many language programj Division of Continuing 5tudies now gear a portion of their cur- offeru a variety ot'language riculum toward kids" Berides clasresto children and adults. growing up in a bilingual house- 608-262-1156. or hold, immerion in eiementary 'vww.dcs.wisc' edu I :lals. I lan- s
ichoois is the most effectrVe guage.htrnl
;'neanr cf introducing children ' Concordia Lairguage iriliaqes tc another ianguage. But even in Moorhead, lvlinn. r,fiert 12 cr-;ifu ral pfograrnr, language cii{ferent language ca;:i1:i for one, two or iour u'eek riaYl ':la:ses and language-oriented rne,jia wfil pique a child': inter- each summer; est.in and sensitvity to other www. co rd.e<r'u i ciePt. ch,'. I cu ltu i'es.
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